Lake Victoria managed to redeem herself after a poor effort in the English 1000 Guineas by winning the Irish equivalent.
She managed to win with authority in the end, but it wasn't an easy race, and Ryan was probably a bit nervous when she was trapped on the rail, but when she got in the clear she showed her class.
White Birch, on the other hand, did not find the gaps in the race before the 1000 Guineas, and it was a painful watch. These types of things happen in racing, and you can blame the jockey for going down the inside rather than the outside, but it's just the way it goes sometimes. Do I think White Birch would have won with a clean run through? Yes, I do, and that's because he was the last off the bridle and when you look at the margin he lost by, I think he would've managed to beat Los Angeles.
Sir Lowry's Pass 9/4 (1pt) – Redcar 4.35
I do expect a bit of a drift on Sir Lowry's Pass as he is on the short-ish side now, but the thread goes live the night before, so I can't really get on in the morning when the odds have been adjusted. With that said, I clearly think he will win this race, and I am still happy enough to take the current odds.
See That Storm is a tough opponent, as are a few others in this race, but Sir Lowry's Pass was impressive in the finish at Goodwood last time out, and I think that race was a better quality than today's, so he will be able to overcome a 7lb increase in the weights and shoulder ten stone.
He is still a lightly raced four-year-old and had a good first season last year. He only managed to win once, at Goodwood, but the other two runs after, both on heavy ground, were valiant efforts, and given how well he won last time out on good ground, heavy ground appears not to be his ideal surface. Last time out, he managed to beat Tony Montana, who is a solid handicapper in and around the Class 2 level, and he showed that by running another cracker the time after in an even stronger race at York. The fifth-placed horse has also boosted the form by hosing up in a Class 3 handicap at Newmarket, winning by 6L and recording an RPR of 108 when his handicap mark was 93 for that race.
You could argue that he might be better at Goodwood as he is 2/2 at the track, but the way he finishes his races, I think he will be fine on a more conventional track.
Ed Walker's four-year-old colt has a solid pedigree, being by Siyouni and out of a mare who has produced some solid horses, including First Light is a Group 3 winner in Australia, so chances are there is more to come from this lad.
GambleAware