Trainer prepares his season's plan of action (From Gazette & Herald)

Trainer prepares his season's plan of action

GOLDEN Legacy, rated by Richard Fahey as the best filly he has ever trained, is to pursue a Classic route this season.

With the Flat turf season now just five weeks away, the Malton trainer is beginning to pencil-in a plan of assault for his high-class three-year-old, who proved herself a match for the best last term.

The winner of three races, most notably the Group Three Firth Of Clyde Stakes at Ayr in September, Golden Legacy ended her juvenile campaign by finishing fourth in the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket, beaten little more than a length by the winner Magical Romance.

"She's got the option of running in the English, Irish or Italian 1,000 Guineas," says Fahey, who is delighted with the three-year-old's progress over the winter.

"There's a new £75,000 race at Lingfield she might go for first, and the Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket is also a possibility," he added.

Mis Chicaf, a runaway winner at York last season, is back in light work in Ryedale after suffering a double-blow, which would have snuffed-out a lesser individual.

Not only did this smart sprinter sustain a severed tendon in an accident at home, a serious injury which put her whole future in jeopardy, she subsequently contracted a serious bout of colic, from which she was lucky to survive.

"She's certainly been through it," explains trainer John Wainwright.

"She injured her leg in June and, as if that wasn't enough, she then had to have further surgery in late-August or early-September for a bad dose of colic."

Mis Chicaf clearly has a super-tough constitution and Wainwright is pleased to report that the four-year-old is now back in gentle exercise.

"She's only on the horsewalker, and she won't have a saddle on her back until next month, but things are going well at the moment," he says.

Fingers remain firmly crossed that Mis Chicaf will be able to pick-up the threads of her career, which last season saw her score at Doncaster.

She then went on to register a wide-margin win under Kieren Fallon at York, which earned her favouritism in the William Hill Trophy on the same course a couple of weeks later, only for her to finish out of the money.

"The vets weren't that hopeful that she'd be able to race again after she'd severed her tendon, but things are looking better now.

"It all depends on how she goes on, but her chances of racing again look better than 50-50," said Wainwright.

"She's a lovely mare and she looks stronger this season than ever. Hopefully, she will remain sound and we can get her back on the racecourse."

Crow Wood, a new recruit to John Quinn's Settrington stable, is set to be aimed at the Stanleybet Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster next month.

Previously trained in Lincolnshire by James Given, Crow Wood, who has solid form in competitive handicaps, promises to be a interesting addition to Quinn's Ryedale yard.

"He'll definitely go for the Lincoln and I might run him in the Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton beforehand," said John, who is also considering the Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar as an early-season option. "That's a race he's run well in before," points out the trainer.

The winning run of Ryedale's rising star Roman Ark came to an end at Newbury last Saturday, but Malcolm Jefferson's triple-scorer was far from disgraced in Europe's richest handicap hurdle.

Again partnered by Fergus King, and racing on ground much livelier than he had encountered during his two wins at Haydock and his opening victory at Carlisle, Roman Ark may not have been wholly suited by the muddling early pace of the race, but still managed to finish a creditable close-up ninth of the 25 runners.

A trip to Cheltenham next month for a choice of engagements will surely remain on the cards.

Jefferson and King had enjoyed better luck at Bangor earlier in the week when Polar Gunner did the business to keep the Newstead yard among the winners.

Tony Fawcett has owned a fair number of horses down the years, but he can have had few better money-spinners than Cardinal Venture, who took his career earnings to almost £80,000 when returning to the winning trail in the feature race at Southwell last week.

The bold front-runner adopted his favourite catch-me-if-you-can tactics and duly scorched home two lengths clear of his rivals.

Cardinal Venture, whom Ryedale businessman Fawcett owns in partnership with Mike Rile.

It is trained at Hambleton by Kevin Ryan, who may now aim the gelding at next month's Lincoln Handicap Trial at Wolverhampton.

In the saddle at Southwell was smart apprentice Andrew Mullen, who joined Ryan from Tim Easterby's Great Habton yard last September.

The 21-year-old Mullen may have been notching his first win of the year on Cardinal Venture, but he wasted no time adding to his tally.

He was again on the mark at Wolverhampton 24 hours later aboard Sir Ernest, a victory which reduced his riding allowance to 5lb, and completed a treble on the same course on Saturday night aboard Acomb.

The latter, successfully trained last year by Mick Easterby, was bought at the autumn sales by Noel Wilson.

He looks to have secured a decent money-spinner in Acomb, one of several new recruits to his Warthill yard.

Any concerns that Robert Winston might have had that his recent arrest during the ongoing race-fixing investigation by the City of London police might have affected his opportunities on the racecourse have been swiftly allayed.

Winston, who lives at Huntingdon, was back among the winners at Southwell and Wolverhampton last week, scoring on 25-1 shot Xpres Digital for trainer Roy Bowring, and also the Ian Semple-trained The Number.

Updated: 15:03 Wednesday, February 16, 2005