Easterby hopes for dazzling display (From Gazette & Herald)

Easterby hopes for dazzling display

DAZZLING Bay, who refuses to exert himself at home, heads to Royal Ascot on Saturday with a mission to shine in a race close to his trainer's heart.

Tim Easterby is targeting his talented sprinter at the £80,000 Wokingham Handicap, a race which provided him with a mixture of emotions 12 months ago.

The Great Habton handler was on the mark with Fayr Jag in last year's race, which ended in a dead-heat with French raider Ratio, after the judge was unable to divide the pair at the line.

A lengthy deliberation followed as the original photo-finish print was examined, followed by a blown-up version, but the two horses could still not be split.

For Easterby, though, winning half the prize was certainly preferable to being denied outright first place, and his relief at the outcome was further boosted by the thrill of figuring on the Royal Ascot roll of honour.

Whether Tim could stand another nail-biting finish on Saturday is anyone's guess, but there are already parallels to be made between Fayr Jag last year and Dazzling Bay this season.

Fayr Jag preceded his Royal Ascot success by winning the Sporting Options Handicap at York the previous week. No surprise then, that Easterby chose the same race for Dazzling Bay last Friday. And, although he didn't win, he would have, had he not swerved across the course, after being given a backhander by Seb Sanders when leading the field inside the final furlong.

Losing ground, momentum and the lead, Dazzling Bay did well, in the circumstances, to be beaten less than a length into third place by Circuit Dancer.

"It's not the way to ride him, out in front, but I told Seb to bounce him out and let him run, because he hadn't been showing us much at home," said Easterby, by way of explanation for Dazzling Bay's erratic course.

Some may remember that 12 months ago, when he won the William Hill Trophy at York, he also swerved, providing further evidence that the speedster, for all his ability, is not the most straightforward of horses.

The one plus of the York race, however, is that, unlike Fayr Jag, Dazzling Bay has not picked up an 8lb penalty for the Wokingham, for which he is priced at around 14-1.

Among his possible rivals is Cardinal Venture, a recent wide-margin winner at Haydock, who carries the colours of Ryedale owner Tony Fawcett, but who has an alternative Royal Ascot engagement the previous day.

Easterby could be further represented on Saturday by both Somnus and Fayr Jag in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes, while Richard Fahey fields his recent Beverley debut winner Bolton Hall in the Chesham Stakes.

Fahey intends running Golden Legacy in the Albany Stakes on Friday, while John Quinn has pencilled in Thursday's Norfolk Stakes for his smart two-year-old Bigalos Bandit, who enjoyed no luck in running at Beverley last time.

A veritable five-day feast of racing is served up on the Royal Ascot table this week. And just think - next year, the places for this magnificent banquet will be laid at York!

Updated: 13:15 Wednesday, June 16, 2004