Thoughts on two runners at Windsor today
Two runners at Windsor this afternoon (Monday, May 2nd). Spring in Kentucky goes in the mile maiden at 2.50 with Kimberley Van Der Vegt taking the ride. The filly is having her first run for the yard but ran twice on the flat in France last year before running into problems with stalls. Kimberley has done plenty of work with Craig Witheford to work on her issues, including a barrier trial at Lingfield Park a fortnight ago. Tomorrow the focus is very much on the start of the race and everything else beyond that is a bonus. She ran over further in France but she has shown a bit of speed in her work and her mother was a miler so this seemed a logical starting point for her career with us, we’ll learn a lot from the race as to where her future lies. It is perhaps worth noting that she previously ran in a hood but she seems relaxed enough in her homework and on her racecourse visit that we have dispensed with this aide today.
The race has a very open look to it with some very well bred animals in the line up. Morando and Niceonecenturion both ran well on debut and set the standard but it would be no surprise for a newcomer to be seen in the winners enclosure.
Our second runner of the afternoon is Trimoulet in the 4.35. Tom Queally teams up once again with the gelding in the ten furlong handicap. It is just Trimoulet’s fourth run on turf, there is no real reason that he has raced so rarely on turf to date but the opportunities have just seemed to be there on the all weather and he won four races last season including on his final start of the campaign. His rating improved 19lbs last season and it would be nice to think there is still more to come as he really ought to be suited by big galloping turf tracks and we want to get him a bit more streetwise on the green stuff if he is to compete in bigger races before his rating rises any further. He is a very big horse and the main concern tomorrow would be how he handles the tight loop at the start of the race.
The race looks competitive with three other last time out winners in the field. The hype will be around the lightly raced Mediation who won her maiden at the third attempt quite comfortably in a small field and had shown potential prior to that. That she has been kept in training as a four year old by connections that have a lot of horses suggest that they believe there is more to come. Harold Lloyd looked a progressive horse when last seen in July and if continuing that improvement could be a big danger.
Trimoulet winning his fourth race of 2015 under Tom Queally.
