Robyn-Jack-Twigg, who ran green when starting second favourite on debut, looks worth another chance in the opening Itsarush Maiden at Kenilworth today.
The Dennis Drier gelding should know more about it this time and he has a fitness advantage over the form horse Royal Marine who has not raced since running below par in April when he was reported to be making a respiratory noise. “He is as fit as I can get him without stressing him but he is only three-quarters ready,” says Greg Ennion.
Dennis Drier
Royal Marine opened favourite with World Sports Betting on Sunday but has since eased to 28-10 while Robin-Jack-Twigg has also gone out (from 28-10 to 33-10) as the money has come for the Paul Lafferty newcomer Majestic Glory. The booking of Bernard Fayd’Herbe looks significant although it is not easy to win first time on this course
Sir Capers (15-4) has shown promise in some good maidens but it is a bit disturbing to see him dropping back from 1 400m. La Mer (17-2) has place prospects.
Justin Snaith sets a poser in race two by running the two who dominate the market – 13-10 favourite The Boston Rose and 15-10 chance Bid Before Sunset – and he is the first to admit that he doesn’t know the answer!
“Both are ready to win but I didn’t want to run just one of them because I want to win the race,” he explains. “I have no preference – maybe The Boston Rose but just maybe. It will come down to jockeyship.”
Both are dropping back from 1 400m and both were ridden by Fayd’Herbe last time. He partners The Boston Rose but he was not given the choice – Snaith decided who rides which. It looks a toss of the coin job with Fayd’Herbe’s mount coming up heads.
But don’t ignore the five-year-old Duchess Of Prussia (9-1) who showed much improved form over this trip last time. “She ran here six times and none of those who rode her said anything about tying her tongue down,” Mike Stewart relates. “But when I then rode her on the beach I saw that she was swallowing it. I fitted a tongue tie in her last race and that was the reason for the improvement.”
Snaith runs five of the 12 in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden. Riding arrangements, the form book and the betting all point to Miyabi Gold who is favourite at 16-10. But she gets only marginal preference over the Bass-Robinson runner Pearl Jam (18-10).
The Woolavington Handicap is traditionally a 2 400m Listed race here in the spring – it was won by Strathdon this year – but for the second time inside four weeks there is a race of this name run over 1 200m. Johnny Black won the last one and this time Doublemint may just be good enough to account for Para Handy.
Top weight Blow In The Box was returned not striding out when starting favourite last time and he is 13-10 favourite to recoup the losses in the Betting World Handicap. But Spring Gold (18-10) is weighted to confirm the placings.
By Michael Clower
