Good morning from Newmarket. In all honesty, yesterday was another disappointing day for La Grange, with two fancied runners failing to trouble the places. However, we go the well again today with two interesting chances.
We get started in the 1.50 at Thirsk, a mile 0-70 fillies’ nursery, with the handicap debutant Boston Girl. This daughter of Zebedee was very green on her Chelmsford debut in June, then failed to bet a horse in two subsequent runs at Nottingham and Yarmouth. That bleak appraisal is perhaps a little unfair though, as on her second start at Nottingham she was third of three in a warm little contest and not beaten far. The winner Go Well Spicy won again next time out, whilst the runner-up Sesame Birah has won twice in the meantime, including at Newbury this week, finished fourth in a Gr.3 and is now heading for a rating probably in the 90s.
So that line of form suggests she is quite fairly treated on just 55, though of course she might well have been flattered. However, her work at home has come forward nicely, her dam stayed a mile and a quarter so we are encouraged by the step up to a mile, and plenty of Zebedee’s stock can handle easier ground. Her prospects might look bleak at first glance, but I am certainly hoping that she can take something of a step forward on handicap debut this afternoon. P J McDonald takes the ride.
We have to wait until 8.25 at Haydock for our next runner, and the rain that has fallen overnight at the track is very good news. Helian, another handicap debutant in the three-year-old mile and a quarter 0-70, has demonstrated at home and on the track that he needs an ease in the ground, and we have been waiting for the right surface. Although we declared when the ground was quicker, the forecast suggested that plenty of rain was coming and it looks as though the ground should be right up his street.
He has shown a nice bit of promise in three novice runs, and is a son of Shamardal from a very good family. Hopefully his opening mark of 68 is fair and the step up in trip will surely be of benefit, so it would be nice to think he can be reasonably competitive. Certainly we should learn plenty about him one way or another. Tom Queally rides.
All the best,
Ed.