Good morning from Newmarket. Our run of poor form continued yesterday, but we are quickly going back into bat with a pair of runners this afternoon – both within ten minutes of each other in fact.
In the 3.20 at Yarmouth Reddiac gets a major step up in trip to a mile and a quarter in the 0-65 handicap. This horse was a breeze-up purchase who showed a good deal of talent on various occasions last year, but frustratingly he remains a maiden after eight starts.
He took a while to come to hand this spring, and we then learnt little from a disappointing seasonal reappearance at Lingfield in early June. However, his staying on fourth at this track two weeks ago was a definite step back in the right direction. We had been toying with the idea of stepping him up in trip over the winter and P J McDonald, who rode him most recently, indicated that an increase all the way up to a mile and a quarter was needed. So we try the new trip today, and this is a very realistic level for him to be in at. The fact he has run well at the track twice previously offers encouragement, so we keep our fingers crossed that he can put his best foot forward and be competitive. James Doyle will take the ride.
In the seven-furlong 0-70 handicap at 3.30 at Haydock we run Global Destination, a three-year-old son of Slade Power who won twice for us over this trip earlier in the season. Both his victories came on easy ground, and his attempt at completing a hat-trick on the AW last time came badly unstuck.
So today’s quickening surface is a major concern, and it is frustrating that the weather seems likely to turn in his favour tomorrow. But that is just the way it is, and there is no doubt that he is back in at the right sort of level here. We have felt for some time that his mark going above 70 left him a little high in the weights, so we have reached for the valuable five pound claim of Cieren Fallon today. The ground is a lingering concern for this horse, but hopefully he will get away with it and can run a decent race.
Fingers crossed for a bit more luck this afternoon.
Best wishes,
Ed.