NEW SIGNINGS SET TO SHINE IN SEASON 13
By Simon Mapletoft
In what can be likened to football’s transfer deadline day, the Horses in Training sale at Tattersalls in Newmarket at the end of October gives trainers the chance to bolster their ranks with new recruits for the All-Weather season.
The added incentive of Arena Racing Company’s increasingly popular £1 Million Bonus scheme ensured there was no shortage of new signings by those who are once again targeting the rewards of winter winners.
Here I identify some of the most interesting transfer activity and flag up some of the runners who have already caught my eye in the opening few weeks of All-Weather Championships Season 13.
BLUECOLTRANE
Bought for 36,000 guineas by The Horse Watchers, this former Owen Burrows gelding was beginning to improve with experience before changing hands at the sales. His latest run - only the fourth of his career - was a staying-on third on handicap debut over 10f at Doncaster in September. Gelded prior to that, and able to resume off an unchanged mark of just 71, the son of Sea The Moon can be placed to optimum effect by whoever takes charge.
CORONADO KING
Archie Watson is a past master at revitalising expensive cast-offs from Godolphin, and he has unearthed another potential gem in this son of Exceed And Excel, who put a 16-month absence behind him to make a winning stable debut over 6f at Wolverhampton at the end of October. He will graduate into handicaps off an opening rating of 80, which gives him scope to make his 18,000 guineas price tag look another bargain.
DAPPER GUEST
Despite losing his unbeaten record on the All-Weather at Southwell last time, George Margarson’s three-year-old produced the best performance in the strong 11-runner field. Inconvenienced by a wide draw and a muddling pace, he still finished off his race strongly enough to be fourth to the in-form Morte Point over 7f. The son of Dandy Man will get the chance to make amends off an unchanged mark of 90 and shouldn’t be missed.
FIRST PRINCIPLE
The winner of three of his five starts, William Haggas’s three-year-old returned from a gelding operation to land a hot handicap under Jo Mason at Southwell at the end of October, closing out his race impressively to earn a 3lb rise to a new mark of 91. Good Friday is a long way ahead, but he looks a potential Mile Championship contender at this early stage.
GOLDMOYNE
This five-year-old has joined James Owen’s powerful ranks after winning twice on turf in Ireland for Tim Doyle. A front runner who achieved both successes in big fields over 7f, he is completely unexposed on the All-Weather having never run on it but begins off a lowly rating of just 50, which entitles him to begin in classified races and basement grade handicaps.
HOUSTONN
This ex-Richard Hannon gelding was bought at Tattersalls for 40,000 guineas by former jockey Tony Culhane, who assists North West-handler Stella Barclay. He won only one of his 16 starts but showed enough ability in 1m4f handicaps to suggest he can find his niche this winter. Despite failing by only a head at Newmarket in September, he can race off a 10lb lower mark than the one he had last autumn.
INFANTRY OFFICER
Champion trainer Tony Carroll will be happy to have acquired this three-year-old for just 8,000 guineas. A back-to-back winner at Wolverhampton for Michael Bell in the spring, he lost his way in a handful of subsequent runs on sand and turf before catching the eye over 10f at Lingfield Park in October, and he looks the sort that the excellent Carroll can freshen up to exploit a modest rating in the mid 50s.
MERSEA ISLAND
A return to the All-Weather at Southwell at the beginning of November enabled Charlie Johnston’s young stayer to get off the mark at the eighth attempt. The way he spreadeagled his rivals over 1m4f suggests he can continue to progress in that division even when he’s reassessed. Joe Fanning, who partnered him to victory, was emphatic when he told me: “He’ll definitely win again.”
PAROLE OFFICER
Evan Whillans does well at his local track at Newcastle and didn’t have to break the bank to buy this two-year-old out of Sean Woods’ Newmarket yard. Though still a maiden after seven starts, then son of Without Parole showed more than enough in novice company for Woods to suggest he can make his mark in 7f or 1m handicaps off a reduced rating of just 65.
PRINCE OF PILLO
Dangerously well handicapped on his course-winning form in April, Richard Fahey’s gelding looks set to capitalise on an unchanged mark after flying home to finish second in a deep 6f handicap at Southwell at the end of October. Versatile enough to also have a Lingfield Park win on his CV, the five-year-old is clearly back on song and may even be worth a first try over 7f.
SAVILE ROW
Antony Brittain has excelled with well-bred horses bought cheaply out of top stables, and he looks to have secured another potential All-Weather winner from the powerful ranks of Ballydoyle. This son of No Nay Never showed enough in maidens at Naas and the Curragh for Aidan O’Brien to earn an official rating of 80 but was knocked down to the York trainer for just 24,000 guineas. Though he’s out of a Galileo mare, he has looked all speed in his 6f assignments so far.
SERENITY DREAM
A winner over 7f at Goodwood in August for Tony Carroll, he showed a definite aptitude for the All-Weather for previous handlers Simon and Ed Crisford and was only just denied at Kempton on his stable debut in May. This Night Of Thunder gelding must be of interest when he resumes off a rating some 15lb lower than the one he ran well off in a Chester handicap for Richard Fahey last autumn.
SOLARIZE
This son of Masar made a winning handicap debut over 1m4f at Wolverhampton after scoring emphatically in a Chelmsford City novice. Lightly raced but progressing rapidly, he promises to stay further in due course. Indeed, he hit a flat spot around the Dunstall Park bends before running on strongly to beat the higher-rated favourite. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him graduate into the Easter Plate/Marathon picture come the spring.
