INDIVIDUALS have been known to head for big races like the Derby, for instance, with the kind of expectation that may not meet their horse's ability.
It is lovely to have a runner in the classic but in reality he, or she, had no real right to be there in the first instance.
A case in point is Mirsaale, who is set to be entered in less exhalted company than that experienced at Epsom at the weekend although, to be fair, he did run perfectly respectably in the Derby.
A winner of Epsom's Derby Trial on his seasonal reappearance in late April, James Tate's three-year-old was taking a huge step up in class for the premier classic and was well beaten in ninth place,
Tate feels the result may have been even better had the race not been run at a surprisingly slow pace. The Newmarket trainer said: "All is good with the horse and, as everyone knows, it was a very messy race.
"I don't think anyone was expecting that – least of all Dawn Approach. We could have done with a stronger pace and faster ground. He got bumped from side to side and came home with cuts all over him, but he's really tough and ended up running a good race.
"The handicapper was obviously happy with him as he's raised him 12lb. We will be looking for a Listed or Group 3 for him next. We'll try and get him a win under his belt at that level and go from there.
"I'm tempted by the Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton Park next month. It's a nice Listed race that has been farmed by my previous employer, Mark Johnston."
Trainer Hughie Morrison had a very different reason for Banoffee's below-par display in the Oaks, claiming track conditions may have been to blame.
The three-year-old was supplemented for the fillies' classic at a cost of £30,000 after a taking last-to-first victory in the Cheshire Oaks, but never threatened under Kieren Fallon.
She passed the post well beaten in seventh place, but could aim to repair her reputation in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20. Morrison said: "She didn't run anywhere near the form she showed at Chester. Whether something was amiss with her that day, we'll find out. The first thing Kieren said was, 'Never run her on that ground again'. She's got a very neat, daisy-cutting action and the grass was very long.
"It's a bit like walking through six inches of water or a foot of water – it makes a lot of difference to some people."
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