Hong Kong beckons for Bible Belt - if she gets in!
Bible Belt was great when finishing second to Oaks winner Dancing Rain in the Champions Fillies’ and Mares’ Stakes at Ascot last Saturday.
It was a very strong field despite only being a Group 2 and unusually for such a contest, there were no penalties for Group 1 winners in the race. So we were at level weights with those and that was probably significant in the end.
The ground was actually a touch slow as well even though it was a beautiful day because they watered it plenty but Bible Belt took the journey over very well, travelled throughout the race really well and fought all the way to the line. I had been expecting her to run a big race and she proved that she was up to that class.
She came out of the race very well so the target now, if we get into it, is the Hong Kong Vase on December 11. There are a few ahead of her that need to come out for her to get in but the planning is under way now and it’s another exciting prospect for us all.
Whatever happens, she will be in training next year. Her improvement has been fantastic this year, going from winning a handicap in Leopardstown in July, to following up with a Listed win and then a Group 3, before that strong showing at Ascot. We will be aiming at all the obvious big prizes with her now next season. I am relishing that prospect.
Of our other runners during the week, we ran a nice filly in a two-year-old maiden at Navan on Wednesday called Dane Street. She finished sixth in what was her first run of the campaign. It was also her last.
She is a big filly and so we just had to wait. We wanted to get one run into her and the education will have done her the world of good. We won’t see her best though until next year and if she has a good winter and develops well, she will be one to look forward to.
Got Attitude ran a brilliant race when beaten just two lengths into third in a hurdle at Thurles on Thursday, proving that he hasn’t lost his zest for racing. He’s bound for Doncaster Sales now. I’d love to get him back into the yard because I’m sure there’s a good race in him be it a chase or a hurdle but that’s the way racing goes sometimes.
Why But Why was fourth in a three-year-old maiden hurdle the same day and while it might appear that he hasn’t delivered on early promise, he just doesn’t quite stay on that slightly softer ground. While it was good jumping ground, it wasn’t summer ground and he’s gone away now for the winter.
I have some interesting runners at Galway today, starting with Jenari in the maiden hurdle. He has some very good bumper form behind highly rated individuals Waaheb and Lovethehigherlaw, and he won at Gowran last April.
He schools well at home but you’re never sure first time out over hurdles. Often they school well at home and don’t jump at the track so there is that question mark, but his form is very strong and I’m happy with him.
We have a very interesting runner in the handicap hurdle in Hebridean, who is a new member of the Commonstown team. He won the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes when trained by Aidan O’Brien three years ago and his last race on the flat was in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket behind New Approach.
He joined the Paul Nicholls yard after that and won a hurdle at Kempton but he has been beset by injuries since then and hasn’t run since June of last year, when he was with David Marnane. He is clear of all his problems now, though but it’s a learning curve. He was a very good flat horse, had the makings of a good hurdler so we’ll see what happens.
Merveilles runs in that race as well and he’s had his injury troubles too, while The Engineer is having a go at the bumper to see if he can win one. He’s going to end up being a chaser but it would be nice to get a bumper win on the board for him if we could.
On Wednesday, Law Rebel and Burn And Turn should give good accounts of themselves in a maiden hurdle and bumper at Punchestown, respectively, if they run.
Meanwhile, I’m glad to see that some sense has prevailed with the whip rules in England and if not everyone is happy, at least they’re not going to touch to riding fees and they’re not talking about a number of hits with the whip after the last or inside the final furlong.
Hopefully everyone will be able to move on now and people will start talking about the racing again. That’s what we really want.
