Attenborough and Bishop’s Bounty dominate the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery at Kenilworth tomorrow and the former gets only marginal preference.
The Joey Ramsden-trained colt easily won the Somerset 1200 over this course and distance three weeks ago but Bishop’s Bounty, long held in high regard at Snaith Racing, was good enough to be expected to make a winning debut in the Met-day Listed race and, while things didn’t go his way that day, he has won his last two in the manner of a decent horse.
Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount is a full brother to Ramsden sprinting stars Red Ray and Brutal Force but Justin Snaith seemed to suggest that this one might want further, saying after he won last time: “Is he a sprinter? He doesn’t look like it and I don’t think he is. I feel he needs to go round the turn.”
Stable companion Sergeant Hardy was having his first run for more than three months when a five-length fourth to Attenborough in the Somerset and he was conceding 3kg. “He needed it that day, the race will have brought him on and he will be a little bit fitter this time,”says Jonathan Snaith. “But Bishop’s Bounty is definitely the stable select and his gallop last week was good. He went with Le Harve and did it quite a bit easier.”
Andrew Fortune rides newcomer Copper Force who is closely related to Computaform Sprint winner Copper Parade but Eric Sands says: “He is a nice horse but he has no experience under his belt and I think he wants further.”
The Mike Bass stable think a lot of Our Mate Art who was good enough to make a winning debut but he will need to have come on quite considerably to follow up here.
Snaith’s The Merry Widow is the obvious one in the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery as she is unbeaten in three starts and is 3k better with Live Life, Felicity, Nordic Breeze and Chill Baby Chill who all finished behind her in the Perfect Promise three weeks ago. To be fair, Nordic Breeze lost a lot of ground at the start and was hampered while Chill Baby Chill received a bump and was not striding out freely after that.
But Fayd’Herbe’s mount probably has most to fear from Don’t Stop Dancing who comfortably won first time over the trip last month.
Michael Clower
> Michael Clower is on a roll – his last six selections have all won.
