Thursday 18th September 2008
Dascombe aiming Classic Blade at Newmarket Return
Trainer Tom Dascombe is hoping that his stable can return to form in time for Classic Blade to have a crack at the Group One Shadwell Middle Park Stakes, run over six furlongs of The NatWest Rowley Mile at Newmarket on Friday, October 3.
Dascombe’s name shot to prominence at Newmarket’s July Meeting in the summer when he landed both the Group Two TNT July Stakes with Classic Blade and the Group Two Weatherbys Superlative Stakes with Firth Of Fifth.
His stable unfortunately fell under a cloud and he has not had a runner since Clifton Dancer finished last of eight in a Salisbury handicap on September 4, deciding not to run the horses until they had returned to form.
"The yard hasn’t been closed down, the yard just hasn’t been having any runners. Basically, because they haven’t been running well, there is no point in running them," explained the trainer this morning.
"They have all been cantering away and we are intending on having our first runner for a couple of weeks on Saturday. If he runs well, we’ll be back in full swing. But if he doesn’t run well, they will get another week off."
Classic Blade is among 28 left in the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes and his participation in that Group One contest will depend on the form of the yard, but the trainer is hopeful that his string can get back to winning ways.
The two-year-old notched up a hat-trick of wins, culminating in that Group Two success in July, before running below-par on his most recent start in the Group One Darley Prix Morny at Deauville in France last month.
"Classic Blade is in the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes and the Darley Dewhurst Stakes and he will hopefully run in one of them," he continued.
"He came back very tired from France and has had a nice little break after that. He didn’t run his race, for whatever reason. Whether it was the travelling or he just wasn’t 100% right at the time, I honestly don’t know. He is a better horse than that run at Deauville though.
"He will appear in either of the Newmarket races, depending on how the horses I have between now and then run. In other words, if I’m not sure, he won’t run until the Dewhurst but if he seems in tip-top form, he’ll run in the Middle Park."
Among his rivals could be the Marcus Tregoning-trained Finjaan, winner of the Group Three Molecomb Stakes on his most recent start, while last year’s winning trainer Barry Hills has entered Ouqba, fourth in the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster earlier this month.
He could also reoppose his Deauville conqueror, the David Wachman-trained Bushranger, along with runner-up Gallagher from Brian Meehan’s stable.
Aidan O’Brien, the champion Iirish trainer, has three left in, including the unbeaten pair of Mastercraftsman, twice a winner at the highest level and ante-post favourite for next year’s Newmarket Classic, the stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas, and the exciting Rip Van Winkle. They are respectively 5/1 favourite and 6/1 second favourite with Stan James.
The Shadwell Middle Park Stakes takes place on Shadwell Day, the second day of the three-day Cambridgeshire Meeting at Newmarket, which runs from Thursday, October 2 to Saturday, October 4.
The Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes, run over seven furlongs, is part of the brilliant Champions’ Day at Newmarket on Saturday, October 18.
