Equinties - dancing to the Lockinge

Gm Equinauts

It was good to see the flat back over the weekend but all efforts this week will be focused on Aintree, typically our most successful jumps meeting.

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Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

DANCING TO THE LOCKINGE

When Roger Teal gets a good one, he doesn’t half know what to do with them. Last year, he gave the French Guineas a good go with DANCING GEMINI, and he ran a creditable race in the Epsom Derby – that’s a CV that people would dream of for a homebred!

In a race that changed plenty in the betting market, DANCING GEMINI absolutely bolted up in the Listed Doncaster Mile Stakes, and Teal already has his sights set on another Group 1 contest.

They lined up nearly single file and Kieran Shoemark looked settled on the four-year-old by CAMELOT. As they all came off the bridle, Shoey glided by and kicked clear. It was all a bit too easy!

He has good form alongside CITY OF TROY, METROPOLITAN, LOS ANGELES, and DIEGO VELAZQUEZ, and Saturday’s performance saw him run to an RPR of 118, which saw him dance in.

So, where next? The Lockinge is the obvious one, and that was mentioned by Teal post-race. CHARYN was second in the Lockinge last year having won the Doncaster Mile, so this is a path that has been done before.

Teal said: “He ran so well in the French Guineas last year and was in the Derby because he’s bred for further. We’d never had a runner in the Derby so let him take his chance. That took an awful lot out of him, and given that we never got to run him on his favoured ground, he never managed to win last year despite running well.

"The winner of this race last year never won at three and we said we'll follow in his footsteps. We thought we'd start at a mile. He's bred for further but has a blistering turn of foot.

"We've got some talking to do because there's the Group 2 at Sandown, but he could just go straight to Newbury.

He’s running over a mile now and will go to the Lockinge, though Teal thinks he could get further. If he doesn’t go all the way to 1m4f, could they be looking at a few 1m2f races, potentially even the Prince Of Wales’s at Royal Ascot in June or the Eclipse at Sandown in July?

They would seem like obvious targets, especially the Prince Of Wales’s with no CITY OF TROY or AUGUSTE RODIN to worry about.

More: https://www.racingpost.com/news/reports/we-said-well-follow-in-charyns-footsteps-and-that-was-brilliant-roger-teal-to-target-lockinge-for-impressive-dancing-gemini-arYHj2G6zkMx/

STARTING STRONG

For a yard that does tend to start slightly slower in the early months of the flat season, Aidan O’Brien’s yard is going pretty well.

He landed a treble yesterday at Leopardstown alongside three seconds, and considering his most recent win before yesterday over the last two weeks occurred at Naas last weekend, the master of Ballydoyle will be counting Sunday as a big success.

So, what can we make of yesterday’s winners as both DELACROIX and HENRI MATISSE could have Classic aspirations this season?

Let’s start with HENRI MATISSE. He went off 6/4 in a race that included a race-fit ARIZONA BLAZE, a Breeders’ Cup runner-up, and HAZDANN who beat the subsequent 112-rated GREEN IMPACT at the Curragh last year.

You have to give credit to HENRI MATISSE, we understand he was only 50% fit on the day but showed plenty of attitude to win. He looked like an unlikely winner around the bend, and it’s not like the field came back to him. The sectionals were pretty solid, and the 2-3 of COMMANCHE BRAVE and ARIZONA BLAZE were prominent early.

His run reeked of ‘needing it’ in the early parts of the race, so he will absolutely come on for the effort despite still winning.

The second, COMMANCHE BRAVE, despite his 22/1 odds, has an entry for the Irish 2000 Guineas and ARIZONA BLAZE was a decent juvenile. He would have a chance in the 2000 Guineas, but all his win does is further boost the form of SCORTHY CHAMP who beat the Group 3 Red Rocks Stakes victor in the Group 1 National Stakes last season.

If he gets to Newmarket on his A-game, he has to have a proper chance.

As for DELACROIX, he was cut to 10/1 for the Derby after his success in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes. You have to appreciate how well-backed he was before the off, but that probably says more about his opposition.

10/1 for the Epsom Classic; is that the right price? He has two bits of form with GREEN IMPACT and was second in the Futurity to HOTAZHELL who, in turn, had his form franked thanks to HENRI MATISSE.
He’s probably on the skinny side for the Derby, but his form is working out. Interesting.

WEEKEND EYE-CATCHERS

EXCLAMATION- SATURDAY 13.15 DONCASTER

The Brocklesby isn’t always a race to take horses out of as the early 2yo’s often don’t don’t ‘train on’, but EXCLAMATION might be one to consider later. He looks like a tricky type as he didn’t load very easily and he had a slow start, but he thundered home to finish an eye-catching third under Finley Marsh. He comes from the family of the Group 1 winner MUARRAB.

IBERIAN - SATURDAY 14.25 DONCASTER

No prizes for putting this one forward, but IBERIAN really should have won the Cammidge Trophy. He was well-backed in the morning and put in a huge performance despite looking a bit big in the paddock before. He should come on for that, and if we owned him, we’d put him right away for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. He should have won, but the obvious antics that he displayed cost him. He lost numerous lengths and stayed on through the line. He could be deadly over six furlongs this season.

COMMANCHE BRAVE - SUNDAY 14.35 LEOPARDSTOWN

We mentioned COMMANCHE BRAVE earlier in the newsletter, but he warrants his place in this eye-catcher's section. Sat prominently, continued with his effort when the pace quickened, and ran through the line. His dam, ISHVANA, won the Jersey for Aidan O’Brien in 2012 and was second in the Irish 1000 Guineas, so he has a nice pedigree. It’ll be interesting to see how he progresses.

RISK ON

A bad days racing today with no real stand out bets. There is one horse who we’ll be backing in the summer but doesn’t look off today so will wait for the right jockey booking.

No bets but there is a competition bet in the bumper for you to enter below.

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