Quinn looking to find last year’s form

Oct 11 2008 by Doug Moscrop, The Journal

IT’S often the case that a trainer, however talented he may be, struggles the season after having a lot of success.

John Quinn is a fine advertisement for his profession under both codes and, while he has enjoyed a few worthwhile moments this summer, he hasn’t produced the same big-race strikes that came his way in 2007.

It largely boils down to those horses that have done him proud paying the penalty for their racecourse achievements and failing to cope with their new rating.

It’s a common complaint for those who don’t have many class acts and rely most on handicappers to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Today, Quinn sends Pevensey down from Malton for the ladbrokes.com Handicap at Ascot which has become the gelding’s second home.

Even when he was trained by Mark Buckley, he showed a liking for the place by landing a heritage handicap in September, 2006 and returned to win there for his current trainer at last year’s Royal meeting when landing a gamble in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.

That was off a mark of 90 and he hasn’t managed to add to his tally in 11 subsequent attempts which suggests the handicapper has him exactly where he wants him. On his second start this season, when he was given a chance off a mark only a pound higher than when successful at Royal Ascot, the six-year-old ran Luberon to half a length in a similar event at York in May.

He has gone back up to 95 but has shown a return to form of late and definitely reserves his best for Ascot. I expect a bold bid from this course specialist in what is a virtual replay of a handicap here last month.

Night Crescendo came out narrowly on top that day over Young Mick, who has a fantastic record around Ascot, with Drill Sergeant and Pevensey breathing down their necks. The first four lock horns again and, at the revised weights, you could make a case for all of them.

Pevensey was staying on strongly when the race was all but over after making hard work of improving his position from the rear. However, a pound pull here and there, plus the easier ground today that has figured when gaining his previous course triumphs, could see him emerge the victor and so end his barren spell.

Not surprisingly, Bryan Smart takes a positive approach to the Willmott Dixon Cornwallis Stakes by saddling two juveniles for this Group Three prize which the Hambleton trainer won with Captain Gerrard 12 months ago.

Spin Cycle and Able Master both won their first two starts and the former is preferred as he has solid form in pattern company.