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The 2002-2005 results are at the bottom
of the page for comparison |
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JUNE 20th SUMMING UP
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A reasonably good edition of the race with three or four fillies having
some potential to be better than early season, precocious 2yos. In the
2005 race only Flashy Wings had that profile but we have two here with
Simply Perfect and Roxan along with two interesting fillies
in Princess Iris & Sunley Gift.
We should probably start with Gilded though who has already won
four races including scraping home in a soft ground Listed event last time.
She has not looked a true 5f performer having lost some ground on nippier
types in all her runs. However, she is very tough and willing and has gathered
herself to find a response in each race. She has a similar profile to Bow
Bridge who was third in last year's race and a similar result would not
be a surprise. Unlike Bow Bridge she does have a little potential to improve
over 6f+ so we may not have seen the last of her winning although there
ought to be better speed fillies in this field.
Simply Perfect had a typically educational introduction in a good
Windsor Novice for Mr Noseda. Making good progress to second from 5 lengths
off the leader at halfway. The useful prospect Dutch Art had already made
his winning move so her jockey did not press her too strongly.
The other areas of her profile are nearly all positives as well including
a good sales review. Her trainer is building a good record in these Ascot
juvenile races recently and seems to be able to get them to peak for the
race. He had the runner-up in this race last year along with the 6f Listed
winner La Chunga. In yesterday's Coventry he ran the maiden Kalgoorlie
who steamed home in the last furlong to finish fourth at long odds. The
one niggle is that her pedigree says she will be better for 6-7f. Hopefully
she'll prove good enough to win this before going on to the Group 1 6f
events.
Roxan beat a motley bunch on her debut in the Listed 'Hilary Needler'
without having to get into higher gear. However, none of the beaten horses
have bothered to come to this race which is a fair representation of the
quality that she beat. She has a similarly positive profile to Simply Perfect
including a good sales report and a very good trainer although a notch
behind overall. She is another filly we should be hearing more from in
the best 6f races.
It goes against the grain to think that the moderate sire of 2yos Desert
Prince would have a 'Queen Mary' filly. So let's give Princess Iris'
Group 3 winning 2yo dam the credit instead. She showed a high cruising
speed to burn off average 5f maiden fillies on a taking debut and was keeping
on strongly at the finish. It would not have been a surprise to see her
in the 6f race for fillies at the meeting but her astute trainer clearly
thinks she has the speed for this race on this stiffish track. So, another
filly with potential and likely to get mixed in with the pacemakers.
Of the others Sunley Gift is difficult to assess because she won
a joke of a race on debut. The six fillies jogged the first 4 furlongs
and then had a bit of a sprint for the final furlong and finished in a
heap. The time was poor and later runs have shown the abilities were mixed
up by the pace. Her overall profile is of a solid contestant for one of
the trainers owner-breeders rather than a high class prospect. Tarkamara
looked a filly of some potential when winning the 'Flashy Wings' maiden
in early season with some of the same fillies behind her as Princess Iris
later thrashed. Like many of the trainer's early 2yo runners she regressed
STO and faded tamely off a good pace. With her stoutish pedigree she may
find this race too quick and once they start going backwards formwise for
Mr Cole these days not many recover quickly.
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RACE QUALITY:
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Normally a wide spread of abilities and as with the Coventry the better
fillies, with the longer term futures, make the first three places if they
are in the field. The majority of the field will be a mix of precocious
5f 2yos who have already finished winning along with a small number who
can win up to Listed level at 2yo but will not develop beyond that and
will be running in handicaps at 3yo.
The period 2002-4 gives a good idea of the split of abilities and how the
best fillies will outclass the others. The nine fillies to have made the
first three in that period later won at 2yo one Group 1 race, three Group
2 races, two Group 3 races plus two other Group 1-2 places. The other 41
fillies have won between them one Group 3 race, two at Listed level and
two Supersprints. The better fillies usually open up notable distances
back to others by the end given a clear passage through the crowded field.
Other than Attraction who won the Hilary Needler by a long way the fillies
that won or ran in the previous Listed races, including the National Stakes,
had a poor record in that period. The better fillies have often run only
in maidens before the race.
The 2005 race fitted this model to a large extent with the only
filly in the race with a future in better races - Flashy Wings - winning
easily. With no other improvers in the field the next three finishers had
all won at Listed level previously and were the best of the precocious
2yos lacking development potential.
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TRAINERS:
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R Hannon has only had one place in the race in the last four years
(with a filly capable of winning at Group 3 level over 7f) and in general
has either lacked higher class fillies or they have not peaked on the day.
He had the second in the Coventry yesterday to improve his moderate record
there. He runs Gilded and the maiden Ripping.
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SIRES:
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First season sires :-
Auction House (Hythe Bay)
has had a lot of runner but little quality with 6 winners from 21 representatives
(2 at seller level).
Redback (Gilded) did not seem
likely to make a name for himself as a sie of 5f 2yos but has made a good
start with Gilded and Sonny Red winning at Listed level at 5f and the tough
Granny Peel winning 4 times at Seller class.
Rock Of Gibraltar (Roxan)
has made a slow start with only 5 runners to date although 3 have won,
two at 5f.
The fifth season sire Danetime
is one of numerous stallions from the Danzig/Danehill line that have gone
to stud at Coolmoore in recent years. His background was not dissimilar
to Danehill Dancer who has made a big name for himself. Danetime has had
to work harder to get recognition and has lacked high class runners but
has a solid record of producing sprint 2yos and handicappers (with the
odd Group 3 success). He has a big crop to represent him in 2006 although
they only averaged 11,000gns as yearlings. He has made a good start to
the season with 7 winners of 9 races at a 30% strike rate. The usual caveat
on the limit of higher quality he can impart seems still to apply but he
gets competitive 2yos. Christmas Tart and Slipasearcher run for him her.
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