Dubai Frame
After a dry and foggy morning at HQ, it looks like we may avoid the rain for the present at least. Yesterday proved to be disappointing with a poor performance from Qaswarah at Leicester. She seemed to run in snatches a little and her rider Harry Bentley felt she wasn’t responding when he asked her for effort at the 4f pole and said she did not pick up and may not have stayed the 12f trip. We will give her an easy few days and make a fresh assessment then.
Today I send two runners to Lingfield. Dr Hon’s Global Spirit is first to the starting gate in the 7f ‘French Open Tennis Betting At 188Bet Handicap’ (1.40). This is Global Spirit’s second run back from a break after making an encouraging return to the track at Newmarket on Guineas weekend. He raced prominently there and was only headed in the final furlong to be beaten 2 ½ lengths in 4th. Considering the 3rd placed horse was dropped a pound for it’s next run, I was a little surprised the Handicapper raised Global Spirit 2lbs for finishing 4th. He returns to the AW surface today against some progressive-looking rivals, and it looks a very competitive contest. However, he is in good form, and if overcoming a wide draw in stall 12, I hope he will have an EW chance.
Our second runner today is Dubai Frame when he makes his handicap debut in the 1m4f ‘Take The Reins Handicap’ (5.10). Mr Jaber’s 3yr old colt progressed nicely for each outing last season showing the most promise when finishing 5th at Lingfield over 1m last November. We are lucky today to have the services of Ryan Moore on board and while 3yr old handicaps will nearly always contain unexposed improving horses, I am hopeful Dubai Frame can give a decent showing and have a solid EW chance.
All the best
Ed