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Tuesday 5 June 2012

Up a bit, down a bit - 27th May 2012



The week beginning 21st May started with Ladyship winning for Sir Michael Stoute at Leicester in a Class 5 Maiden over 6f. This daughter of Oasis Dream was dropped back in trip here and duly won by 3/4 of a length from Henry Cecil's Tickled Pink and looks capable of progressing up the sprint ladder off her revised mark of 86.

At Windsor the 3yo Wicked Wench won for Jo Hughes in the Class 4 Hcap over 5f by a length from Kyleakin Lass and her trainer has since commented "the ground was better at Windsor and she romped home. She's gone up 7lb since then but the way she won suggests she can win off 81".
Behind Indian Tinker has been dropped 3lb to 76 after finishing 12th with her rider reporting that she was denied a clear run and was never travelling thereafter. Kevin Ryan's O'Gorman finished 10th and can be expected to improve on this as most of his stable do after their first run back.

Lucky Dan improved to win the Class 5 handicap at Chester over 6f beating Song Of Parkes by an impressive 3 1/4 lengths with a further 3/4 of a length back to Red Cape in third. The winner goes up 7lb to a mark of 70, however he recorded a speed rating of 72 so could still be ahead of the handicapper.

On the same day Beat The Bell won the Class 4 Handicap over 6f at Goodwood for Jamie Osborne and in doing so beat My Kingdom by 3/4 of a length with 3 1/4 lengths back to Aye Aye Digby in third. The winner recorded a top speed figure of 83 and has been raised 6lb from 74 to 80. The second rec a top speed figure of 86 and has gone up 3lb from 79 to 82.

At Haydock Bated Breath won the Temple Stakes and race is summed up the BHA below :

TEMPLE STAKES WELL UP TO STANDARDThe most prestigious 5 furlong race of the season so far, the Group 2 Temple Stakes, was run at Haydock on Saturday and it looked a decent renewal opines Chris Nash. 
Bated Breath beat Sole Power by a neck with a further 3 ½ lengths back to Spirit Quartz and Borderlescott. The winner went into the race as the highest rated on a mark of 118 which he achieved when placing in both the July Cup and the Haydock Park (Betfred) Sprint last year.
Both of those races were over 6f but he showed on Saturday that he does not lack for pace over the minimum trip in lowering the track record time. The second is a solid performer over 5f on quick ground having won the 2010 Nunthorpe and the 2011 Temple in such conditions. He ran to 115 when winning this race last year and arrived here with that same rating intact. I have no reason to believe that he hasn’t run the same race again.
As a result I have the winner running to 116 – a shade below his very best form but a very decent figure for his first start of the year. This level also fits really well with the 3rd and 4th who arrived rated 106 and 105 respectively and in finishing only a head apart would both have run very close to their official marks.
The winner may well stick to 5 furlongs next time out with the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot mentioned as his likeliest next race thereby avoiding a clash with Black Caviar who is probably to be seen in the 6f Diamond Jubilee at the Royal meeting. 
One would imagine that Sole Power would also show up in the King’s Stand and provide one of the biggest threats to Bated Breath again.


Over at York Richard Gust's Dancing Freddy got up by half a length to beat Catfish with just a nose back to Bathwick Bear in third and a further half length to Celerina in fourth. The inner goes up 4lb to 91, the second 2lb to 90 and the third who was 2lb out of the handicap 4lb to 90. Pre race Brian Meehan stated that Catfish had matured physically over the last 10 months and could run a big race, albeit that she could be a little ring rusty.

Finally in the Class 3 Handicap on the same card by the in form Ronald Harris's Powerful Wind who beat Last Bid by 1 1/4 lengths with half a length back to Profile Star in third. The winner has been raised 6lb to 90, the second 2lb to 94 and the third 2lb to 80. In behind Pea Shooter dissapointed in finishing 6th and has been dropped 2lb to 85.