SIR JOEY can regain the winning thread in the Stewards Trial Handicap at Chepstow today. Ascot's watering policy left an unwatered strip of ground under the stands' rail, which would have suited him, and the connections of the gelding can rightly feel a little aggrieved.
The seven year old, racing on the far side of the track, was held up in the early stages of the contest before being ridden firmly approaching a furlong from home.
Galvanised into action, the Pat Murphy trained sprinter really stuck to his task when in sight of the finish, staying on strongly to go down by about one and a half lengths in fifth behind Emerging Market.
His run there prompted the handicapper into a 1lb retaliatory action bringing his mark to 87 - 6lb higher than when last successful, two runs ago, in a Salisbury handicap. However, Sir Joey seems in particularly good form at the moment and should win.
Elite Reg was an in and out performer over the sticks during the season just gone, mixing some poor jumping over both fences and hurdles and five staying wins - three over fences and two over timber. But, judged on the best of his form, he looks a very interesting contender returning to the level for the Lions Lodge Handicap.
Elite Reg had an outing over hurdles about a month ago, finishing third to Newton Point, but this step back in trip from a gruelling three miles should be in his favour. Martin Pipe's gelding gets into the bottom of this handicap with a featherweight and the booking of useful lightweight apprentice Matthew Henry looks significant.
David Nicholls has kept Zain Dancer under wraps since his promising second at Catterick on the first day of June this year. Hardly surprising given he went into many notebooks that day as, potentially, a very well handicapped performer.
Nicholls' four year old stayed on strongly in the final stages to get to within two and a half lengths of the winner Queens Consul over seven furlongs and, with that run under his belt, Zain Dancer should go one better in the Gullane Handicap at Musselburgh.
. Apprentice Chris Cogan was taken to Pontefract General Infirmary with suspected fractures of his wrist and leg after a nasty fall at Pontefract today.
