Horse Watchers update | Martin Dixon analysis for York and Royal Ascot runners

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sat June 15, 2024 · 5M ago

Martin Dixon of the Horse Watchers looks forward to the team's three runners at York this weekend and ahead to Rhoscolyn's Royal Ascot assignment.

Rhoscolyn set for Royal Ascot

Rhoscolyn wins at Epsom

It’s fantastic to have another runner at Royal Ascot with Rhoscolyn going for the Buckingham Palace Handicap over seven furlongs next Thursday.

He was third in the race two years ago and he’s been fine since winning at Epsom, he takes his racing really well, he bounces out of his races. David O’Meara has got his whole yard in very good form this summer and this horse is an example of that.

He seems to be back to his very best. Whether Ascot suits as well as Epsom and Goodwood I’m not sure, he’s tried quite a few times and never won there, but you go back to the third in this race and you think he could do it. The forecast rain is in his favour, I think softer ground suits him better. He lets himself down better on an easier surface.

If it ended up being fast ground we might reconsider whether he runs, but it does look like there will be a bit of rain around so it’s all systems go as far as we’re concerned. You need an awful lot go your way in these races, but he’s in such good form he must have an each-way chance.

INTERVENTION – 1.50 York (Friday)

Before Royal Ascot we have three runners running at York on Friday and Saturday starting with Intervention in the Andy Thornton Hospitality Furniture Apprentice Handicap.

He’s been running creditable races since we came back onto the turf and this looks a bit of a class drop for him to a 0-85, compared to what he’s been running in. He’s still in good form, he looks a million dollars despite having a busy time of things over the last 10 months really. He looks fantastic and he’s a very honest, good fun, horse. He’s tough and consistent and we hope this slightly easier grade will help.

Tom Kiely-Marshall takes the ride, claiming 7lb, and I met him at Pontefract on Monday. He’s come over from Ireland and he had over 100 rides there, winning seven, which is no mean feat, it’s a tough pool to be finding winners especially when not associated to a big yard. We’re hoping he’s a bit of a diamond in the rough with his claim without knowing a huge amount about him.

Intervention has got a few targets this season, we’ll try and run him the Racing League for good money and he’s also qualified for the London Sprint Final at Kempton in September, so we’re working backwards from those sort of targets with him.

Karl Burke Royal Ascot 2024 Stable Tour: 'I think he will run a huge race'

PENZANCE – 4.10 (Friday)

We’ve had to bide our time a little bit with Penzance but I can’t wait to see him run again at York on Friday in the Seat Unique Handicap. He was going to run at Chester but had a bit of an infection and then we considered the Zetland Gold Cup but the ground went very soft. Since then we’ve had this race earmarked for him. He has a nice draw in stall three which should give him every chance, in a big field it’s where we would want to be drawn, so there should be no excuses on that score.

His work has been good. Ali Rawlinson rides him a lot at home as well as on the track and he has been pleased with him over the last 10 days or so. It’s all systems go to see what he can do on the turf. When he was with his previous yard he was well beaten in a couple of turf races, so that is going to be hanging over him until he proves otherwise. This is the day we’ll find out more on a big, fair, turf track. If he can replicate his all-weather progress to the turf he should be firmly involved.

Providing he runs a good race and he proves his effectiveness on grass, then we’ll be aiming him back at York for the John Smith’s Cup. We’re there to win the race on Friday, so hopefully he can.

ZOZIMUS – 4.45 York (Saturday)

We’re very pleased to see Zozimus drawn up the inside in the Ice Co Supporting Macmillan Handicap. He’s a horse that wants a good bit of cover in his races. He didn’t quite get that at Beverley last time as he was drawn a little bit wide and he couldn’t quite get tucked in, but he still ran really well and he’s just in very good form.

He ran really well at York last year off a higher mark and obviously he’s been a bit frustrating in terms of winning, but he is running really well at the moment. The set up of a big field at York where they will go a proper gallop, where he can get covered up, and hopefully stay on the bridle for a long way into the race, it looks the perfect set up for him.

We go there confident he can run well, He’s obviously a little bit quirky, but when you drop him in class to help those sort of races don’t suit him. The races that suit him are often very competitive, but he’s well capable of winning off this this mark. He was unlucky at Newmarket, he didn’t do a lot wrong that day, and Beverley like I said wasn’t the ideal trip. Hopefully it all comes together for him on Saturday.

Penzance storms clear of his rivals at Lingfield

Calyx filly starts at Pontefract

We are due to debut a Calyx filly trained by David O’Meara at Pontefract next week, she’s called Cymbidium, and she’ll go for a fillies’ novice. She’s done a couple of bits of work on the grass at Malton, so she should know her job. She looks like she might want seven furlongs, but six at Pontefract on a stiff track should hopefully suit.

She has a lovely pedigree as she is by Calyx out of an unraced Galileo sister to Study Of Man. She’s not the biggest of fillies, but I think that’s fairly typical of Calyx progeny. She might want more time, but she’s a filly we’re looking forward to getting started. Pontefract is a nice track for that and we’ll see how she gets on.

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