-
No 2yo race this Sunday but an interesting week coming up with the first
race of the season at Windsor on Monday and two important races at the
Newmarket Craven Meeting on the Wednesday & Thursday. On the first
day at Newmarket there is a Class 3 Conditions race which last year saw
Listed race winner Spirit of Sharjah win from later Group 1 winner Dark
Angel. This is followed by a 5f maiden for fillies' on the Thursday which
saw four useful 2yos in the first four places last year.
-
In general a range of trainers introduce some better 2yos at the meeting
if their string is forward enough. Barry Hills has been an important
recent contributor with Red Clubs 6th at the meeting in 2005 (Coventry
Stakes winner), Captain Marvelous (3rd on day and German Group 2 victor)
& Silk Blossom (debut winner & Lowther Stakes victress) in 2006,
and Mookhlesa (debut winner sole run), Spinning Lucy (3rd to Mookhlesa
and Listed winner later) & Dark Angel (2nd on day and Group 1 winner).
The group he started at the meeting between 2002-4 weren't that good but
on recent evidence we should take anything he runs at the meeting pretty
seriously.
-
Thursday is also the day when the Tim Easterby 'Romantic Myth' maiden is
run at Ripon. He seems to target this race with his best early filly each
year and often gets a rare debut winner. He has won the race in the last
two seasons with Kerrys Dream & Cristal Clear who both proved to be
useful handicappers rather than Group types.
-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
The rest of this space will be used for some paddock notes from Folkestone
on Thursday and a couple of more general points. The field was cut to four
runners and the absence of Hannon's Celtic Commitment was a notable
miss.
-
The short priced favourite in his absence was Northern
Tour who presented as a likeable physical type - remarkably physically
mature compared to the early season horses seen so far. Strong and squarely
built although just averagely athletic in movement. A different stamp to
the Brocklesby fourth Lagan Handout by comparison despite the fact he finished
behind that one at Doncaster.
-
He wasn't really tested for 5f speed in the race with the two bigger colts
failing to various degrees and only challenged to any extent by the lightweight
filly Soul Sista. He broke well and got to the rail and set an average
pace which he pressed on with soon after halfway. He had to be asked again
a furlong out to keep the filly from overlapping with him but won a little
comfortably. Has some scope to improve phsycally and should rate OR80+.
-
Soul
Sista was a typical early seller class winner for John Spearing
on profile. She's small, notably narrow and lack build although on the
plus side she's a good mover despite being 'up behind'. She looked the
usable seller type in review and it was a little surprising she managed
to push Northern Tour at all given the physical mismatch it looked and
her slow start. It raises questions over the strength of the form although
the trainer has started getting the best out of these limited fillies early
in the last two seasons and she may well be the same. OR58-67 type probably.
-
It has been noted before that two sons of Indian Ridge - Namid & Compton
Place - are sires both tend to get bigger 2yos who can be lengthy and a
'boaty' with it. A good number of these can't move well enough to use the
strength they have because of the overall set-up. When you get a bigger
one that 'works' well mechanically you have a good one. Another problem
with this 'sizeable boat' type is that they can be lightly built and lack
the power to push themselves along even if he mechanics is usable.
-
Sorrel
Ridge is by Namid and if you look at the picture he shows a lot
of what you can get. He's taller and a bit leggy and long in the body with
it plus upright in front. The picture only hints at it but he's a little
narrow in the body and you can also see that he's more lightly built behind.
Imagine that shape and size but with the stonger, deeper bodied muscle
of Northern Tour and you might well have something pretty good. Now, this
one is going to be limited by his lack of build to some extent but he did
show solid enough athleticism despite that lenth and legginess. In the
preliminaries he got very wound out and this may have affected his preformance.
-
In the race the jockey didn't seem to work very hard in asking him to participate.
He sat close enough to the average pace to past halfway but got left behind
as Northern Tour made his effort and the jockey was easy with him and allowed
him to drift back. While he's underpowered he ought to have been able to
match the filly Soul Sista. On the probably-better-than-he-showed list
and ought to be able to rate around 72, say.
-
The fourth runner was one of a batch of homes breds Mick
Channon has produced so far. Strictly
Royal is entered for the Conditions race at Newmarket next week
which ought to mean they think he might be a solid winner. The picture
shows a good sized 2yo with solid muscle. However, he appeared to be too
lengthy through the body and this raised an issue about whether his movement
behind was correct. On size and strength he ought to be a 70+ rater but
the movement issue was one of a number that raise doubts. On the day he
wasn't fit enough to compete strongly and he was mentally immature and
entirely different in outlook to the 'manly' Northern Tour. Added to that
he was visored for debut which suggests they are trying to get him to concentrate
and co-operate.
-
In the race he ran badly with a slow start and then driven along soon after
the end of the first furlong. This might have been mental awkwardness or
perhaps movement issues with him unable to raise that pace given the fitness
and st-up issues. 5 lengths back at halfway behind just an average pace
he soon dropped furthe rback as the leader upped the pace and didn't respond
to being whipped inside the final 2 furlongs. One to avoid until he shows
he is on-side although not dismissable because of his size, strength and
scope for mental and fitness improvements.
-
A couple of other asides. During the week it was reported that John Dunlop's
filly Muthabara
had been working well and was close to 1,000 Guineas favouritism with Listen
out of the race. If we go back to June 26th last year she made her debut
at Newbury in a race where there were 5 non-runners because of the soft
ground. The race looked a thin one with the no-shows and she won comfortably
but none of those behind won a race at 2yo. The interesting point was that
she was second string for Dunlop and also for owner Hamdan Al Maktoum.
He also ran Sayedati
Elhasna on debut in the event and she had Richard Hills aboard (as
Hamdan's retained jockey) and started favourite. Both fillies were bandaged
for their first runs and typically fit and lean for a trainer dbut runner.
-
Which poses the question that if they had done enough work to be that fit
and had probably worked together what was Muthabara doing as second string?
On paddock review it was a relatively simple choise with Muthabara just
plain bigger, wider and better than the, slightly scrawny, Sayedati Elhasna.
Muthabara only ran once more, again on softer ground and on a filthy wet
day at Sandown (what a terrific summer 2007 was for standing outside a
lot). She showed a recordable change of pace to get from well behind to
4th a furlong out and then to get comfortably to the front. If she has
filled out and strengthened up from 2yo to 3yo you could imagine her looking
quite good now - she was more of a lightly made 'frame' at 2yo. Interesting
to see how she compares physically to her 2yo picture when she reappears.
-
While on 3yo fillies a positive word for Andrew Balding's Ada River who
made a likeable debut in a late season maiden at Newmarket last year to
finish fifth in a large field. She reappeared at Kempton on Wednesday and
in a field for a maiden she stood out as something different in the pre-parade
ring - Picture.
The image doesn't show her to her best with her head down pulling but she's
a good size, neatly proportioned and powerful behind. Unsurprisingly if
you had seen her in comparison to the rest she was supported in the market
to dispute favouritism.
-
Int he race things didn't go her way but she overcame the difficulties
with little fuss. Breaking slowly she was in last along the back turn.
Jockey Buick decided to take her the long way around the outside of the
field around the bend but, sensibly, took the view he could take the whole
of the bend and the straight to complete the manouevre (unlike the typically
'head down' effort from Adrian Nicholls on Van Bossed the next night).
Into the straight and the more nippily sized Dubai Power took a clear lead
going down to the final furlong. Which meant Ada River had to go and fetch
her after the effort she had already made to go around the field. After
realising what was required she did this comfortably and wasn't even blowing
in the winner's enclosure. You got the impression that she's better than
an 80 handicapper and ought to be 90+ and touching Listed level. Interesting
to see what the BHA number juggler gives her to start her handicap career.
(With Balding in good form the previous night the talk on Thursday was
all about Your Pleasure being Listed class and a certainty for his handicap
starter. That proved a less successful effort than Ada River's.)
|
