Our Friends in Scotland: Keith Dalgleish Stable Tour ahead of 2020 Flat season

Here are his thoughts on his team for 2020.

Our Friends in Scotland - Keith Dalgleish

Stable star: What’s The Story

Horse to follow: Volatile Analyst

Handicapper to follow: Red Bond

Aberama Gold

A half-brother to El Hombre who has been a great servant to the yard. He won the Listed Rockingham Stakes at York and goes in any ground. We need to decide if we are going to step him up to seven furlongs or stick to six. He’s wintered really well and we’re looking forward to getting going with him.

Alright Sunshine

I’ll speak to his owners Paul and Clare Rooney, but the plan is very much the Sky Bet Ebor and working back from there. He has lots of natural ability and is a horse who is better for knowing. I wouldn’t be scared of travelling with him to Ireland and run in some conditions races. He’s very talented and I would hope he can compete in some Listed or Group races at some point this season.

Breguet Boy

He was a really consistent performer for us last season, hardly ever running a bad race. I think his mark is still workable and hope he’ll be able to get his head in front this season.

Dark Lochnagar

Has the best pedigree in the yard being by Australia out of Virginia Waters. I think he has low enough mileage to think he can improve. He was beaten a neck off a mark of 86 at Doncaster in late October. The plan was to run him in the November Handicap, where I thought he had a good chance. Unfortunately, that race didn’t go ahead but he’s wintered really well and has had a gelding operation. I’m looking forward to running him this season.

El Hombre

He won a valuable race at Wolverhampton just before lockdown and has been a really good servant to the yard. He really likes York as well as the all-weather and we’ll keep him busy as soon as racing gets going again.

Glasvegas

He was placed in the Windsor Castle last year which was a great achievement. He’s been gelded over the winter and looks well. He’s rated 96 and we’ll wait to decide where he goes as soon as racing resumes.

Home Before Dusk

All his family have tended to be better on the all-weather than on turf. I think he could be the same but we’ll try him on grass and if it doesn’t work out we’ll look to those good races back on the all-weather.

Let Me Be

He’s two from two in bumpers for Paul and Clare and I’m looking forward to a flat campaign with him this summer. We’ve been doing stalls work this week and he’s really taken well to it. I see no reason why he won’t go well on the level.

Red Bond

He’s a very good horse, owned by Middleham Park, who won easily at Newcastle off a mark of 79. Unfortunately, that wasn’t missed by the handicapper who put him up 13 pounds. He’s very lightly raced and has only run once on the turf. I see no reason to think he can’t be as good on the grass as he is on the all-weather.

Roman Stone

He’s a nice horse who didn’t make his debut until last July as a three-year-old. He won second time up and is still unexposed, having only had four races. He was disappointing in his last run but there were excuses and I think he’s a horse with a fair bit of talent.

Soldier's Minute

He’s been another wonderful servant to the yard and gave us a great day at York in May, winning easily, and then a good race at Kempton. I think an easy six furlongs is his ideal and he’ll be contesting all the good sprints throughout the year.

Volatile Analyst

I’ve always loved this horse. He won easily on debut at Ayr and then bettered that run with a cracking effort in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. We had him ready nice and early before lockdown, so we’ll just have to be patient. A kind horse who I can’t wait to get going again.

What's The Story

He benefited from his gelding operation and won two valuable prizes at York including the Clipper Logistics Handicap at the Ebor meeting. He’s a fantastic horse and after speaking to the owner's racing manager, Max Wright, we’ll work back from the John Smith's Cup at York, a race he finished third in last year. He’s back from his winter break at Leanne Hannity’s and I must say she has done a brilliant job with him as he looks magnificent.

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