Amplification
Good morning from Newmarket! I don’t wish to dwell on the fact it is my birthday, but must extend my thanks to everyone who has passed on goodwill – it is greatly appreciated.
Sadly we didn’t get the present I would have liked in the Caulfield Cup! Red Verdon finished a slightly unfortunate 11th, clearly disadvantaged by racing well off the pace in a contest in which they went a dawdling gallop, and then suffering interference on the turn for home. We live to fight another day though, and I am pleased to say that the horse is absolutely fine after the race and blew for ten minutes. Hopefully all roads lead to Melbourne now!
Now onto domestic matters, where most eyes will be on the spectacular card at Ascot. We are interested observers, but our own runners today will be at Catterick where the going is soft. In the mile and a half handicap at 4.05 I run Vision Clear, who has been dealt a fairly bad draw in berth 12. That dampens enthusiasm, but there are reasons to be positive. Although he won on officially good to firm at Beverley in August, he was probably getting away with the ground rather than relishing it, and he has good form on an easier surface. After a poor run on the AW at Wolverhampton, he showed signs of life again at Beverley last time out and appears to be in good form. Catterick should be a suitable venue for him, so I hope he can run with credit – but the gut feeling is he may just be a couple of pounds higher in the ratings than he can win off at this stage and the draw might just be the deciding factor.
In the very next race at 4.40, a seven-furlong 0-80, we run the Ffos Las winner Amplification. He was raised to a mark of 80 following that breakthrough success in September, and then ran a very good race from his new rating at Ayr last time – in a much better race than at Ffos Las. That gives us a little bit of each way hope today, though genuinely soft ground is a little bit of an unknown. Jason Hart takes the ride, and we hope for a good run.
Enjoy the sport, best wishes
Ed.