Why not start this week with the positives, and just how spectacular was Equinox in Dubai last weekend? If you watch the replay, you would think you were watching a decent horse against mediocre opposition as he hacked away on the head of affairs, until you saw him bound clear without so much of the flick of a whip to come home hard held from the easy Irish Derby winner – and smash the course record in the process. He looked absolutely top-class to me on that performance and as someone who never wants to see a horse match the likes of Frankel in my lifetime, that comes as high praise indeed.
Other than that we have had a desperately sad week with two stable staff heading to the paddock in the sky after fatal incidents at separate racing yards. I have no further factual information to pass on (Facebook chat doesn’t wash it I’m afraid), so we need the appropriate authorities to do their jobs, while our thoughts go out to their friends and family. I read this morning that Jon Spearing has passed away which follows closely on the passing of Dave Morris in a very sad week for all of us involved in the sport. Add the retirement from the training ranks of Harry Whittington who will now focus on pre-training and it’s all looking a bit negative, so I need to find something to say to bring a smile back to everyone’s faces.
Step forward “the summer” as the best thing I can come up with. The turf Flat season starts tomorrow at Doncaster and although it has lost some of the excitement for me thanks to the non-stop all-weather racing over the winter, it is a prelim to the 1000 and 2000 Guineas, Oaks and Derby, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood – and hopefully plenty of sunshine and a few glasses of bubbly to boot. Add in my new books are out on Amazon (UK Flat racing and Aintree special) so what better Easter present could you find, and the new HBF punter survey here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQX1dk6_KW_bzImKxn7Xjcd1WVg7AQZbTssBwg9CUr3j7U0w/viewform which I can only urge you to fill out (we need to know we are pulling in the same direction as those we represent), and it has been a busy old week.
Anyway, with my head bowed for those we have sadly lost, on to the racing…
It may be April Fools Day today,but will punters or bookmakers have the last laugh as the Flat turf season is launched at Doncaster this afternoon? This is always a tough time of year with the balancing act of fitness off the all-weather v the generally classier sorts saved for a turf campaign, but I will weigh in with The Gatekeeper to start with in the Spring Mile at 2.25pm. Given a pipe opener at Newcastle on his first run in 21 months, he stayed on well over the seven furlongs to win by a couple of lengths, but as he was sent off at odds of 9/1 I am inclined to think he has improvement to come. He does carry a 5lb penalty this afternoon but goes up by 7lb for future races, meaning he is officially 2lb well in, and if he gets a clear run (always the issue in huge fields), he ought to be difficult to keep out of the frame.
All the early money for the Lincoln (3.35pm), has been for the William Haggas trained Al Mubhir who is trading as short as 4/1 as I write, but he doesn’t have the best of draws in the 10 stall and as we have only had the one winning favourite in the last decade I am prepared to look elsewhere. Safe Voyage is getting on at the age of 10 but is more than capable of a big run at a huge price and he came under serious consideration, but I narrowly prefer the chances of Wanees who will pop out of the 22 stall. He is reportedly working well at the Charlie Hills yard ahead of his return, and with four wins from just the seven starts, and one of those on the soft ground he seems likely to face here, he can give Jim Crowley a decent ride and hopefully a winning one.
It is a little bit sad to see William Buick and Oisin Murphy, who seem all set for a battle for the jockeys title, heading to Kempton instead of Doncaster, but we have to assume they have their reasons. Both have some interesting rides booked for the afternoon on the all-weather, but none more so than Simply Sondheim in the lucky last where I am hoping Mr Buck can give us a winner. Trained by George Boughey, the son of Pivotal rattled off six wins in a row last season before weakening when tried over a mile and a half at Newmarket in October after a tardy start. He drops back to a mile and a quarter here which seems his ideal trip, and although he does need a career best off this mark, he is only a four-year-old and may have even more to offer.
Over the jumps it is sensibly very quiet, but as I know some of you prefer it to the Flat, I will give you the one selection today just to make the numbers up. Cherie D’Am looked above average when winning a point-to-point at Hexham by 20 lengths on her only start in November last year, and as that was over two and a half miles., I have less worries about the two miles of the Uttoxeter bumper at 5.35pm than would normally be the case. Only a five-year-old she is in the best of hands with the Skelton team and a big run is eagerly anticipated on her first start under rules.
Sean’s Suggestions
Each Way double Wanees (3.35pm Doncaster) and Simply Sondheim (5.00pm Kempton)
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