Irish jockey Dunne bids to break Kelso duck on Quick Wave
Robbie Dunne bids to move to within one of a notable milestone on Quick Wave in the feature race at Kelso today.
Along with Sandown, the Borders venue is one of just two UK racecourses at which the Irishman has never ridden a winner and he has been quite successful at most of the tracks in his native country as well.
Dunne, whose three previous mounts at Kelso have resulted in two seconds and a third, said: “I rode my first winner at Musselburgh earlier this season and I’m pretty sure there are only four tracks in Ireland - Kilbeggan, Killarney, Thurles and Tralee - I’ve still to tick off.”
Venetia Williams-trained Quick Wave, who faces seven rivals in the Edinburgh Gin Limited Handicap Chase, is Dunne’s only ride on the eightrace behind-closed-doors card. The Herefordshire raider has been raised 7lb for his romp at Catterick a fortnight ago.
Among the opposition is Sandy Thomson’s Duc De Grissay who was disputing the lead when unseating his rider at the final fence in December’s Scottish Borders National.
Vintage Clouds, placed at two Cheltenham Festivals and third in the 2018 Scottish Grand National, reappears under top-weight following wind surgery for Yorkshire trainer Sue Smith.
Dan and Harry Skelton, who both enjoyed two winners at Kelso, team up with Protektorat in the Cheltenham Gold At timeform.com Novices’ Chase. Co-owned by Sir Alex
Ferguson, the gelding was runner-up in Grade 2 company at Wincanton last month.
Meanwhile, Ibn Arabi can make a successful start in handicap company as he lines up in the Play Ladbrokes 5-A-side On Football Handicap at Lingfield.
Georgescott'schargewasout of luck in three initial outings in maiden and novice company at the end of the summer and into early autumn, but a three-month break seemed to have the desired effect when he reappeared last month.
Ibn Arabi, who was also gelded during his period of inaction, cantered home by six and a half lengths over six furlongs at Wolverhampton. He may have been helped by the disappointing effort of the hot favourite that day, but there could be no arguing with the way he travelled in the race.
The handicapper had given him a mark of 73 before that run, but a 9lb hike for the victory might not prove insurmountable, as Ibn Arabi appeared to have any amount in reserve.
Bob Macintyre may not be in Bryson De Chambeau’s league when it comes to a scientific approach to golf but he reckons a ‘boffin’ has helped him break into the world’s top 50 for the first time.
The young Scot added Graeme Leslie, of Golf Data Lab, to his support team around the time he made his European Tour breakthrough in the Cyprus Showdown in November and is liking his statistical input. “The hardest part about golf is knowing where you should be improving,” said Macintyre, who is heading out to the US on Saturday at the start of a potential seven-week stretch which could see him play in two WGCS, The Players and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, ahead of a possible Masters debut in early April.
“When you are in the heat of the battle, you think, ‘this is what let me down’. But, until you see stats to prove it, then you don’t really know what the problem was.
“I feel Graeme has been a
good addition to the team to identify where I need to improve. It can either be dayto-day stuff at the golf course such as needing to hole more putts from 10 feet. He helps hammer in certain things and I feel as if we have made huge gains.”
The 24-year-old also feels lucky to have David Burns (coach), Mikey Thomson (caddie), Kenny Mackenzie (fitness) and Iain Stoddart (manager) as part of his team as he bids to keep climbing the world rankings.
“My family is a huge part of the team as well,” he said of his mum and dad, Carol and Dougie, in particular, but also his sisters and the family’s two fosters kids. “I feel as though I have a great team around me and why would I change it if it’s working?”
That’s not to say Macintyre is about to rest on his laurels, saying of his work with Kingsfield Golf Centre-based Burns: “We are not the finished article yet. Davy has a lot of things he wants me to improve and I obviously have the same goals.”
Thomson only started with Macintyre at the Scottish Open last September but has wasted no time proving his worth. “Massive,” he said of the Fifer’s input, adding: “He backs me as much as I back myself.”