A busy couple of days for the yard
On Thursday of this week Miss Dubai headed to Chelmsford for a ten furlong handicap on the all weather. Held up at the back of a small field she would have benefitted from a stronger pace, as it turned into a slowly run event with a sprint finish. She did well enough to be placed fourth and will certainly enjoy a faster run race at this same distance.
Three runners went to Bath on Friday, with Phoenix Moon also travelling there for a pre-racing stalls test, which she passed with the benefit of a hood being applied. Bobby Kennedy showed his fitness in the mile and half opener on the card, a race in which he just got outstayed to finish second last year. This time the result was the same, the winner stretching away from the front inside the final furlong, but Bobby had travelled well through the race and moved up to a clear second, to hold that position throughout the finishing straight and finish his race off well. There had been a sharp shower about an hour before racing, but ideally he would have liked a bit more cut in the ground to be at his very best.
The slow race times throughout the card showed that the going, although officially good, was not the summer ground that would have benefitted My Ambition in the seventh race. Under Rob Hornby he had a very good run around the first three quarters of a mile, moving up into a good position approaching the two furlong pole. From that point he encountered the slightly loose surface and he started to tire, so that he weakened under considerate handling - on his seasonal bow - to finish back in tenth place. He is sure to come on a lot for this run and now awaits a proper fast surface to show off his talent and winning form. In the last race Golden Phase also went very well for George Bass, perhaps a little keen in the early part of her race, which was at a slower tempo. When the principals sprinted forward up the home straight she was a little outpaced and she got a bit tired late on to be fifth overall. This was clearly another case of benefitiing from this first race of the season, so that she will be able to return to the frame next time out.