Leicester General - How will the soft going and showers affect the race? Already one non-runner and will there be more on the day to lessen the informativeness of what looked a good race on profile. How will the soft going affect the ability to line up the form of the three runners with solid previous runs? What sort of quality race will we end up with? The 2009 edition was excellent then 2010 was poor and 2011 ok right at the front end? Has the £10,000 bonus made a difference this year? On profile it had with three strong debut run types on STO and two from trainers with rare early runners. The third in Lyric Ace for Hannon seems to be one of the best he has ready and is one of three the trainer has entered for the Conditions race at Newmarket next week. The Median Auction restriction on which sires can be represented perhaps has pulled together the best early representatives from some unfashionable stallions? Are the newcomers solid types to add to the quality?
Finally, where is David Evans? He won it last year with a multiple winner & would have won in 2010 with a moderate filly if the stewards had done their job properly, or consistently. In 2009 he had a debut third in a tough edition with a multiple winner. This year? No debut win yet with a good one and Dreamy Ciara is his only entry for Newmarket's conditions race next year. When is he going to pull another 'Star Rover', or even 'Jack Whos He' out?
Letstalkaboutmoney - How much is this a 'Karl Burke' trained horse so that we can use his template? How did Elaine's first full season with the licence compare to the template? If they match well can we characterise this one? Some front-loading so this should be a solid winner but will need the debut to develop from. If he is an OR85+ type he might place FTO and win STO around mid-May. If he is an OR70s type of some sort then he will run with some promise and may need 2-3 runs to win, a bit longer in time and perhaps lower company. In general the Karl Burke yard had a good record with 2yos but the stable 'form' and wins built through the season. Wins before June were usually by better types STO or the odd natural. FTO wins would start from early June and could go on into the season. The majority of wins would be in the second half of the season. How did Elaine's 2001 record match to that? How did the SPs of her debut runners change during 2011 and how well did it correlate with FTO performance?
Lord Ashley - If you looked very closely might you hypothesise that Dascombe is dropping into a pattern of starting each season running a few lesser expendable ones plus the odd lower OR70s type? Is that what we have seen from him so far? Might the pondering then suggest that from Mid-April to the end of the month he mixes in a few of the best he has? This type can compete to win FTO unlike the lesser types. Was Stripped Bear the better end of the just usable early types when going close to winning on debut this week? Since that filly appears to be the second string at Wolverhampton tomorrow to the good profile of the, Kingscote ridden, Back In The Frame. Is BITF one of his best early fillies? If Lord Ashley has developed well and filled out the slightly gawky frame he had as a yearling is he a 'Walkingonthemoon' type useful one?
Lyric Ace - How much did the way the race panned out at Kempton stop him from matching Mosstang? He recovered from and early bump to be just behind that one on the bend and running inside him. But, then he started hanging and looking green and will he have improved here and will the straight, into the dip and up out again, course assist him? Was it just greenness that meant he lost 2 lengths or more on Mosstang early in the straight or could he not match that effort? Will he show an ability to stick at and stay on again in the last furlong as he did at Kempton in this softer turf? Will that mean his trying to close back up on Mosstang?
Mosstang - Will he improve as much STO as the trainer's better types do usually? This is an untypical short break so that is an unknown. Is he the solid, straight moving, big enough, natural he lloked at Kempton? Will he set the target for the others is he shows the normal improvement? Was the stalling in the last half furlong at Kempton any sort of issue and will he be fitter here on a short tunraround?
Well Acquainted - How good is the Brocklesby form? Has it been a little over-rated? What does him making 203 lengths on Perfect Words at Doncaster amount to? On the plus side he has the bulk and strength to improve but how fluently did he move at Doncaster? Will he show only a small improvement from debut rating STO as his trainer's runners tend to? Both Hannon (average steps in rating to STO) and Mills (above average steps) show more improvement? Is he one of those debut placers that the trainer often takes time to win with?
Effie B - How does Mick Channon get away with all these double entries and then having non-runners who appear soon after apparently having leg problems? Just by paying to get a Vet's certificate? Channon continues his quest to convince the world that Sixties Icon is a source of precocious 5f 2yos with this one. How will Sixties Icon fae compare to the other stallions Channon has tried to work this trick with? Which of the fates of Piccolo, Fraam, Hunting Lion & Imperial Dancer will Sixties Icon drift into? Is this one another seller type in line with her profile? Is she like Vanessa whom she was a gallop group companion with into March?
Myanne - This filly is a non-runner but would have been the first runner of the year for a trainer whose record with 2yos has improved from a slow start. Is this one the likeable, bigger filly that her picture made her look? How has she developed from her yearling days? The trainer has a record with earlier starters but does front-load the best she has ready at times. Does this earlier than usual start in a bonus race, with de Sousa booked add some positives to up-side view? How does the southerly debut influence the view? Wolverhampton is a 'southern' course by the stable's standards. The only time they have got as far south as Leicester, for a FTO run,in the last 3 seasons was the debut success by Jessie's Spirt (OR80s types) in 2011.
