Dancinginthewoods – runs at Epsom
DANCINGINTHEWOODS, 50/1 winner of a 19-runner novice at Newmarket two weeks ago, heads to Epsom on Oaks Day this Friday for the £60,000 Investec Woodcote EBF Stakes over 6f.
Seven have been declared for the prestigious and valuable juvenile conditions contest and they include representatives from yards who have done well in the race during recent years. The Hannon yard and Mark Johnston have won six of the last ten runnings and this year they are represented by Oh Purple Reign and Misty Grey respectively. Both horses are previous winners and they are currently around 11/2 and 3/1 in the betting.
The market leader is Pinatubo, owned by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby. The Shamardal colt was an easy winner of a Wolverhampton 6f novice and the second and third have won since, so he’s entitled to be heading the betting.
Karl Burke, winner of the Woodcote ten years ago saddles Rayong, who has one win from one start and he’s trading around 8/1, a couple of points shorter than Solario Racing’s “Woody”.
There’s no doubt although a smallish field, several of these are open to bags of improvement and that includes Dancinginthewoods, who did nothing wrong and everything right when coming from near last to first to win first time out, putting his nose in front right on the line!
Epsom is a demanding course with its undulations and camber but hopefully “Woody” will cope with its unique contours. Joey Haynes, who was on board at Newmarket, gets the leg up again and he sat on the horse at Harper Lodge Farm this morning and was pleased with him.
In an ideal world, we would have liked another week with the horse but only Pinatubo and the outsider of the party, Barry Maggoo have had a longer break since last running.
The small but select band of owners who comprise Solario Racing (Ashridge) are really looking forward to Epsom and wouldn’t swap their horse for anything else in the field! Good Luck!
