Good morning from Newmarket. Although we have only the two runners today, we are spreading the net far and wide in search of a winner!
Our first runner is King Kevin, who goes in the mile and a half handicap at Wolverhampton at 7.15. A star performer last winter, when he won five races no less, Kevin saw his mark rise from 48 to 82 in a matter of months. He returned to action on the grass this summer from that inflated rating, and it proved a little bit too much. As the all-weather season approaches he should come into his own once again, and after another short absence he finds his mark back to a slightly more manageable 76. The track and trip are ideal, we have a good draw in stall five, but in truth he will probably improve quite a bit for the run. Franny Norton rides.
Shortly afterwards in the 8.30 at Dundalk, a mile and a quarter Listed event, the consistent Global Giant seeks to secure his first win of the season. He has progressed through the ranks this year, and has finished placed in Gr.3 company on his last two outings, including over course and distance.
The weather on the Irish Sea today is forecast to be very dicey, but luckily Global Giant and the team accompanying him made it over safely yesterday. As the pictures below show, the horse remains in great form and hopefully is ready to do himself justice, despite this being the eighth start of a long campaign.
Seven runners have been declared for the Carlingford Stakes, with a first prize of over €29,000. We are currently disputing favouritism with the Aidan O’Brien trained Curly, who ran well in the Gr.2 Blandford Stakes last time out. Another key rival will surely be Dermot Weld’s Mutaabeq, who has won both his career starts convincingly and is firmly in the ‘could be anything category’. I just hope that Global Giant can compete to a similar level as he has done in his last two races and run his race. We know that a repeat performance will make him competitive, so we keep our fingers firmly crossed. Gerald Mosse travels to Dundalk to take the ride.
All the best,
Ed.