Spencer expects the real Curbyourenthusiasm to shine at Donnie
I ride Curbyourenthusiasm in the Mallard Stakes at 2.30pm and he’s a horse I like a lot. Last time at York he was drawn badly and it was just a farce of a race. They went so slow and I was always mid-division towards the back and never had any room to do anything. Nothing changed in the race. The horses that were in the first four, stayed in the first four the whole race. It was just a farce of a race. In those big fields at York they just go two by two by two all the way round and all of a sudden you’re fifteen lengths off the pace and if they’ve gone steady the leaders will just keep rolling and it’s a hard place to peg them back.
Curbyourenthusiasm got very hot and bothered too that day, which is very unlike him. Maybe it was because it was his second time there, and they have to walk across the track from the stables, so he got quite lit up. It was totally out of character for him. You can put a line through that run. I saw him yesterday morning and he looked in tremendous form. I think the step up to a mile and six furlongs will be a big help for him. The type of track at Doncaster will suit him and he’ll love the ground. He’s drawn well and I will try and get a good position early, as he doesn’t have to be dropped in. Hopefully you’ll get to see the real Curbyourenthusiasm.
In the 3.40pm, the May Hill Stakes, I ride Gypsy Eyes for Charlie Hills and for owners that I’m quite friendly with. She won first time out in her Maiden at Newmarket nicely and the third that day has since come out and won. Charlie has been speaking highly about her and if she’s as good as he expects her to be then she will finish in the first three.
In the last I ride Berland for Michael Bell. I rode work on him Wednesday. He had a little problem after he won his last start at Leicester. He beat a horse called Laurence that actually won the other day. Berland has just had a little issue behind. He’s training well and he’s in good form. If the ground dried up too much then he may be a non-runner because he doesn’t want it too firm. But if it happened to rain then he’d have a good chance. The race sits well for him as he’s rated 84 and it’s an 85 Classified.
Looking ahead to the St Leger I like Bondi Beach. I think he can give Storm The Stars a good race. I was with him in the Voltigeur and I felt that he had to do a lot of running to get into position to challenge and that may have done him in the end. He had to make up about five lengths from the three pole which may not seem a lot but when they’ve only gone an even gallop, he used up a lot of energy to get there and didn’t have a lot left. I think the St Leger trip will suit him and he’ll stay it well. I think there will be a good pace with Fields of Athenry in the field so it’s going to be a proper stamina test.
Jamie
