North Yorkshire two-year-old horses in line for notable double at Redcar and Ascot (From Gazette & Herald)

North Yorkshire two-year-old horses in line for notable double at Redcar and Ascot

10:09am Friday 5th October 2012 in Sport By Tom O'Ryan, Racing journalist

Talented North Yorkshire two-year-olds Body And Soul and Garswood bid to enhance their tall reputations at Redcar and Ascot tomorrow as they aim for significant targets.

Body And Soul, trained by Tim Easterby, heads to Redcar for the £150,000 totepool.com Two-Year-Old Trophy and is fancied to take all the beating after three wins, including in the Weatherbys Super Sprint, and a good third in the DBS St Leger Stakes at York’s Ebor Festival.

As for Garswood, trained by Richard Fahey and third to subsequent Gimcrack winner Blaine on his debut at York in July, this recent winner of a Listed race at Ayr travels to Ascot for the Group 3 BMW Cornwallis Stakes.

The conditions of the Redcar race favour Body And Soul, who has only 8st 1lb to carry in an event which has been very favourable to North Yorkshire horses in the past, courtesy of Kevin Ryan’s Bogart 12 months ago and, previously, the likes of the Geoff Oldroyd-trained Ladies Are Forever, Neville Bycroft’s Danum Dancer and the Bryan Smart-trained Misu Bond.

Easterby has also won it twice before, with Somnus and Pipalong, and, in Body And Soul, he has another youngster capable of hitting the jackpot. Dangers are plentiful.

The remaining Redcar card is packed full of interesting races.

Course winner Ingleby Exceed, trained by David O’Meara, has good prospects in the John Smith’s Redcar Straight-Mile Championship Final, while the totepool Guisborough Stakes may prove a good opportunity for the William Haggas-trained Firebeam, who ran well to finish fourth in good company at the Curragh three weeks ago.

Also worth noting are the promising Khelman (2.05) and the consistent Tom Sawyer (5.25).

Back at Ascot, where nap selection Garswood lines up under Tony Hamilton in the opening race, the feature event is the £150,000 Betfred Challenge Cup.

This wide-open seven-furlong handicap looks extremely trappy, but Imperial Guest is tough, consistent and fully familiar with the demands of these races.

Runner-up in the Stewards’ Cup, George Margarson’s gelding has since won at Goodwood and finished second to Don’t Call Me on this course. The latter, trained by David Nicholls, is in the field again tomorrow but may find Imperial Guest too strong this time.

York racegoers will need no introduction to Mince, who won a Listed race on the course at The Press Family Raceday four weeks ago in the style of a high-class filly.

Roger Charlton’s three-year-old, who has won her last three races, steps up to Group 3 company in the John Guest Bengough Stakes and will be very hard to beat under James Doyle.

Face The Problem (4.10), successful at Haydock last Saturday after a narrow defeat in the Portland Handicap at Doncaster’s St Leger Festival, and Sentaril (4.45), who finished second in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot in mid-summer, are two others to note on the classy programme.

 

Racing selections

Redcar (tomorrow) 
2.05 Khelman, 2.40 Ingleby Exceed, 3.10 Firebeam, 3.45 Body And Soul, 4.15 Le Chat D’or, 4.50 Byronic Hero, 5.25 Tom Sawyer, 5.55 Commanche Raider.

Ascot (tomorrow)
2.00 Garswood (NAP), 2.30 Hawaafez, 3.05 Mince, 3.35 Imperial Guest, 4.10 Face The Problem, 4.45 Sentaril, 5.20 Pasaka Boy.

Tomorrow’s other meetings: Newmarket, Fontwell and Wolverhampton.

Today’s meetings: Ascot, Fontwell, Hexham, Wolverhampton and Yarmouth.