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Palace Green was beaten around ten lengths in sixth in a strong edition of the Golden Gates Handicap but was unlucky not to finish quite a lot closer after meeting lots of trouble in running.
Palace Green was caught in a pocket briefly over three furlongs out and then met far worse trouble in the straight where he was short of room and badly hampered inside the final couple of furlongs.
By the time he was in the clear inside the final furlong he had lost all chance of reaching the frame, but he finished with running left and he looks up to landing a decent handicap this summer if settling better and granted better luck.
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As ever, this was a hotly-contested handicap, and it’s surely strong form with obvious reasons for being positive about at least the first seven next time, particularly the Harry Eustace-trained Ziggy.
He finished runner-up in his first two starts back at Epsom this season, both times behind a couple of very well handicapped rivals, and if anything, he shaped better than the bare result here.
Ziggy was held in briefly by the winner’s charge down the outside, and once it opened up for him, he stayed on all the way to the line. He is a likeable type who is well up to winning a good handicap this season, still potentially well treated on the pick of his all-weather efforts after all.
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King’s Gambit had taken the London Gold Cup on his handicap debut in the style of one well up to winning at pattern level, and although he had to settle for second in the Hampton Court Stakes he arguably enhanced his reputation in defeat.
Unlike at Newbury where he was well poised to strike when the tempo lifted, King’s Gambit was held up in rear and still had plenty on his plate turning in.
He couldn’t quite get on terms with the smart winner who was ridden handily, but he really impressed with how strongly he picked up in the straight to pass plenty of rivals and only miss out by three-quarters of a length. King’s Gambit shaped best and it shouldn’t be long before this progressive colt is making his mark in pattern races.
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Oxford Rock shaped with plenty of encouragement in the Queen Mary Stakes on Wednesday, though that wasn’t a surprise given her imposing physique, very much a sprinter on looks.
She wasn’t the quickest into stride on the near side meaning she had to be held up, but the daughter of Starspangledbanner travelled well before making good headway over two furlongs out. She held every chance over a furlong out but just couldn’t quicken in the closing stages.
As she did from her Tipperary debut, the Joseph O’Brien-trained filly will learn plenty from this and it surely won’t be long before Oxford Rock breaks her maiden tag, most obviously when dropped back in class.
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It was another competitive renewal of the Copper Horse Handicap which saw Willie Mullins win it for a second year running with Belloccio, and plenty in behind shaped well in defeat, notably Drawn To Dream, who was having her first start for Jamie Osborne.
She was useful when trained in Germany by Peter Schiergen, notably winning a two and a half mile listed event, and she ran particularly well on her first start for eight months, ridden as if fitness wasn’t an issue but overdoing things as a result.
To dominate a field of this nature would have been some ask, but the manner in which she rallied in the straight once headed marks her out as a horse of interest, and she will be one to look out for next time, effective at trips from a mile and a quarter up to two miles.
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It’s been a long time between drinks for Atomise whose sole victory to date came at Leicester in October 2021, but the Michael Dods-trained mare is threatening to end her losing run soon.
At Carlise on Monday she broke on terms for a change this time but was still caught a bit further back than ideal when the race started to develop, the pace having been pedestrian enough to allow the favourite to get back on terms after blowing the start completely.
She has now been placed on all three starts this season, clearly benefiting for the winter break, and is well up to winning a similar event when granted a truer test of stamina. Watch out for her when the mud is flying (sole win came on heavy).
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All bar a couple still held some sort of a chance two furlongs out in this handicap, the principals challenging on the near flank and, as a result, Great Max shaped much better than the result.
He cost 260,000 guineas as a yearling and was also highly tried earlier in his career, running in multiple Group 1 events, but his sole win came on his debut, and he has tumbled down the weights as a result.
Great Max has shaped better than the result on both starts for David O’Meara, too, moving through this race like the best horse at the weights but his track position put him at a disadvantage. He is just the type that this yard will excel with and he has the potential to rack up a sequence is the coming weeks.
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A good-quality and competitive handicap, the winner going through a fine spell but fortunate to add another win to his CV on the day, the next three home all shaping better than him for various reasons, with Classic in particular looking an unlucky loser.
He showed the benefit of his reappearance, and perhaps the return to slightly less testing conditions, travelling strongly but still having plenty to do around a furlong from home, making headway when forced to switch again in the final 100 yards and finishing with a flourish.
This underlines what bits and pieces of his three-year-old form suggested, that he’s on a good mark, and he’s one to look out for in the coming weeks.
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Have Secret failed to win last season but he ran well in some very competitive three-year-old handicaps and he will be one to note next time on the back of an encouraging return at York.
Have Secret travelled fluently in a prominent position and led briefly inside the final couple of furlongs, but, in a race run at a steady tempo, he was unable to cope with one who had form over shorter trips and used that speed to good effect.
Have Secret stuck to his task to prove best of the rest, though, and is entitled to take a step forward with the outing under his belt. He could be of interest if sneaking in at the foot of the weights in the John Smith’s Cup over the same course and distance next month.
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Warriors Dream‘s sales price rose considerably to £220,000 at the breeze-ups last year but didn’t make the track last season.
However, he has shown signs of ability in four starts so far this year, running his best race on his handicap debut, and he was clearly unlucky not to finish closer.
Warriors Dream settled well in a first-time hood, and was in the process of making headway when snatched up around a furlong out and that ended his chance. He has clearly entered handicaps on a good mark and is one to be interested in next time.
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This looks solid form for the grade, the winner a well-handicapped sort from the jumps who was having his first start on the level for this yard, while Night Breeze again shaped well in defeat.
He remains a maiden, but he produced another career-best effort upped to this longer trip, again finding just one rival too strong but doing little wrong in the race itself.
Night Breeze pulled clear of the remainder with another relatively unexposed sort and he should have no problem picking up a similar race in the coming weeks.
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Ten Commitments showed improved form on her handicap debut at Salisbury and may well have won with a bit more luck.
She was ridden patiently after proving awkward leaving the stalls but caught the eye with how well she travelled, moving best of all.
She was still going sweetly when forced to switch over a furlong out and ran on strongly when getting the gap soon after, but she just failed by a neck to peg one back who secured first run. That was an encouraging effort on handicap debut and, having clearly started out from a fair mark, is one to note.
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D Day Arvalenreeva was arguably unlucky not to score on her return at Leicester last month when she was only denied by a short head after conceding first run to the winner, and she was even more unfortunate not to strike at Windsor on Monday.
D Day Arvalenreeva again had to settle for second but she probably would have been a comfortable winner had she not been short of room for much of the final couple of furlongs.
She picked up well when finally getting the gap inside the last half-furlong, only missing out by a head, and it shouldn’t be long before this in-form filly gains a deserved success.
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