Good Afternoon from Newmarket. A hugely exciting week of racing kicks off this afternoon at Royal Ascot, and it is exciting to be involved, albeit our interest is confined to day one.
We warmed up for the Royal Meeting with a victory against Amy Murphy’s team in the stable staff rounders yesterday – lots of fun was had as you can see from the accompanying pictures!
Whether we can maintain our winning streak today is a little doubtful, but it is wonderful to see one of our stable stars Global Giant back on track in the Wolferton Stakes at 5.35 at Ascot today. He won the Listed Carlingford Stakes at Dundalk last autumn, and was also Gr.3 placed as he rose through the handicap ranks last season.
That progression led him up the ratings all the way to 105, which puts him in the mix for this sort of contest, although he clearly needs to find some improvement. He has a few pounds to find with the highest rated horses in this field and, crucially, we are saddled with a three pound penalty for his Listed victory. Those elements, plus the likely rain-softened ground, suggest we are really up against it, particularly after an interrupted preparation.
However, Global Giant defied odds of 100/1 to finish an excellent fifth in the Hampton Court at this meeting last year, and he has been pleasing in his work of late. This is a devilishly tough spot to start his season, but I am very much looking forward to seeing how he gets on and hoping for a respectable effort at least. Gerald Mosse will renew his successful association with the horse.
We also field a runner at Brighton this evening, as Global Acclamation takes his chance in the seven-furlong 0-65 three-year-old handicap at 7.20. Since winning at Chelmsford in February, and then finishing second at Wolverhampton in March, this horse has become extremely disappointing. He travelled beautifully into the race at Lingfield last time out but flattened out in the finish, and that was his third abject display in a row. We go back up in trip and try cheekpieces rather than blinkers this evening, in a speculative bid to try and rekindle his enthusiasm. Tom Queally takes the ride.