Legal Eagle looks good

THE Sun Met gallops at Kenilworth on Thursday (7am) will be particularly important for 15-2 fourth favourite Bela-Bela, the mount of Anthony Delpech.

Justin Snaith said: “Bela-Bela was tired after her Paddock Stakes win.

“It was only her second race this season, the second horse (Safe Harbour) is a very good filly and I’d skipped a gallop beforehand because of the Met gallops.

“You see you can’t gallop then race ten days later, gallop again and then race in the Met nine or ten days after that.

“I don’t train horses that way and so I left out the gallop before the Paddock Stakes.”

Sean Tarry reports that Legal Eagle came out of his Queen’s Plate win in good shape and he is dismissive of suggestions that the Met favourite might be better over a mile than over the 2 000m of Saturday week’s big race.

Captain America

These suggestions have been based on Captain America, although considered best at a mile, finishing nearly two lengths closer to Legal Eagle in last year’s Met than he had done in the Queen’s Plate three weeks earlier.

“How many times have they met [over 2 000m], two or three?” he countered.

“And don’t forget Legal Eagle won the SA Derby.”

Joey Ramsden confirms that The Conglomerate came out of the Queen’s Plate fine.

The Durban July winner finished only seventh of 11 and Piere Strydom asked for the vet to check the horse out at the start.

Ramsden said: “I thought he ran a good race considering the trip and that he ran out of puff.”

Talktothestars, only tenth in last Saturday’s Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes, was returned not striding out on both front legs by the course vet.

Tellytrack presenter and former trainer Stan Elley said shortly before the off that the ground was riding very firm for a horse racing without shoes.