Good morning from Newmarket! A very busy day lies ahead for La Grange Stables, and it will be interesting to see how we get on. We must be honest and admit that we don’t have many strong chances on paper but we should learn an awful lot from all of today’s runners. Here is hoping for some luck.
We kick off with perhaps the most intriguing event of the day for us, as I saddle both Lover’s Gait and Parikarma in the seven-furlong two-year-old fillies’ novice at Newmarket at 3.15. The race naturally features a host of attractively-bred types from big yards, notably the Charlie Appleby-trained Amber Island, who is by Exceed And Excel out of a Listed winner, and the Ralph Beckett-trained Dirty Dancer, who cost €500,000 at the Arqana Breeze-Up and displayed abundant promise on her recent Newbury debut.
So I am under no illusions that this is a tough race, and both of mine come with the usual proviso that they will improve an awful lot for the run. That said, I do hope we are dealing with two talented fillies. Lover’s Gait is a daughter of Gleneagles, who has made such a bright start to his stallion career, out of the Gr.3 placed mile and a quarter winner Liberally. The dam has already produced the smart Bells Rock (who won on debut on the Rowley Mile at 33/1 last season) and hopefully this filly has a nice long-term future.
Similar comments should apply to Parikarma, a daughter of Canford Cliffs who cost 90,000 at the Goresbridge breeze-ups in May. She is out of the mile winner Pushkar and has been progressing nicely in her work. Both fillies have nice futures and we are hoping to see some positive signs this afternoon. Rab Havlin takes the mount on Lover’s Gait and Tom Queally rides Parikarma having formed a good relationship with her at home.
Our next runner is Red Secret in the mile and a quarter three-year-old plus novice at Doncaster at 3.30. This is a smart contest featuring potentially useful types from big yards and we are probably not quite up to challenging them at this stage. However, this horse has shown nice progressive form in two starts so far, and should do ok once handicapped. Hopefully we see some more encouragement this afternoon, Dan Muscutt takes the ride.
Encouragement has been thin on the ground from Inspirational so far, but the there-year-old Slade Power filly attempts to redeem herself in the mile and a quarter 0-60 handicap at Lingfield at 7.35. We have always thought that she had a little more talent than she has been letting on, but her form figures and official rating of 48 tell the story. Hopefully up to a mile and a quarter they will go that stride slower which should help, and we have enlisted the services of the in-form Hollie Doyle. Fingers crossed we will see an improved performance.
All the best,
Ed.