Good morning from Newmarket! A busy day lies in store as the Classic trials get underway, and we are looking forward to being involved with four runners at Newbury on Greenham day, followed by a single runner at Wolverhampton tonight.
We get the ball rolling with Roxy Art in the Grp-3 Fred Darling Stakes at 2.10. The daughter of Dutch Art was a useful two-year-old, winning her maiden impressively and later finishing second to the Grp-1 placed Star Terms (who is in opposition again today) in a Newmarket nursery and running a fine race to finish second to the exciting Fashion’s Star over this course and distance. The only time she disappointed us was when running on rather quick ground in the Dick Poole at Salisbury, so we are keen to avoid that sort of going with her this year as far as we can.
Rated 87, but with a win under her belt and some form that ties in with very smart fillies, the objective this year is to get some black-type. Her dam was a smart two-year-old that did not train on particularly well, so the first step is to see how she has trained on. Roxy has done very well physically from two to three and pleases in her work, so the signs are positive, and Newbury took plenty of rain earlier in the week which has left us with soft ground – which shouldn’t be a problem. The big hurdle is clearly the level of opposition, as this is a very warm looking Fred Darling, and we have been chalked up as 66/1 rank outsiders at the time of writing. That reflects the task in front of us, but we are on a fact finding mission and are sure to learn plenty. Fingers crossed Roxy can acquit herself well – Rab Havlin renews his association with her.
Our next runners feature in the two divisions of the mile maiden, with San Diaco and Global Freedom running in the first division at 3.50 and Global Rock in the second at 4.25.
San Diaco only made his debut in early March, but got stage fright and ran no sort of race at Chelmsford. He put that behind him with a much more encouraging display at Wolverhampton next time out, and going onto the softer turf here should suit. He is unlikely to be good enough to win a Newbury maiden, but this looks an ideal spot for his third run. Dan Muscutt rides.
Similar comments apply to Global Freedom. He showed a modicum of promise on debut at Lingfield in November, but he was making a noise so had a wind operation afterwards. He might want a little further than this in time, and this testing surface could just catch out a horse returning from wind surgery – but it is time we were getting on with him.
Global Rock might be a little more suited by the conditions in the second division. A son of Siyouni out of a Listed winning and Gr.3 placed mare in France, who handled deep ground particularly well, he has always shown us a little bit of talent, but is an enormous horse who has required a good deal of patience. Inevitably this is a difficult spot to get started, with a multitude of fancy looking opponents, but he is ready for his first racecourse experience and should not be disgraced. Gerald Mosse is on both of our ‘Global’ runners this afternoon.
Our final bit of excitement comes at 6.00 when Gottardo tries to maintain his unbeaten record for us under Sophie Smith in the six-furlong amateur riders’ handicap at Wolverhampton. The pairing got off to the best possible start when winning at Chelmsford last month - and as the winning margin was only a head the handicapper could only nudge Gottardo up by a pound. He still looks reasonably well-handicapped therefore, based on his old Irish form, and we have exactly the same gate as last time in stall one. I suspect this is a slightly deeper race, and we will probably need some luck in running from a rail draw on a hold-up performer, but provided they go a good gallop Gottardo ought to be staying on stoutly at the finish.
Enjoy the sport today,
Ed.