British 2yo Racing - 2007 Season Race Preview

British 2yo Racing - 2007 Season

Racing Preview - June 16th

Today's Races

[184] : Bath 2:15, 5f Novice (4)

[185] : Bath 2:50, 5f Auction (6)

[186] : Leicester 7:15, 6f Maiden Fillies' (4)

[187] : Lingfield AW 5:55, 5f Maiden Fillies' (5)

[188] : York 4:30, 6f Maiden (3)

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Trainer :	Trainer Marco Botti is the son and nephew of two Itialian trainers who have been Champion Trainer in Italy more than 30 times between them. In 2006 he started with a licence in Britain and training from Newmarket. He seemed to take great care to ensure that his four 2yo runners were fit, mentally ready and in good condition to compete to their best on debut. The first two of the four that ran were second and then a win FTO for the later Group 3 winner Sesmen. The two later debut were unplaced but were less able performers. Given the good start he will have more 2yo runners this sesaon and his first runs at Lingfield with Raymi Coya who is a cheap breeze-up purchase with a US background. On profile she shouldn't be good enough to beat the favourite but has a solid place chance in a race where the three runners with previous form (aside from Sophie's Girl) have moderate 'seller' class form. Her performance will also be an indicator of how Mr Botti is going to approach his second year. A minor note also in the Lingfield race for Mr Beckett's Maddy. She was retained at the sales for £1,000 which is typical for the family. Her dam - Summer Lightning - was the first of four foals that from the grandmare that Mr Beckett trained and she proved a solid 5-6f winner despite her background. The 3 later foals were all retained for less than 2,000 guineas but two were all solid winners (Catie Dash & Charlie Delta) and the fourth was placed last season showing similar form levels. The family have often shown their best form at Bath so a certain fascination in seeing if it can produce another cheap winner. And a note to get down to the sales to bid the next yearling up to 2,000 if needs be.
Paddock Review :
Ratings :
Other :	Trainer Bryn Palling doesn't have a strong record with 2yos but he is notable for preparing them thoroughly before debut and they normally show most of the ability they have FTO. His 'minor stable' status means that the market doesn't take his juvenile runners seriously on debut unless in sellers. He has only had five 2yos start at less than 10/1 FTO in the last five years and four have been winners during the season with the other showing solid placed form. Just on that basis Casla Beag would be of interest in the Bath Auction race off bottom weight. She started at 7/1 in a 13 runner field for a non seller on debut and a good sign she has ability. She's by Acclamation, which is a positive, out of a mare Mr Palling trained who was second at 10/1 over 5f in April as a 2yo and then didn't progress in typical trainer style. The Chepstow race she made her debut in was run at too strong a pace which had the field nicely spread at halfway and the winner come from 12th place as the leaders stalled. Casla Beag was drawn next to the stands' rail and typically for the the readiness of the trainer's newcomers she was the one that set the pace. She also drifted left across the whole width of the track through the race to finish in fourth on the far rail. Given the pace she set she stuck on well enough and the race has produced a winner (from second and compromised by the pace she set) and a good placer (from 10th and fading badly off a tracking run closer to the pace). She's now on a left hand track and hopefully will not set the same pace. In a race with the usual mixed bag of form she is value for more than she showed on debut and a sound each-way prospect. The same race is a test of the Auction Fillies' race run at Newbury a week ago where I Dont Do Walking couldn't go the pace set by Fanatical and faded int he last furlong and drops back to 5f on a stiffer course. The trainer isn't in strong form but a good run from her would pay a real compliment to Fanatical. On looks that filly is lightly made and not particuarly taking but she seemed to show unusual speed in kicking three lengths clear and being eased late on rather than fading. It also tests the slowly run Goodwood race that Gasmanfightsback ran in. That was a jog for the first 4 furlongs and the actual form moderate. The Gasman did make a little progress through midfield in the sprint but hasn't been tested in a race with the sort of pace this one is likely to have.

June 16th Summary :

With Royal Ascot next week the Lingfield fillies' maiden provides a useful test of one of the Nottingham maidens run 10 days ago. Both divisions of that race were won in similar times with front-running shows from Regal Step and Fleeting Spirit. The first of those will be in the Queen Mary line-up and so might the second. Sophie's Girl started at much shorter odds than the winner when finishing fourth to Regal Step and got outpaced as the pace upped two furlongs from home before plugging on well in the last half furlong. She runs for a very reliable trainer and should improve to close to her peak ability here. The field in opposition does not look strong unless the Botti runner (covered above) or Memphis Kate are a little above average and ready for the day. The result for the Sophie's Girl should help to assess how strong those Nottingham maidens were.
The Leicester fillies' race sees three runners from the Sandown 5f maiden (covered at length here and yet to produce a latr winner) step up to 6f. They are the second High Days, 4th Tatbeeq and 5th Mizooka. The first had the best run in the race close to the rail and getting a good break and sitting close to the moderate pace. Tatbeeq lost a couple of lengths at the start and ran in centre field throughout. She made progress to challenge a furlong out before stalling and dropping back to 4th. Mizooka botched the start entirely and got 8 lengths behind but the pace was so seadte after the first furlong she was able to jog onto the back of the compressed pack. Other than the 6th who placed STO the other runners have competed moderately next time and confirmed that the form level of the Sandwon event was moderate. However, the three that run at Leicester havethe best prospects of improving to be at least avergae maiden winners.
High Days runs for Michael Stoute who is very much an old-school 'nice intro, peak STO' trainer and we should see the best of her. But she is likely to be poor value given the connections, the '2' next to her name and the suspect level of the form. On TV pictures the other pair seemed to have more scope to improve. The newcomers in the field are also a solid group though with particular note of Henry Cecil's Crystany and Clive Cox's Highland Daughter.
Mr Cecil is different from Stoute in that he gets his 2yos ready to compete FTO on the gallops and, if you remember his multiple winning 2yos over the years, doesn't go in for 'nice intros' much. Crystany cost an awful lot of money (€520,000) which you suspect doesn't necessarily have a great deal to do with her physical ability. She has such a strong pedigree and is from a family that the fillies' wont become available that often that she could cost that much as a breeding prospect. If she's not that good Mr Cecil might run her early to ensure he gets a '1' of some sort next to her name so she can go to stud a winner. But there are lots of duff 3yo maidens for fillies so perhaps if she is starting this early she might be an ok runner. If so she would compete well FTO and the market might be a good guide (given that Me Cecil would know which she was).
Clive Cox didn't use to have much of a record with 2yos but it has improved in the last three years and his debut runners are now more in the Cecil mould. In the last two season he has had a debut winner in mid-later June with a useful filly and last year it was in this race with Hope'n'charity at 16/1. There's enough in Highland Daughter's profile to suggest she could be another good one.

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