AMERICAN trainer Wesley Ward has reported Acapulco and Finnegan to be in fine fettle after they shipped into York ahead of their respective engagements.

Two-year-old filly Acapulco is here to take on the older sprinters in the Group 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe on Friday. Finnegan, who was a late withdrawal from the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, is back over in England for a tilt at the richest Group Two for juvenile colts in Britain, this Saturday’s Irish Thoroughbred Marketing GimcracK

The pair arrived on Saturday and are based in the stables across the Knavesmire. They have had a little stretch as part of their settling-in process and Ward couldn’t be happier with them at present.

Ward said: “Everything is phenomenal. You never know which way you go when horses ship. Some ship good and some ship bad. And you can usually tell right off the reel.

“They just shipped in wonderful. They both ate up and never left an oat. The colt Finnegan – it was all they could do to get him off the track. He was bucking, jumping, playing and feeling like a million dollars

“The filly, when she came off the track next, she was whinnying and squealing she was so happy. I could not be happier with the way things are going.”

Acapulco gave a hugely exciting performance when winning the Queen Mary Stakes at the Royal Meeting. Her size and stature left an indelible impression on all who saw her score by a length and a half.

The £310,000 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes has long been Acapulco’s next target and Ward reports a first-class preparation for the race.

He said: “I think she is really going to bring her A-game to the table. I don’t think there will be any excuses after the race.

“I couldn’t be happier with the way she has trained into it. She is extremely sound – she wouldn’t have a pimple on her. She has no issues whatsoever.

“She is a big imposing filly – it’s almost like she is four! Physically, she is so sound it’s like she is a four-year-old.

“She is just a big monstrous individual and I am so extremely happy with her. I really didn’t think I’d ever have the right two-year-old to bring over to take on older horses until now.”

Keeping to his own age group is Finnegan, a five-length winner of a maiden special weight at Pimlico on his last start in May.  Ward assessed: “He has breezed right with the filly – both of them in hand in their last few breezes.

“But every work, they work together. They’re certainly at three-quarter speed, so it’s tough to judge which one is better of the two.

“Obviously, you’d have to lean to the filly – what she has accomplished (compared) to him, so far. But it is a shame he didn’t get a chance to run in the Coventry. I think he was going to fire a cracker that day. I’m very excited with him as well.”

Ward is due to fly out late tonight and arrive in time to put the final touches to the duo’s preparations ahead of their respective engagements at the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival.

The four-day Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival takes place from tomorrow, August 19-22, inclusive.