Thursday 29th October 2009
Dascombe's hopes for 'Dance'
Prince Of Dance takes his unbeaten record to Newmarket on Saturday, 31st October, when he will face his stiffest test so far in the £40,000 Listed Bet 365 Ben Marshall Stakes (2.35pm) over a mile.
Tom Dascombe’s charge went into many notebooks after an impressive debut triumph in a seven-furlong Newbury maiden in May, but a fractured pelvis left him sidelined for much of the season.
The Danehill Dancer three-year-old, out of 1000 Guineas runner-up Princess Ellen, returned to action with another eye-catching triumph in a soft-ground mile handicap at Salisbury on 12th October, after which, Dascombe earmarked next year’s Lincoln as a possible target.
The trainer revealed today: “Prince Of Dance is ready to go in the Ben Marshall. He has had a disrupted career but he has done everything we have asked of him so far and I think he has come on again for his last race. I just hope that the ground here at Newmarket does not get too quick.
“He does not have to have soft ground but he is a Danehill Dancer so he would not want it fast. I am sure we will be all right, it is not too drying at Newmarket. I think it is good at the moment and with heavy dews and the short days, it should stay that way.
“The owners (Five Horses Ltd) are breeders and they want to get black type on their horses so this is the route we are going down and I think he is up to it. I bought his half-sister at the sales because I knew he was good, he did what I expected him to do at Salisbury and I think he will go on from there.”
The Bet 365 Ben Marshall Stakes is one of the highlights of an exciting two-day meeting, commencing on Friday, 30th October, that brings the curtain down on Newmarket’s 2009 season.
The race has five declared runners, including the smart David Simcock-trained Bushman and Newmarket specialist and Bunbury Cup winner Plum Pudding from the Richard Hannon yard.
Godolphin has two runners. Shaweel won the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes last term and has not been seen since contesting the Group One Poule d’Essai des Poulians in May, while City Style has won in the US and Dubai and is also having his first start since May.
Saturday’s exciting seven-race card, sponsored in its entirety by Bet 365, also features the £40,000 Listed bet365.com James Seymour Stakes (3.45pm) over 10 furlongs, which has six declared runners.
Godolphin is set to run Ayr Listed winner Prince Siegfried, while the William Muir-trained Group 2 Pride Stakes third Saphira’s Fire could bid for success and Hebridean, a Group 3 winner and high-class hurdler, represents Luca Cumani.
The other Listed race on the card, the £30,000 Casino At bet365.com EBF Montrose Fillies’ Stakes (3.10pm) over a mile has 14 two-year-olds declared, including the Cecil-trained Lingfeld maiden winner Timepiece, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Passage Of Time and the high-class Breeders’ Cup-bound Father Time.
Six two-year-olds have been declared for the £14,000 bet365 08000 322365 Zetland Stakes (1.30pm) over 10 furlongs. Henry Cecil won the race in 2007 with subsequent Group 1 Emirates Airline Champion Stakes winner Twice Over and the master of Warren Place has declared Mingun Bell.
The highlight of tomorrow’s (Friday) seven-race card is the £30,000 Listed EBF Igloos Bosra Sham Fillies’ Stakes (1.50pm). The six-furlong contest for two-year-olds has 12 runners, including the useful sorts, Puff, Roodle, Seeking Dubai, Queen’s Grace, Skylla and Conniption.
