York | Archive | 2006 | May | 11
From the archive, first published Thursday 11th May 2006.
Pam Sly, who hit the heady heights of Classic success at Newmarket last Sunday when Speciosa won the 1,000 Guineas, returns to her usual bread-and-butter fare at Wetherby this evening.
The Peterborough trainer, best known for her handling of jumpers, saddles Nap selection Cayman Calypso in the Nidd Vale Wetherby Handicap over two miles, with top claimer Stephen Craine in the saddle.
Cayman Calypso finished a good second on this course 11 days ago, only being outpointed late on after travelling through the race like a winner.
The chances are that Cayman Calypso will have benefited from that outing, and although a win for the gelding tonight will not be celebrated in quite the same fashion as Speciosa was after her memorable Guineas triumph, the five-year-old is napped to keep Sly firmly in the spotlight.
Veteran trainer Owen Brennan can capture the Rocom Panasonic Novices' Handicap Chase with Darialann.
The 11-year-old got off the mark over fences with a pretty decisive success on this course recently.
Even allowing that he beat only modest opponents, a 7lb penalty tonight might not be enough to prevent him from following up in another run-of-the-mill event.
Karo De Vindecy might have enough to provide the answer to the Howdens Joinery Handicap Chase.
Trained by Micky Hammond, whose horses are in good form, the eight-year-old failed by only a length and a half to get the better of Master Papa at Perth recently, when the remainder of the field were seven or more lengths adrift.
A reproduction of that form tonight should see Karo De Vindecy make a bold bid to go one better. Neil Mulholland again has the mount on the Middleham raider.
Ivy Creek, winner of both his races this season, can complete a hat-trick at Chester tomorrow and climb a little higher up the rankings as connections ponder whether he can make the grade for the Derby.
Trained at Newmarket by Geoff Wragg, Ivy Creek made a winning debut at Warwick in maiden company before stepping up in class to lift a conditions race at Sandown last time.
Still green and inexperienced, Ivy Creek remains open to further improvement and with Steve Drowne re-united with the three-year-old, he promises to make a bold bid in the Cheshire Regiment Dee Stakes.
Mubtaker should be hard to beat in the £75,000 Blue Square Ormonde Stakes over a distance just short of one-and-threequarter miles.
Triumphant in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury last month, Mubtaker is a tough and hardy campaigner whose enthusiasm for racing looks as sharp as ever.
TONIGHT
Wetherby selected races: 7.05 Karo De Vindecy, 8.10 Darialann, 8.40 Cayman Calypso (Nap).
Today's other meetings: Chester (afternoon, Flat), Hamilton (evening, Flat), Newton Abbot (afternoon, National Hunt), Yarmouth (afternoon, Flat).
TOMORROW
Chester selected races: 2.20 Ivy Creek, 2.50 Day Flight, 3.20 Dabbers Ridge.
Tomorrow's other meetings: Hamilton (evening, Flat), Lingfield (afternoon, Flat, on all-weather track), Nottingham (afternoon, Flat), Wincanton (evening, National Hunt).
Updated: 09:38 Thursday, May 11, 2006
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