No jump racing in Britain until Sunday but a nine-race card on
the all-weather at Kempton where Isle Of May looks sure to be a warm order for
the 7f fillies' juvenile novice event having finished placed in her two starts
including at Ascot later when she may have paid for getting embroiled in an
early battle for the lead.
My eye, however, is drawn to Roger Charlton's debutante Lucid
Dreamer (2.20) who is by Dansili out of a half-sister to last year's St
Leger winner Logician. The dam was a winning sprinter and the booking of Ryan
Moore suggests connections are hopeful of a big run on debut. The yard can
certainly get them ready first time out and the filly is well drawn in stall
four.
Mostly (2.50) makes her belated seasonal reappearance
and connections of this well-bred filly will be keen to get a win next to her
name for the breeding sheds. The selection is out of a 12f winner and it is
perhaps surprising that she starts her three-year-old career over just 7f
having finished runner up over this trip at Newmarket last autumn on her sole
2-y-old start. The filly who beat her by half-a-length was Ralph Beckett's
Chamade and the winner is now rated 100+.
Rab Havlin takes the ride on John Gosden's daughter of Makfi
who has had her wind tweaked since she last ran.
May Sonic (3.20) improved for being allowed to bowl
along in front stepped back in trip to 6f at Windsor last time and Charlie
Hills' four-year-old can follow up at a track where he broke his maiden tag
last year. William Buick takes over in the saddle and the selection has an
excellent draw in stall three for one who is likely to race prominently. The
gelding is 6lbs higher than last time but, after just seven career starts, is
open to further improvement.
Brentford Hope (4.55) was being aimed at the Derby
until suffering a setback earlier in the year and he failed to build on his
impressive juvenile debut at Newmarket when fading close home at York over an
extended 10f on his reappearance last month.
Richard Hughes' son of Camelot steps up in trip this
afternoon and is taken to return to winning ways under Jamie Spencer who has
been in the plate for his two previous runs. My Frankel was a fluent Leicester
winner on his reappearance for Sir Michael Stoute and he and Godolphin's Dubai
Welcome – second at Yarmouth on debut – are much respected in what promises to
be a most informative contest.
At Wolverhampton Kodiac Pride (6.10) can make up for
an unlucky defeat at Salisbury on Sunday when he finished first past the post
but was disqualified having lost his weight cloth when leading with a furlong
to go. Sir Mark Prescott's 4-y-old goes unpenalized for that “success” and is
7lbs well in this afternoon. At the time of writing he holds an entry at Bath
on Thursday.
Cupid's Beau finished a length and a half in front of Kingsholm
(6.40) over today's C&D last month and is 1lb better off with the James
Fanshawe-trained three-year-old but I still feel the latter will reverse the
form this evening. The selection was posted wide from his moderate draw in
stall nine and was certainly not knocked about. Oisin Murphy takes over in the
saddle.
Cupid's Beau came out of stall one last time and has again
been given the ideal draw this evening but Kingsholm will race from stall three
today and I believe he can reverse the form given a more positive ride by the
champion jockey.
Geizy Teizy (8.10) has been compromising her chances
by starting slowly in recent starts but she returns to the scene of her win
here back in December although that success was gained over an extended mile
and Marco Botti's filly faces another furlong this evening. The selection has
been dropped a couple of pounds since her last run and she has a good draw – if
she gets out on terms – in stall two.
