War, sex and Amor Ardiente
IT WAS written somewhere that your first winner as a racehorse owner is up there with war and sex. I don’t think either was on the mind of Lady Colleen Glaeser as she dropped the lead rope like a hot potato after Amor Ardiente entered the winner’s circle at Scottsville earlier this month and not necessary out of excitement. “I’m terrified of horses!” she exclaimed.
Belinda Impey’s 25-1 shot was met by a few mutterings from punters but visiting rider Gunter Wrogemann was impressed. “He’ll easily get eight to 10 furlongs,” he surmised.
Amor Ardiente certainly enjoyed going around the turn for the first time and Wrogemann will be in the irons again at Scottsville today to back up his claim in the All To Come Handicap.
Of the balance, Crime Victim, one of 19 Howells runners on the day, has dropped a further four pounds in the handicap and now looks competitive. For Howells it’s one of those days where he could be the toast of the town or heading home wondering what went wrong.
He will be a busy man at Scottsville and it will be a surprise if he does not make it into the winner’s circle at least once in the afternoon.
Howells holds a strong hand in the Fillies and Mares Pinnacle Stakes that heads the card with three top class runners but was far from bullish about any of them. “They are not well weighted and this is a tough field. I don’t know if I can win it,” he said on Thursday morning.
Howells added that he had given stable rider Keagan de Melo the pick of the rides for owner Dave Maclean and he had decided on Neptune’s Rain who Howells thinks has a bright future.
However, he felt that Dawn Calling was the more forward of the pair at this stage and although looking for further had a strong chance if racing fresh.
That said, Howells was of the opinion that Lunar Rush was the fittest of the three and “has a chance if she’s good enough.” But even with Anton Marcus, Anthony Delpech and De Melo riding for him he was not overly confident.
Paul Gadsby’s runner Vision To Kill has the benefit of a 2.5kg claimer aboard in Serino Moodley and comes of a cracking last win when fitted with a tongue-tie while Isingamoya is a classy mare who enjoyed just rewards last time out and Mark Dixon’s runner is also in with a winning chance.
The first, if any, of Howells’s winners could be Bear Hug in the third. The gelded son of Ideal World was all at sea on debut, also losing a shoe in the process. He showed good improvement at his second start where in spite of a tardy start he was running on nicely behind the heavily backed Silva’s Bullet.
The step up in trip should be in his favour and he could finish ahead of the consistent Toltec.
Lezeanne Forbe’s runner was reported to have been making a respiratory noise when fading late at his last start but it may also have been that the 1950m was a little out of his compass after finishing close-up in his two previous starts. These two look the principal contenders.
Howells saddles Mirwa in the opening leg of the Pick 6 along with three other runners and he will be looking for major improvement from the daughter of Fort Wood.
Mirwa was never in the hunt behind Silva’s Bullet but was all over the course. She will prefer tomorrow’s trip and gets the services of stable rider Keagan de Melo who has picked her ahead of stable companions Pharoah’s Tiger, Rippling Music and Roy’s Vogue.
Queen’s Plain made a winning debut for Howells and can follow up in the fifth although she is up against some seasoned handicappers, most notably top weight Flying Silver.
Garth Puller’s mare is hardly ever out of the money and was a game second to Master Of Mischief last time out.
The step up in trip should not be a worry although she does have to give the progressive Queen’s Plain 8kg which may prove beyond her.
It was written somewhere that your first winner as a racehorse owner is up there with war and sex. I don’t think either was on the mind of Lady Colleen Glaeser as she dropped the lead rope like a hot potato after Amor Ardiente entered the winner’s circle at Scottsville earlier this month and not necessary out of excitement. “I’m terrified of horses!” she exclaimed.
Belinda Impey’s 25-1 shot was met by a few mutterings from punters but visiting rider Gunter Wrogemann was impressed. “He’ll easily get eight to 10 furlongs,” he surmised.
Amor Ardiente certainly enjoyed going around the turn for the first time and Wrogemann will be in the irons again to back up his claim in the All To Come Handicap. Of the balance, Crime Victim, another Howells runner, has dropped a further four pounds in the handicap and now looks competitive.
The Soccer 6 Fillies Handicap is a tough race with plenty in with chances.
Howells again holds a strong hand with Miziara who was close on stable companion Fiorella’s heels when the two met and is better off at the weights here. With Marcus up she’s a big runner.