| 07 Apr
| The disappointment started early when Shadow
Bay came into the pre-parade ring. The phrase 'small wimp' pops into
the mind. Mick Channon has run some good ones at the opening Doncaster
meeting over the years including Mac Love who finished a promising fourth
in the Brocklesby. This might have suggested Shadow Bay was likely to be
an OR75+ rater but on looks here he's more the Hephaestus/Goose Green end
of the market of the trainer's early runners. A 65 rater downhill, with
a bit of a gale behind him. But, he isn't able to get anywhere near that
level at present because he's such a scared, mentally young, mouse. Clinging
to his handler.
If you watch the VT of the Brocklesby you'll see him curl up after halfway
when he had a usable position and the jockey look down as he tries to get
some response. Nothing happens and the jockey gives up. He attracts some
support here in a market with a weak favourite but runs the same way. Starts
well and gets into a line-of-four contest for the lead. He's 3 off the
rail so sensibly the jockey drops him in. Then, it happens again. The pace
starts quicken on the downhill section and the jockey is animated in asking
for some response but he just drifts away and loses ground. It looks like
he's 'mentally backed out of it' both times when the going got a little
tougher. Not a 70+ rater anyway and needs to grow up to reach the potential
he has.
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![[Picture]](../../08_Publish_Pics/ShadowBay_080405_lnga3.jpg){kind=link}
