Our columnist has runners across three meetings on Saturday including a couple of interesting newcomers.
It’s been an encouraging start to the season. I thought Mr Colonel battled well to make a winning reappearance at Redcar. We asked him to make all and when the runner-up got to him, he found more and fought all the way to the line.
I liked that about him. He’s a horse we’ve always felt would be a stayer, a mile-and-a-half plus sort so it was a good way to get him going for the year.
Have Secret picked up a nice pot at Pontefract too. It was probably a career best performance and he did it nicely. Maybe we scared him by sending him jumping so he’s trying his best to stay on the Flat!
I just hope the handicapper doesn’t over-react. We were a fit horse with the race run to suit and the favourite blew out. If he goes overboard, I do think we’ll struggle for the rest of the campaign but let’s see.
Saturday team
Ripon
13:40 Navy Light
He’s a laidback character and is going to sharpen up for the run but I do like him and he’ll definitely be winning races. Whether it will be at Ripon first-time-up I don’t know but he’s the first of our nice two-year-olds to go to the track this season so I hope he shapes well.
14:15 Mudita
Her work is very in-and-out but she ran well enough on debut at Wolverhampton and is entitled to improve on that. She isn’t without ability if this is one of her better days again.
16:45 Up The Jazz
He’s got himself well handicapped now and has a chance. You can draw a line through his last race at Doncaster, things didn’t go right for him there and we’ve been keen to try him at a mile for a while. He gets that opportunity on Saturday.
Leicester
14:05 Strike Red
I thought he might just need his first race back at Newcastle, but he ran a great race to finish third. He’s another with a chance but I just don’t want the ground to get too quick for him. They do a great job at Leicester, and it usually doesn’t but he wouldn’t want it too fast.
15:55 Yafreh
He’s a lovely Frankel colt, a well-bred one, who has been very laidback. He’s ready to get started now but will learn plenty from his first start in what looks a warm novice. He’s one I like though, a horse I’ve a lot of time for.
17:05 Great Success
He was gelded over the winer which he desperately needed. His whole attitude has been transformed since, his work has completely changed too. He’s a different horse and it would be nice to see that transferred to the track.
Doncaster
16:35 Thankfully Simmy
Has a tendency to be slowly away which doesn’t help but he’s stepping up to seven furlongs on Saturday which should suit him. He can be there or thereabouts from a mark of 62 if he’s more relaxed through the race.
16:35 Twilight Serenade
He was very disappointing as a two-year-old and is another I’m hoping a gelding operation will help out. He has plenty of scope and I’d like to see some encouragement for the season ahead on Saturday.
17:10 Lunar Melody
This is a filly we do really like. She only ran once last season and was slowly away at Carlisle and things didn’t go right for her from there.
She’s better than that and will definitely win races this year. She’s not fully wound up for Doncaster but is ready to start out and one thing I will say is there won’t be a better-looking filly in the parade ring beforehand.
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