Gaius gets an outstanding opportunity of gaining a first elusive victory in the nine-runner Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs of ‘good’ ground Newbury this afternoon; stable jockey Sean Levey retains the ride, which could prove key!
Way back on May 31st we noted Gaius in one of those early six furlongs races for two-year-olds when this easy-moving Havana Gold colt, superbly ridden by Hollie Doyle, was prominent throughout and finished a creditable second (of 10) to subsequent winner Sanitiser at Windsor on a ‘good to soft’ surface.
‘Next time’ went into many notebooks but four outings have resulted in failures for Gaius; significantly however Richard Hannon’s charge achieved a career-best time-handicap mark 24 days ago when joint-top weight in a nursery, Croupier, prevailed comfortably by three lengths. How good is the winner, perhaps exceptional and graded quality.
Levey was the fourth different jockey and obviously clicked with Gaius, an improvement of 10lbs on any previous actual time-figure was astonishing, a reason why Croupier is on my Autumn short list.
Dubai Poet, fourth over course and distance five weeks ago on debut, and from Roger Varian’s powerful in-form yard, is the obvious danger, unless one of several ‘super-bred’ newcomers are allowed full rein; hopefully, experience of Gaius, under an anticipated front-running ride by Sean, will finally see them in the winners’ enclosure.
One final word about Gaius; I know I’d have tried to buy him, if still an owner, because he’s everything you could want in a thoroughbred.
Twice-raced Koy Koy is better; three and a half hours later Andrew Balding’s charge contests division two under champion jockey Oisin Murphy and rates an absolute banker judged on his impressive TH computation, when second to Saga at Ascot earlier this month.
It’s an exciting time for two-year-old aficionados and sandwiched between these two legs is the group two Mill Reef Stakes over six furlongs which, unfortunately, is much too difficult; with serious betting policy in mind I’m much happier betting that Clive Cox-trained Crazyland will surprise in the group three Fillies’ Stakes over six furlongs on ‘good to firm’ Ayr .
A ‘Super-Saturday’ awaits us!
Selections, Newbury, 1.10 Gaius (e.w); 3.00 Crazyland (e.w); 4.35 Koy Koy.
Jeffrey Ross, horse-racing correspondent for WMN since 1983 when winning the most prestigious racing journalist award, Sporting Life Naps Table, before winning it a record number of six times collectively in the Racing Post, the current ‘trade’ paper, including 2019