Neil Morrice takes a look at five UK dark horses who could impressed recently. Featured here are THROUGH SEVEN SEAS, STAY ALERT, O'DONNELL'S ORCHARD, MISS DUBAI and SURREY FIRE!
ODONNELL’S ORCHARD Kempton Park, October 11th
At this track with its cutaway a couple of furlongs from home a horse and jockey require luck if biding their time for a late challenge. ODONNELL’S ORCHARD needed to find racing real estate as he tracked the leader Yellow Pages into the straight, but didn’t get it. Every time he angled for a gap, whether along the rail or switching round his rivals, the door was firmly closed. However, he kept on to be beaten less than two lengths into fifth and might not have shown enough to blunt his progress when Tom Dascombe lets him loose in a nursery.
THROUGH SEVEN SEAS Longchamp, October 1st
Japan still awaits its first Arc triumph after THROUGH SEVEN SEAS had just too much to do and finished faster than anything bar the winner Ace Impact. The mare had only a couple behind her turning into the straight, but passed horse after horse to finish an honourable fourth, three lengths adrift of one of the best horses that have contested the race in recent times. Her connections are still pondering which race to go to before retirement, but it will be one in which she will carry my money.
STAY ALERT Longchamp, October 1st
The Group 1 Prix de L’Opera is known as ‘the fillies’ Arc’ and is never anything else than a proper Group 1. Hughie Morrison fielded STAY ALERT who might have only beaten a couple home, but is a name worth remembering. She was seriously inconvenienced by the lack of any early pace, and when the race turned into a sprint was unable to progress to mount a challenge. The fact is, she’s hardly had a race here, and can earn big if going to Ascot on Champions’ Day.
MISS DUBAI Brighton, October 10th
It looked a weak nursery in which MISS DUBAI finished sixth to Birkie Boy, but there is reason to think she can pick up a similar race as she was as green as grass until meeting the rising ground, and kept finding trouble. Beaten eight lengths, the run should not have attracted the attention of the assessor, and she will be more streetwise next time.
SURREY FIRE Nottingham, October 11th
SURREY FIRE drifted like the proverbial barge for this introduction, but ran an extraordinary race. Racing keenly, he got the better of a battle with Marching Thunder but rather than running out of gas kept finding extra, only giving way to winner Going The Distance in the final 150 yards. By his trainer’s standards he was an expensive purchase, and showed sufficient here to think he can go one better if not aimed too high.
