Texas to strike Gold
A lot will depend on how the draw pans out in the totesport Portland, but it’s never a bad thing to stick with a sprinter in form in these type of races and Texas Gold fits the bill nicely.
The Willie Muir-trained six-year-old, who races from stall one, was a shade unlucky not to land a competitive affair at Epsom last week, having had plenty to do with two furlongs to run.
He was switched widest of all to make his challenge inside the last but just failed to peg back Atlantic Viking. But that could all prove a blessing in disguise as he meets Atlantic Viking on much better terms due to his rival picking up a 10lb penalty.
Few juveniles this season have caught the eye in the manner that Caesar Beware has in his two runs to date and he should not be missed in the £200,000 St Leger Yearling Stakes.
Henry Candy thinks the world of the son of Daggers Drawn and his reputation clearly preceded him on his debut at Chepstow in June as he was sent off a heavily-backed market leader amid rumours he had been burning up the home gallops with classy sprinter Airwave.
He duly obliged in the style of a potentially very decent animal, quickening impressively a furlong out before running on strongly to account for Don Pele by three lengths. It shaped as a good performance at the time and looks even better now in light of the runner-up’s success in Listed company.
The fact that he is a gelding rules him out of most of the top end-of-term two-year-old events, but he is eligible for the Mill Reef Stakes and that will be next if all goes to plan.
