| 26 Apr
| The unusual horse in opposition is Jeremy Noseda's Waffle.
As he was developing towards his current status as 'larger' stable Mr Noseda
could whizz up a 2yo for debut to match just about anyone. The days of
following up a Brocklesby placer by producing an expensive horse (Distant
Mist) hard fit on March 31st to iron out a field of early, AW, rabbits
as he did in 2001 are presumably history. He hasn't had a runner before
May in the last two years and is notable for targetting starting his best
2yos out in late May and early June. The best of these can win FTO on ability
rather than priming and even the better ones can be heavy on the artlessness.
As with Chapple-Hyam his earliest runners each season will include his
very best mixed in with some more modest, but competitive at the 65-75
range at least, talents.
So, the question is why Waffle is starting out this early. Go back to the
2003-5 period and the last four horses he started out in April are a likeable
bunch. In 2003 he ran Peak To Creek to finish third in this Leicester race
when he was behind La Cucaracha (older Group 1 winner). He won 7 times
as a juvenile ending with a Group 3 success. In 2004 his only debut runner
before May was Blue Dakota who won the Group 3 Norfolk Stakes at Royal
Ascot. His last two April start-outs were in 2005 with the Group placed
Salut D'Amour and the, erhem..., useless Zafarilla.
Waffle's has a moderate pedigree with his dam being one of those 85ish
rated fillies who can get Listed placed at 2yo without being anything notable
in quality terms. She was the best of a moderate family and has produced
three previous foals which the sales catalogues try to sweep under the
carpet. Which makes it interesting he cost a very high €180,000 as
a yearling. With all that background you can easily convince yourself Waffle
could be pretty good and might push Rayvin Mad reasonably hard.
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