Equinties - Scurry Stakes Saturday

Gm Equinauts

We thought it would be fast ground every where today so naturally went to bed last night content in the knowledge we’d done all our studying for fast ground pedigree’s.

Well, the weather kiboshed our plans of having a lazy slow morning with all our prep done for Chester has apparently seen a bucket load of rain and more!

Despite sunny spells and a bit of a breeze, the going is now supposed to be good to soft, soft in places. Unbelievable given it was quick yesterday.

Naturally, this newsletter is late out as we’ve thrown out last nights Chester shortlist and studied, again, the card but this time for sloppers.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

ASCOT HOPES ON THE LINE

Trainers love plotting horses, and we love trying to work it all out. There is few better feelings than finding one that looks laid out for a race, seeing money come for it, and it duly obliges. It’s like a drug.

Sometimes, trainers let on when they are saving one for a race, especially if it is a very valuable Royal Ascot handicap like the Royal Hunt Cup.

A quick look through the Racing Post website reveals that URBAN LION, a 5/1-shot for the second race at Sandown today, has had the Royal Hunt Cup circled in the calendar with a big red marker for a fair few months, and his hopes of getting into the race rest on a potential win today.

Jack Channon said: “We've been saving him for the Royal Hunt Cup next week, but it looks unlikely he'll get in at the moment, so we've always had this as an alternative. If he was to win he could get into that under a penalty. He's a really nice horse with lots left in the tank. He has a slightly tricky draw, but that's the only small thing putting me off him.”

So, he’ll be doing his absolute best today, and he’s sure to come on for his run at Newbury in the middle of April.

He has two-and-three-quarter lengths to find on TRIBAL CHIEF, David Menuisier’s four-year-old who beat him at Yarmouth last season, but he gets a 6lb swing in the weights, and the slightly nicer ground here might be better for him than the soft ground he had in October.

Channon certainly seems bullish on him as a horse in general whether he wins today or not so might certainly be one to keep on side in the future.

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