Baasha
Good afternoon from Newmarket. Racing has returned and we are back in action with two runners at Chelmsford!
Baasha kicks us off in the mile and a quarter 0-80 handicap at 7.30. We wouldn’t ordinarily consider him for a race in this grade, as he is only rated 64 and is a pound wrong at the weights, but the flu outbreak seemed to contribute to a very small entry for this race. Given that it is over his favoured course and distance, and that his long-term target race was abandoned last week, then it seemed a logical step to put him in.
The hat-trick seeking Executive Force is probably going to be a very tough nut to crack, and we are a little concerned that a lack of pace in the race could scupper Baasha’s chances somewhat. That said, he is in great form and seems to save his very best for Chelmsford, so given the excellent prize money on offer, we thought it was worth rolling the dice. With regular rider Rab Havlin suffering that nasty injury last week, Luke Morris takes over – and we send our best wishes to Rab.
Half an hour later Perique will have his third outing in the mile and a quarter novice for three-year-olds. He has been as green as grass on his two starts to date, though definitely learned something from his debut as he was unquestionably a little more streetwise on his second run. He should improve again in that department today, but is probably a long-term project who will need further in time. I don’t necessarily expect him to ruffle the feathers of the highly fancied Godolphin pair, but I hope to see some encouragement nonetheless. Daniel Muscutt retains the partnership having ridden the horse last time out.
All the best,
Ed.