Three Runners at Newbury
It is always a balance as to where to find the right ground for a particular horse (even at Newton Abbot on Wednesday there was light rain and drizzle for more than four hours in the morning that was completely unforecast and which might have been a factor in Bay Fortuna’s half a length); having wanted to run Point in Time on a sounder surface we arrived at Salisbury yesterday to find it quicker than we might have wanted, something that applies with even more force to Bird for Life, who found things altogether different to Kempton and not much to her liking. Point in Time ran a real nice race against quality opposition keeping on all the way up the straight despite not appreciating the ground; she should be of real interest in a ten or eleven furlong Fillies Handicap up to a mark of around 70 going forward.
By the by her race was won by a Grandaughter of the Champion Race Mare, Time Charter, who Mark de facto trained to win the 1982 Champion Stakes by seven lengths, whilst he was Henry Candy’s Assistant, a performance that is widely recognised as one of the best achieved in modern times over ten furlongs by a three year old filly against older colts.
We will probably also worry a little about the ground at Newbury this afternoon but at least their straight course has not been raced on hardly this season and there is always a really good covering of grass; we run both Roodeparis and Rocus in the three year old Novice over seven furlongs; both will come on for the experience, particularly Roodeparis. We will be looking to Rocus to have benefited from his two runs last Summer and to show a degree of improvement and ability before he goes into handicaps.
Born to Please runs in the final race of the Newbury card, the ten furlong Handicap; restricted to particularly inexperienced riders we are pleased that Darragh Keenan (who rode such a competent race on Shamonix) is able to ride her and that gives us a good starting point, as does the track and trip; the constraints might be that she has gone up eight pounds for winning so decisively at Salisbury and the balance of almost all her form would indicate that she would prefer some ease; if she had Salisbury like conditions you would probably want to be involved with her today but she goes up the road to Newbury in excellent nick.