STOCKHOLM CUP winner Collier Hill (3.10) attempts to pull off another big-race success by plundering this afternoon's St Simon Stakes at Newbury, writes Colin Woods.

Alan Swinbank's Melsonby-near-Darlington-based raider took the Swedish thoroughbred scene by storm in September with a last-gasp victory at one of their most prestigious meetings of the season.

With the silverware safely back in the UK, Swinbank then hatched an even more daring plan to send the tough-as-teak gelding to Toronto for a crack at the immensely valuable Grade 1 Canadian International.

Unfortunately Alan's hopes were dashed when three of the horses scheduled to fly with Collier Hill from Stansted on Tuesday - owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum and Godolphin - opted to charter a separate aircraft.

The late switch meant that the owners of Collier Hill were required to stump up an extra £18,000 in transport costs, a price that, understandably, they were not prepared to pay.

"It is very disappointing as the prize-money is terrific in Canada, but the horse is very well and he'll run at Newbury instead," revealed Swinbank.

"If Collier Hill runs well there, then he might get invited to run in Hong Kong for a mile-and-a-half race.

"It has clearly been a difficult week for Alan, but could yet be a case of "all's well that ends well", because the bog-like conditions at the Berkshire venue are sure to suit his horse, who earlier in the year finished a valiant fourth in Newcastle's Northumberland Plate.

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