Moore a good booking for Lexington Abbey
September 15th, 2017 | Ian Carnaby's Racing News
Kevin Ryan will have been disappointed with Brando’s running in last week’s Sprint Cup at Haydovk but this has never been a horse with a totally reliable record and it will be remembered he ran no race in the Duke Of York Stakes at York in May. Of course, the trainer’s string was about to endure a bout of equine sickness so he can be forgiven that, but he never featured last week.
Perhaps LEXINGTON ABBEY can make it a better sprinting Saturday this weekend. Campaigned over five furlongs at Ascot of late, Lexington Abbey arguably needs a bit further and the extra 143 yards should help him. On Friday’s evidence the place to be is towards the far side and Ryan Moore will want to angle for a position over there. It is worth noting that Betfair are paying on the first five in a very big field and that could be significant. The booking of the former champion speaks for itself, of course, but Lexington Abbey will now be a couple of points shorter.
I don’t feel strongly about the St Leger, although DEFOE has done nothing wrong and was lobbing along for most of the way before winning at Newbury last time. That form is not outstanding but Roger Varian and Andrea Atzeni are mustard on Town Moor and any more rain will not worry Defoe, who is on a roll at present. Stradivarius is one of several dangers, although the weight concession of 13lb from Big Orange in the Goodwood Cup made a mighty difference.
BALLESTEROS sweated up before his most recent outing at Chester but ran his race out well enough. He was second that day, has had a three-week break and should go well in the opener with Paul Hanagan’s assistance.
I was hoping Fujin would win twice in a row for us but Bath have their problems at the moment and Saturday’s card has been abandoned. In the sprint final on Sunday, where several of them are racing for a twenty grand pot after regularly taking in the midweek Class 5 and Class 6 bump and grind, PIXELEEN stands out as a borderline Listed competitor. Normally I’d have said we are too deep into the season but she had a nice rest before running well to be seventh in a much better race last time and she should be fit and fresh enough for the task in hand.
