Don’t Panic is on the way up

Apr 12 2008 The Journal

ON the evidence of an emphatic victory in the William Hill Spring Mile, Don’t Panic would have gone close to winning the Lincoln on the same afternoon had he made the cut.

The time of the consolation race backs up this theory. It was a second quicker than recorded by Smokey Oakey in the main event and Don’t Panic won with so much authority that his days as a handicapper were immediately numbered.

He returns to the Town Moor track today for the Doncaster Mile and can demonstrate that he is very much on the upgrade by making his presence felt in Listed company this time. He is not miles ahead of this opposition, yet Alan Munro may not have to press the panic button to follow up his recent course success.

His trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam also runs Medicine Path who has already proved himself in this class by winning on Kempton’s Polytrack on his reappearance in early February. While last term he didn’t progress as anticipated after his third to Authorized in the 2006 Racing Post Trophy, he did end the campaign on a winning note by landing a conditions event at today’s venue.

His latest effort points to him being back on track but a 3lb penalty for his Listed success gives him plenty to do against his stable companion.

Blythe Knight is not easy to catch right, but he is talented and versatile and showed he is as good as ever when runner-up in the Lincoln off a mark 15lb higher than in the same event when it was staged at Redcar two years ago.

However, he won the Diomed Stakes at Epsom on Derby Day last year and is lumbered with a Group Three penalty as a result.

He may be capable of winning another small pattern race this year, but trying to concede 5lb to Don’t Panic is another matter.

Green Park never threatened to justify his market position on his seasonal bow at the Lincoln meeting. It turned out he was at a disadvantage racing on the stands side as low-drawn horses dominated the finish.

While he has a high draw again, it’s a smaller field and he could be in the right place this time. He is also only a pound higher than his last win in the Gosforth Park Cup in June.

Light Yield, successful in two of his five starts over timber, takes on older rivals on his first appearance in a handicap for the Bathwick Tyres Hurdle at Newbury.

Whether he can cope with a mark of 123 remains to be seen but he is a real battler with more to offer and will appreciate the return to this slightly longer trip.

Light Yield resumed winning ways at Stratford last time, rallying to regain the advantage on the run-in, and it’s interesting that his trainer Lucy Wadham fits him with cheekpieces for the first time.

South O’The Border has a lengthy absence to overcome, but his trainer Venetia Williams is a dab hand at producing them fit after a break, and he could well continue where he left off last season. Mexican Pete has been knocking on the door and looks sure to be involved again even though he has little margin for error off his current rating.