Martin Dixon of the Horse Watchers looks forward to the team's two runners this weekend and reflects on Rhoscolyn's Epsom success.
Saturday Runners
Island Native - 3.50 Beverley
He's been declared for the mile-and-a-quarter handicap which is a step up in trip for him. But it's a front-runner's track around Beverley and he ran really well over the extended mile at Nottingham on Sunday, when he was only beaten a short-head, and it's an opportunity to run again off the same handicap mark. The trip would be a minor concern but, while we've never run him over that far, on his final start for Heather Main he was only beaten in a photo-finish over nine and a half furlongs at Wolverhampton. Fingers crossed he'll get home as he's in good form and on a good handicap mark. We didn't get much luck with the draw, though, as he's widest of all in stall eight.
Daring Legend - 4.10 Haydock
We're going back up in trip with him. On his final start last season, before we bought him, he ran over this course and distance and shaped quite promisingly. We got the impression at Ascot last time that he was just taken off his feet a little in a sprint race on the grass so we're keen to run him over seven and see how he gets on. This looks very competitive - a wide-open three-year-old handicap - but he's still a horse with some untapped potential and going back up in trip could potentially suit him. However, he's not got a great draw out in stall 12.
Epsom ace
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Rhoscolyn was brilliant at Epsom and it seems like he was back to his very best. Although he had a really good second half of the season last year, winning three times, that was partly because of how far he'd come down in the handicap, and Friday's win was his best performance for a couple of years. It's exciting to have him back at that sort of level and it's crystal clear nowadays that he relies on soft ground to show his very best form. His record on those downhill tracks is remarkable really as he's won four times at Goodwood and twice from three visits at Epsom. He's been a star.
He's got an entry at Goodwood on Sunday but we haven't yet decided if he's going to go there. Given his course record we'll consider it. It's just a case of whether the ground dries out to much for him.
As a three-year-old he was second in Listed company and we can consider conditions races for him again if they end up small fields and on the right ground.
Strong team set for York next weekend
As long as the ground is suitable - not too soft - then Penzance will go to York on Friday for the mile-and-a-quarter handicap. It's a bit of a trial towards the John Smith's Cup which he holds an entry for over the same course and distance. We've been hanging on to run him under what we consider to be very suitable and no-excuses conditions.
Hopefully we get that at York next week and, on a fair track and on good or good to firm ground, it will tell us whether he's going to be fully effective on the turf. If he is, we can look forward to some of those really big handicaps in the summer. He's in good form, has been working well in the last couple of weeks and we're looking forward to getting him out on the grass.
Zozimus keeps hitting the crossbar but is very capable when a race sets up for him. He was just nutted at Newmarket on his penultimate start which was frustrating as he did everything right and was delivered perfectly to win his race but was chinned on the line without doing anything wrong. You can question him to some extent as he's an infrequent winner but, by the same token, he's running consistently well and earning prize-money. I think he's probably going to go for a nine-furlong handicap at York.
Sonnerie Power ran a more encouraging race at Doncaster last time. He only beat a couple of horses but was beaten just over three lengths and that's two of his last three runs that he's not been beaten far. We feel like slowly but surely we're getting there with him. It seems like he needs a patient ride to switch off in the early stages as if he's ridden too handily he often overdoes things.
They didn't go fast enough for him at Doncaster but he was steadily clawing back the margin and it was a much more encouraging run. He's now 2lb below his last winning mark and I'd be hopeful that wherever he goes next he could be very competitive. He has two options early next week but it's probably more likely that he goes for the Queen Mother's Cup at York on Saturday. What he wants is a stronger tempo of race than at Doncaster and when he gets that he is ready to go close soon.
Intervention is also going to go to York in a seven-furlong apprentice rider race. He's been running respectably since going back on the turf and was third at Windsor over five furlongs, which was a bit quick for him, and then he went to Epsom and wasn't beaten that far without ever looking like he was going to win. He's steadily coming down the handicap and will be taking a class drop so hopefully he can run well.
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