Sixties Icon back in form

Breeders' Cup Turf candidate Sixties Icon goes in search of his second consecutive Group 3 win at Newbury on Saturday when he takes on Geordieland in the 1 5/8-mile, $112,000 Geoffrey Freer Stakes.

The Jeremy Noseda-trained winner of the 2006 St. Leger Stakes, Sixties Icon appears to be back to his best after an operation to clear up a breathing problem aided his victory two weeks ago in Goodwood's 1 1/2-mile Glorious Stakes.

By Galileo out of English Oaks winner Love Divine, Sixties Icon had his name thrown into the Breeders' Cup Turf hat after that one-length win. Johnny Murtagh flies over from Ireland for the ride. In Geordieland he faces a resolute stayer who followed victory in the 1 3/4-mile, Group 2 Yorkshire Cup with a gallant second behind Yeats in the 2 1/2-mile, Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup.

In an evenly matched field of 11, those two must fight off the challenges of Godolphin's consistent and improving Eastern Anthem, Glorious Stakes third Lion Sands, and Peppertree Lane, the winner of last year's 1 3/4-mile Group 3 Curragh Cup.