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Ground to suit Space Legend in the opener
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Clover filly to improve on her debut Goodwood run
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Just the four runners for the Bahrain Trophy to open the Newmarket July meeting, but the four give us plenty of quality and a short price Godolphin favourite in Ancient Wisdom at 6/52.20. The drying ground was against him in the Derby and conditions are coming into play for him, but so are they for Space Legend.
Space Legend won his Maiden at Leicester in soft conditions by over 5L, and at the time held an entry in Dante. No one would have beaten Economics in that, and Ancient Wisdom couldn't at York either.
The selection ran second in the Cocked Hat at Goodwood in May, and that's often a race that does serve up a stayer, so stepping up to 1m5f will suit him today for a crack at the longer trip, plus he was unlucky at Goodwood as he was denied a clear run.
Last time out he finished second at Royal Ascot in the King Edward VII Stakes behind a sparkling winner, and James Doyle said afterwards he'll get further and stay in time.
I think he's a player with the new trip.
Sea Emily Run showed enough promise on her debut run at Goodwood to warrant an interest here and she is certainly bred to make her mark as a 2yo with plenty of juvenile winners in her pedigree.
Her debut effort at Goodwood came behind a winner with previous experience, and that was important as Sea Emily Run performed like a filly who might have needed that first run.
It didn't help she met some traffic problems in the race, and the winner looked quite strong in terms of the finish with the ability to stay, but nonetheless it was a good start to her career for trainer Tom Clover.
Clover has had a couple of juvenile winners this term on the turf and if she is a bit more clued up here then I am happy to take a fair price of 11/26.50.
Back Thursday's double at Newmarket