Warrior Prince
Another overcast day here in Suffolk but we have only had a very light shower so far. Glorious Goodwood could start on good ground next week but there is rain in the forecast and it may be the meeting starts on ground just the easy side of good. There is also rain about next Wednesday and Thursday during the meeting itself.
First Quest ran respectably at Lingfield yesterday when fifth, the 1m4f trip did not seem to pose a problem to him and we have something to work on now.
We have four runners spread across four different meetings today. Alemaratalyoum was staying on when coming from off the pace at Wolverhampton last time and Sandown (5:15) will suit him a lot better today. The ground won’t be an issue for him and he looks to hold solid claims. Another Boy has been working his way back into form and may put some pace into the race. Duke Of North will appreciate this ground but needs to bounce back to form after a disappointing effort last time.
We run The Lacemaker in the 8:05 at Newbury and the ground is a slight question mark for her but she appears to appreciate it at home. She has been disappointing lately but is a filly with ability and we are dropping her back to 6f with blinkers applied today in the hope that it can lead to her recapturing her form. There is speed in her pedigree and it will be interesting to see how she gets on. Zumran is on a roll and is two pounds well in on official ratings and will love the ground. There are two other last time out winners Beck And Call and Think Fashion who have won with a bit of juice but there are three none runners which has made the race slightly less competitive.
Zamadance drops back down in trip and grade in the 2:40 at Yarmouth this afternoon. He sports some blinkers and if he can replicate his run at Brighton then he holds claims in a race lacking in depth. After the withdrawal of the paper favourite, Tyrsal is now the most obvious winner of the race if he can back up his latest win. He is a ten year old and is exposed but his mark remains a great deal below his best and he is officially two pounds well in. Broughtons Admiral and Sunshineandbubbles have both run well in similar company on their last starts and although Book Of Dust has shown nothing yet, she is the least unexposed member of the field.
Warrior Prince steps up to one and a half miles for the first time in the 5:45 at Doncaster and he is bred to appreciate it. He has run well on good to soft ground but tonight’s soft ground is an unknown. If he handles conditions he has an each way chance in a competitive affair that is trappy without being red hot. The New Pharoah is a horse with ability who boasts strong form claims but he is quirky whilst Prendergast Hill rarely runs a bad race. Auxiliary is a danger if replicating his penultimate run back on soft ground and Buonarroti has dropped down the weights and should be another who appreciates tonight’s conditions.