Newmarket preview: Jockey Club Rose Bowl (16.15)
Published:
Gale Force has a progressive profile and can take the step up into Listed company in her stride to land the Jockey Club Rose Bowl over 2m at Newmarket today (16.15).
The James Fanshawe trained filly got off the mark in emphatic fashion three starts back at Kempton when turning a 2m contest into a procession.
After travelling strongly on the heels of the leaders, Gale Force was produced to take up the running at the furlong marker and shot clear to win by seven lengths.
It was a most taking performance and Gale Force backed it up with a solid one length third of 13 to Rhombus over 1m 6f at Nottingham after being hit with an 11lb rise in the weights.
The daughter of Shirocco got slightly outpaced two from home before rallying strongly to be gaining all the way to the line, and was clearly caught out by the drop back in trip.
Gale Force then got back to winning ways in no uncertain terms last time out over 2m at Goodwood, cruising throughout and only having to be pushed out inside the last to score easily by 2 1/2 lengths.
The manner of the success suggested that Gale Force was on a serious upward curve and a pattern performer in the making, and with the prospect of even better to come she looks decent value to land the spoils.
Flying Officer heads the betting and looks the obvious main danger after making a winning return to action earlier in the month.
The John Gosden trained five-year-old is a talented but fragile sort who has had just seven career runs in three years and spent lots of time on the sidelines.
However, the gelding looked as good as ever when scoring easily by 4 1/2 lengths at Salisbury three weeks ago on his first run for 320 days and found on Pallasator too good when runner-up in this contest 12 months ago.
The big question mark is whether Flying Officer will be able to back up that effort, as he has failed to do so two times and is yet to win back-to-back contests in any season.
For that reason I am keen to oppose, and Gale Force looks the most likely to lower Flying Officer’s colours.
Coral’s top tip: Gale Force is on a serious upward curve and looks cracking value to land the spoils for in-form trainer James Fanshawe
