Tuesday, June 30, 2009
ORPEN GREY EXCITES DASCOMBE AHEAD OF TNT JULY STAKES
Tom Dascombe clinched the first Group race victory of his career when Classic Blade triumphed in the 2008 renewal of the Group Two TNT July Stakes (2pm) and the trainer is hoping to repeat that success at Newmarket in the £80,000 contest with the well-regarded Orpen Grey.
Dascombe’s two-year-old heads to the Champagne Lanson July Festival for the six-furlong race on Thursday, 9th July, seeking a hat-trick of victories, having followed a maiden triumph at Warwick with a stunning eight-length success in a conditions race over the distance at Salisbury on June 28.
Dascombe revealed this morning: “Orpen Grey will certainly get an entry for the TNT July Stakes and that race is where we are looking to go next.
“We were thrilled with the way he won at Salisbury but in all honesty it was what we expected. I personally don’t think it was a particularly strong race and he had to win it like that to justify an entry in the TNT July Stakes.”
There is a temptation to seek comparisons between Orpen Grey and Classic Blade. The latter won the same Salisbury race before registering a third win on the bounce when securing a short-head victory on the July Course 12 months ago but Dascombe is keen to emphasise the pitfalls of any such thinking.
The Lambourn trainer said: “You can compare them as much as you like but it really doesn’t make any difference because Orpen Grey has to take on different horses on a different day a year later. If Orpen Grey was to run in last year’s race he would probably beat Classic Blade but that’s not happening, so any debate or comparison is a bit pointless.
“We are looking forward to Newmarket and are very excited. Barring accidents, he’ll be there and the faster the ground the better.”
The TNT July Stakes takes place on the second day of the three-day Champagne Lanson July Festival at Newmarket’s July Course - Wednesday, 8th July to Friday, 10th July.
The fantastic seven-race card on Thursday, 9th July also includes the £100,000 Group Two Princess Of Wales’s Blue Square Stakes (3.10pm) over a mile and a half and the £65,000 Group Three Bahrain Trophy, which kicks off the action at 1.30pm.
Wednesday, 8th July, sees some of Europe’s top fillies and mares line up for the £200,000 Group One Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes over a mile.
The highlight of the three-day festival takes place on Friday, 10th July, when a star-studded cast of international sprinters will line up for the £400,000 Group One Darley July Cup. The six-furlong contest is the third British leg of the prestigious Global Sprint Challenge.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
Archive
|
