Alternative Fact
Good morning from a bright and warm Newmarket. There is a feast of racing to keep us occupied today, and I am pleased to say that we will be represented at four meetings. Fingers crossed for a productive day!
The Shergar Cup is always an exciting event, and I am delighted to be saddling Manjaam this afternoon. He goes in the Shergar Cup Stayers at 1.40, and is a previous course winner at Ascot. He looked better than ever when winning a competitive York handicap earlier this season, but has not been himself in two starts since. However, we are happy with how he is going at home now, so hopefully he can get back on track. His rating of 95 is pretty near the ceiling of his capabilities, so we are trying two miles today for the first time to see if that might help unearth a little extra improvement. We know he stays a mile and a three-quarters, so this longer trip experiment is surely worth a try. I am delighted to have been given two-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown for the ride, though am not so delighted at being drawn 12 of 12!
At Newmarket twenty minutes later the No Nay Never filly Yes Can Do gets her career underway in the seven-furlong maiden fillies’ event for newcomers, with the ground officially described as soft. Her sire was a brilliantly fast two-year-old and has made a decent start with his first crop, and has had a couple go well on softer ground. This looks a warm contest, but I hope to see an encouraging debut. Shane Kelly rides.
We have secured the services of Frankie Dettori for Alternative Fact in the mile and a quarter handicap at 3.10, also at Newmarket. This is a typically competitive race, and the winning machine Danceteria and in-form Kaanoon set a tough standard, whilst none of the field can be discounted. However, there is a lingering feeling that Alternative Fact might be reasonably handicapped.
He won a Salisbury maiden by six lengths last season, and was then second to the high-class Wootton in Listed company. He returned this season with a fair effort behind French Classic colts in the Prix de Guiche and ran ok, without troubling the principals, in the Gr.2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. A mile and a half was deemed too far for him at that stage, so we dropped him back to ten-furlongs for a handicap at Sandown shortly after, and he ran on well from the back to take a close-up fourth. Ahead of him that day was Melting Dew, subsequently second at Glorious Goodwood, Alfarris, subsequently a winner at Glorious Goodwood, and Bathsheba Bay and Pivoine – who both also ran well at Goodwood. The form has a strong look to it, but we got dropped by a pound to 97. If he builds on that effort, and doesn’t get stuck in the potentially sticky ground, then he should have a good each way chance and be there or thereabouts.
At Redcar at 1.45 I send Mr Gent for a seven-furlong median auction maiden. We are the highest rated horse in the race, but bookmakers are still chalking him up as a 20/1 chance. That probably says everything about his chances, but he could go well on his best form and has run well a Redcar previously. Tom Eaves rides. In the 6.15 at Lingfield, our promising Poet’s Voice two-year-old Global Warning will have his second run. A good third in a Doncaster novice a few weeks ago, that is working out reasonably well, he remains at seven-furlongs. Although a sibling of brilliant sprinters The Tin Man and Deacon Blues, he did nothing to suggest he needs to step back a furlong last time out, and we are hopeful that he will step forward again today. We have two strong challengers in the Qatar Racing colours, but hope to be competitive. Gerald Mosse will be in the saddle.