Flat racing’s Pattern season gets underway in the United Kingdom Lingfield
Saturday with the running of the £100,000
Winter Derby (Eng-G3), where Roger Charlton’s dual Group 3 winner Captain Cat
(Dylan Thomas) bids to add another feather to his cap.
The six-year-old gelding really came into his own last season, finishing in
the money in all bar one of his nine outings. He opened his account at pattern
level when landing the Sovereign S. (Eng-G3) in August and was back for more in
the Superior Mile (Eng-G3) September 6. He also achieved a creditable fifth to
Charm Spirit in the Queen Elizabeth II S. (Eng-G1) on British Champions Day, but
connections were at loss to explain his below-par performance on his final start
of the season, when he finished last of 10 in the Hong Kong Mile (HK-G1).
“Captain Cat seems in good form,” Charlton told Sky Sports. “He has had no
setbacks and has been doing regular exercise. This race has been the plan for a
while.
“Lingfield suits him. There may be fitter horses in the race, but he seems
good. I think he can hold his own at this level. He made terrific improvement
last year and was not beaten far in a Group 2 and ran well in a Group 1, but he
needs to improve again.”
Captain Cat’s 10 rivals include Godolphin’s Tryster (Shamardal), who is
unbeaten in three starts this year, all in handicap company. His latest effort
at Kempton earned him a 100 official rating.
Trainer Charlie Appleby commented, “Tryster goes into Saturday’s race with a
nice, progressive profile. He has come out of his last win at Kempton Park very
well, has a decent draw in stall four and a mile and a quarter is a great trip
for him.”
Another with progressive form to his name is Marco Botti’s Grendisar
(Invincible Spirit), who scored in his last two starts including the Winter
Derby Trial S., in which he had Cloudscape (Dansili), dual Grade 2 winner and
multiple Grade 1-placed Grandeur (Verglas) and Afonso de Sousa (Henrythenavigator)
behind him.
The winner of the Winter Derby is awarded an automatic and free berth in the
£200,000 All-Weather Championships middle
distance final, to be staged over the same course and distance on Good Friday,
April 3.
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