Perla Blanca and Sophie Smith bid to follow up their Doncaster win in the 5.15 at newbury
Good morning from a slightly overcast Newmarket, where the whole town seems to have a hangover after the George Ezra concert last night! We have to regroup quickly, however, as it is a busy day on track.
In the 2.10 at Newmarket, a six-furlong novice, we get the career of the Kodiac colt Mawsool underway. Eight go to post, and the form standard set by Khadeem (third to Calyx on debut) possibly represents a slightly higher level than we can aspire to. However, our colt has a little bit of ability, and his dam won the Albany for me, so I am hoping for a good introduction. Fran Berry rides.
Later on at Newmarket I will saddle the recent Chelmsford winner Roxy Art in a valuable seven-furlong filly’s nursery, which has attracted six runners. We are taking a chance on trip and ground here, as she scooted away over six-furlongs on the all-weather, and now tackles seven furlongs and a bit of an ease in the turf. The race looks as competitive as you would expect, despite the lack of numbers, and Richard Hannon’s Sea The Stars filly Star Terms will be a tough nut to crack. However, we have an improving filly on our hands, she races as though seven furlongs will be within her compass, and she ought to run well on the drying ground. Oisin Murphy takes the mount.
In the 5.50 at Newmarket I run my own horse King Kevin, who is down to a mile and a half having failed to stay two miles at Kempton last time out. His turf form is miles below his all-weather level, yet he finds himself on the same mark of 78. This is an experimental run and we will see what happens. With regular partner Rab Havlin required elsewhere, Dan Muscutt is on board for the first time.
Our final Newmarket runner is Amplification, who is also being ridden by Oisin. A Doncaster maiden winner over seven furlongs last year, he has just taken his time to find his feet at three. A reasonably promising comeback was followed by two below par efforts, but a drop back down to seven furlongs saw him very competitive in a 0-75 at Lingfield last time out, finishing third. We have been dropped a pound since, and although we are back up into 0-80 company, it looks to be a race that he fits into well. Genuinely good ground or a fraction on the easy side should suit, so I would like to think he has a small each way shout.
At Newbury our only representative is Perla Blanca, who bids to follow up her Doncaster win in June under Sophie Smith in the mile and a half amateur rider’s handicap at 5.15. Perla refused to enter the stalls at Carlisle on her most recent intended appearance, and has subsequently had to pass a stalls test. If we overlook that blemish, she is a lovely improving staying filly, who might have some mileage in her mark of 65. The big worry today is the drop in trip, as two miles suited her so well last time. However, as she has had just two races so far this year, she needs to get back racing, and this is a wonderful opportunity for Sophie to gain further experience at a premier track. Another with a small each way chance.
We also send one runner up to Ripon, namely Qawamees, in the mile and a half handicap for three-year-olds at 5.00. This horse has already finished second twice at the course this season, and I have a horrible feeling he is not brilliantly handicapped on 78. As such, we are looking for a way to extract some further improvement, and it might just be that a step up to this distance will help. Despite being by Exceed And Excel, he races like a middle distance type, and he was not stopping over ten-furlongs last time out. We know the track suits, and if he does improve for the new trip, he might be there or thereabouts. Tom Eaves is booked to do the steering.
All the best,
Ed.