Summer Chorus wears a hood today, for her second career outing, in the Maiden Stakes over five furlongs of Lingfield polytrack; surprising given the excellent time-handicap mark achieved on a ‘good’ surface over a similar distance at Bath last month, when runner-up to Pine Ridge.
That must have been a surprise result for trainer Andrew Balding, and owner Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum, because this Exceed And Excel filly went off a 33/1 chance but hit the gate and set a strong pace.
When headed 300 yards out it looked for all the world Summer Chorus would fade away but she rallied gamely and went down by less than a length. Judged on that effort, and there is the prospect of improvement, Summer Chorus should win ‘alf the track’ so to speak and must be backed accordingly. Why the hood?
Don’t expect a big price but, by the same token, don’t oppose! Oisin Murphy replaces David Probert; that’s no problem, both are excellent young jockeys capable of competing at the highest level on the fiercely-competitive English racing scene.
An eight-race programme kicks-off with a difficult fourteen-runner nursery and so I’ll focus elsewhere, on the ‘twilight’ Wolverhampton Tapeta fixture, where twice-raced He’s A Dreamer has Tanasoq to beat in a Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs, and vica versa!
The latter is drawn twelve! He’s A Dreamer also can’t be opposed and along with Summer Chorus makes for a ‘classic’ tight each-way double because David Simcock’s charge is likely to second favourite; Tanasoq is highly-regarded but ‘you can’t beat the draw!’
Half an hour later Sir Michael Stoute-trained Across The Stars will probably be favourite on the back of a promising debut last month but John Gosden fields another once-raced danger, Daily Bullletin, an eye-catching fourth at Ascot ten weeks ago when not ‘knocked about’ as they say; price-wise the latter makes more sense, punting-wise.
Monjeni, from Sir Mark Prescott’s yard, also can’t be discounted but others, which have ran, don’t appeal.
SELECTIONS
2.55 SUMMER CHORUS
6.20 HE’S A DREAMER
6.50 DAILY BULLETIN