Dagueneau bids for his second win of the season today
It was a bright and pleasant morning today in HQ, and we were able to get plenty of work done.
We tackle two meetings today, with a pair of runners at both Sandown and Goodwood. Our first runner is Sinjaari in the 2.35 at Sandown, a two-year-old maiden over seven furlongs. A son of Camelot whose second dam is the Nunthorpe heroine Lochangel, this looks an ideal starting point. It would appear to be a tall order to beat the odds-on favourite Eagle Hunter, who showed a lot of promise on his recent debut, but we hope to learn plenty from the race.
Dagueneau is our other runner at Sandown, in a mile and three-quarter three-year-old handicap at 5.25, and he probably represents our best chance of a winner today. Owned by Andrew Gemmell, he deservedly got his head in front at Nottingham last time, on his first attempt at today’s distance. He was nudged up four pounds by the handicapper after that effort, but gets a pair of cheek-pieces for the first time this afternoon in a bid to conjure some further improvement. William Buick will be in the plate for both our Sandown runners.
The bandwagon rolls on to Goodwood this evening, where our first representative is Arnason in the 6.05, an apprentice handicap over 7f in which he will be ridden by Georgia Cox. He did well during the winter, winning at Wolverhampton and Chelmsford, though he shot up by a stone in the ratings as a result. His last run on turf came from a mark of just 70, whereas today he is tasked with defying a rating of 83. It would be asking a lot for him to win on his first start after a break from a poor draw, but we hope he can build on whatever he produces today.
The day concludes with Tadleel in the 8.15, a 0-85 handicap for three-year-olds over a mile. He was a useful performer last year, winning twice, but he has yet to put his best foot forward in a couple of outings this season. It is hoped that a pair of cheek-pieces and a little leniency from the handicapper will enable him to show more this evening.
All the best,
Ed.