Good morning from Newmarket. We have just the two runners today, both older grey geldings by Dark Angel, though that is where the similarities end! Bawaader makes his racecourse debut at Chelmsford, whilst the redoubtable Dark Red has his 34th career start as he continues his Dubai adventure a few thousand miles away in Meydan.
Let us begin by discussing Dark Red, who steps back to a mile for the first time this winter in a 95-105 turf handicap. He was a little ring rusty on his first outing over there back in mid-January, but showed the benefit of that run when finishing a creditable sixth with blinkers re-applied three weeks ago. That was a warm looking heat, but things don’t get any easier today.
Symbolization is the top weight, and on his Irish Guineas fifth and Jersey Stakes form with Expert Eye, sets a very high standard. There are too many other dangers to mention, but I can assure you it is a tough race! I am encouraged with how Dark Red is working, and hopefully being drawn in stall nine of 16 is not a disaster and will allow us to find a nice position. I see we are rated a 25/1 shot by the bookmakers, which perhaps looks a little big in truth, but we have to be realistic and acknowledge that he could run above himself and still only finish fifth or six. The races out there are furiously competitive, but we will be trying our very best. Ben Curtis takes the mount.
Later, in the 7.55 at Chelmsford, the enormous Bawaader makes a belated racecourse debut in the mile novice. As a four-year-old going in against his juniors, he will have to carry the stopping burden of 10 stone, and the race is a little hotter than we anticipated not long before declarations closed. John Gosden’s White Coat is rated 80, as is Barossa Red of Andrew Balding’s, whilst Charlie Appleby’s Kinver Edge was second last time out and will also be very difficult to beat.
Clearly, therefore, Bawaader will have to run to a good level to get anywhere near the principals, giving these talented younger horses well over a stone, but we are pleased with how he is working, and I would like to think he is a horse with a future. As alluded to previously, he is a big horse, so he should come on for the run physically and the experience will do him good too, but I would like to see a little bit of promise this evening nonetheless. Dan Muscutt has ridden the horse in work recently and retains the mount today.
All the best,
Ed.