Hamish can take revenge
May 30 2009 by Doug Moscrop, The Journal
WITH Tim Easterby’s Flat team running into top form, it could be the signal for Hamish McGonagall to lead his rivals a merry dance in the sportingbet.com Sprint at York today.
As his record confirms, the four-year-old is best served by sharp tracks like Chester and Musselburgh where he posted victories last year. The Knavesmire was also a successful port of call and he seems primed to run another big race.
He turned up at the May meeting, scene of his 2008 course triumph, and did little wrong despite finding a few too good for him on the day.
Cheveton, who had finished in front of him at Musselburgh 13 days earlier, did so again. Nevertheless, there wasn’t much between them considering Hamish McGonagall was 3lb worse off, and I feel the Easterby sprinter can take his revenge this time on the revised terms.
Five furlongs is his best trip and he’s versatile when it comes to the state of the ground. With stable jockey David Allan suspended, Ted Durcan takes over the reins and I am expecting a bold show from the combination.
Siren’s Gift, fifth in last year’s corresponding event, has yet to win a handicap, even though she went close to capturing the Portland at Doncaster last autumn. Andrew Balding’s mare races off a lower mark than 12 months ago and she has also had the benefit of a recent outing. Her close third to Look Busy in a fillies’ Listed event at Bath last month has been given a timely boost by her conqueror’s subsequent Temple Stakes win at Haydock and apprentice David Probert will be able to claim his valuable 3lb allowance which wasn’t the case last time. They look the main threat to Hamish McGonagall.
Furmigadelagiusta, a dual winner for Luca Cumani as a three-year-old, changed hands for 115,000 guineas at the 2007 Autumn Sales and is now with Karl Burke, who tried him a couple of times over hurdles and he won at Wetherby.
He met with a set-back when coming from a long way off the pace to finish fifth in the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot last June and missed the rest of the campaign. However, he has returned as good as ever, if not better, judged by his recent emphatic win here. While Furmigadelagiusta now steps up in class and trip for the Stowe Family Law LLP Grand Cup, Burke is confident he will stay the extra two furlongs and is being aimed at the Ebor in August. On the back of two all-weather wins at Wolverhampton, Mr Macattack was having only his second start on turf when returning from a break to finish seventh in the Victoria Cup at Ascot.
He could be back there for the Royal meeting but, in the meantime, he has a chance of showing what he is capable of at Doncaster in the Unison “Positively Public” Handicap. Despite a sluggish start to the season with the naps, hopefully I have saved the best till last and on a busy Saturday, faithful followers of the selection will have to wait all day for it to burst into action. Carlito’s Spirit is given the star treatment in the Millwood Designer Homes At Dormans Park Handicap at Lingfield tonight. He hasn’t exactly been shaping like a winner waiting to happen while his stable has also been having a quiet spell.
To be fair to him, however, he did give us some hope over the course and distance three weeks ago when fifth to Shaded Edge and would have finished closer but for experiencing traffic problems at a crucial stage. He has also slipped to an attractive mark, 3lb lower than his last win in 2008 when he visited the number one spot on three occasions, including once at this venue and over this trip.
