Thoughts on Shock and Rosaceous at Leicester today

Shock will make his seasonal reappearance at Leicester today (14th June) in the 7.15. Yard apprentice Kimberley Van Der Vegt will take the ride and it will be the first race ride of her career in the ten furlong claimer. Kimberley is very hard working and a good rider, hailing form the Netherlands she joined us last autumn following two years getting a great grounding with the Baldings at Kingsclere. She gets on well with Shock and rides him every day at home. Shock has taken a long time to come to himself this year and probably still has a bit to come but we were keen to get him out and both he and his jockey should learn plenty from this evening’s experience. He wears a hood for the first time as he is more relaxed in it.

The race looks fairly open, with not much strong form on offer and a number of horses will want to be prominent early. Gabrial The Duke has been running respectably in handicap company this season, but drops down in grade for the race so ought to feature at the finish. Ronya also drops down in grade, having been beaten 3 ¼ lengths in his most recent start in a handicap at Redcar. Banreenareenkah finished second, only beaten ½ a length over course and distance last month in a seller.

Rosaceous will have her belated third run of the season in the 8.15, also at Leicester, after her intended race at Newcastle was abandoned last Saturday. Luke Morris takes the ride in the extended 1mile 3 furlong handicap. Rosaceous worked well in her final piece of work on Wednesday and can hopefully put two disappointing efforts firmly behind her now dropped in grade. There are two question marks, the trip is likely to stretch her and the ground might be on the lively side but that looks as if it could be the case for some time now as the summer looks to have finally arrived!

The race is a competitive affair. The Ginger Berrry arrives seeking a four-timer having previously recorded wins at Lingfield and Haydock over 12 furlongs in lower grade handicaps. A Little Bit Dusty has been in good heart over hurdles recently and won the last time he ran on the turf on the flat nearly two years ago in a similar race, however his more recent all weather form hasn’t quite matched that. Everscent has gone close in this grade on his last two starts over ten furlongs and although this step up in trip is an unknown.

Rosaceous working on Wednesday.