Stable News
16-04-2007 Taking the wraps off - Dunlop outlines early-season hopes
ED DUNLOP is expecting to have plenty of runners over the next couple or three weeks as the new Turf season really begins to gather momentum.
Newmarket’s traditional curtain-raiser - the Craven meeting - takes place from April 18-19 and, as usual, the main focus will be on the classic trials and the hot maidens.
Several of the Gainsborough Stables team will be in action at the new-look fixture, kicking off with Broomielaw, who is scheduled to line up in the opening race next Wednesday.
Broomielaw
The Rock Of Gibralter colt made a most encouraging debut at the Rowley Mile track last back-end, finishing second in a seven-furlong event last September.
Having pleased his trainer so far this spring, Broomielaw is poised to reappear in a mile-and-a-quarter maiden.
Ed outlines: “He has done well from two to three and we have given him the odd smart entry, while leaving him in the Derby.
“Obviously, there is a long way to go ahead of that but he seems well and is going the right way.”
One of the most intriguing races at the Craven meeting is invariably the Wood Ditton, a mile event for unraced three-year-olds, which is held on the second day. Ed has a couple of possibles for the race…
“Axiom is a Pivotal colt, who has been doing some faster work and is a possibility for the Wood Ditton,” Ed explains. “However, if the ground remains quick, we would probably wait a while with him.
“Chantilly Tiffany is a horse owned by Ballygallon Stud and is much more forward than the majority of my fillies.
Chantilly Tiffany
“She is going to start off either in the Wood Ditton or the seven-furlong fillies’ maiden, which is also scheduled for next Thursday.
“Graduation - a Cheveley Park-owned filly by Lomitas - will debut in the seven-furlong fillies’ maiden at Newmarket.
“I am pleased with the way she has been progressing and it will be interesting to see how she runs.”
There are a whole bunch of other three-year-olds who are ready to run or who aren’t far off seeing some competitive action.
Jeer could return over a mile-and-a-quarter in a couple of weeks, while Western Adventure - second at Leicester on his sole outing at two - carries an entry at Newbury on Friday.
Another to carry entries at this stage is Optical Illusion, a once-raced half-brother to David Junior.
Ed says: “At this stage, I don’t think he will be emulating his brother but he should be capable of winning his maiden and there are various options for him in the next fortnight.”
The same comment applies to Fort Amhurst, third over a mile when making his one and only start of 2006 last back-end. He runs on Monday at Windsor.
Fort Amhurst
One horse who has already made his mark is King Charles. The son of King’s Best rattled off a hat-trick last September to flag up that he is a progressive horse.
Ed comments: “King Charles has done some fast work and is going well. He will probably run in a 0-95 handicap in the next two or three weeks, although we haven’t pinpointed a specific race. He is likely to be campaigned over a mile to 10f.”
My Love Thomas was another two-year-old winner for Dunlop and she is not long off a run. In the words of her trainer, she did ‘nothing wrong’ on her victorious debut at Lingfield and the hope is that there will be more to come over six and seven furlongs in 2007.
Al Khaleej, Held Captive, Nice To Know and Mutual Friend are others whom connections are looking forward to seeing at the racetrack in the not-too-distant future.
April is, if nothing else, a time for dreams. It is also a time when anticipation and excitement are present in every yard in town. Ed Dunlop’s Gainsborough Stables base is no different.
Fingers crossed, then, at least some of the dreams can be fulfilled over the coming weeks and months.
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