Dancing Gemini © Photo Healy Racing
Dancing Gemini drops both in grade and distance seeking to rediscover the winning groove in the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood.
Roger Teal’s star colt has been set lofty targets since winning the Flying Scotsman Stakes at two and has not been disgraced when campaigning at the highest level ever since.
He returned at three with an agonising second in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, a performance which earned him a shot at further Classic honours in the Derby and while things did not go to plan at Epsom, he came back to 10 furlongs for another shot at City Of Troy in the Coral-Eclipse.
Having been last of six in testing conditions at Sandown, connections have decided to take stock and lower their sights slightly, with the son of Camelot reverting to Group Three company as he drops back to a mile on the Sussex Downs.
“I felt the Eclipse was a tough run for him in that ground and ideally we shouldn’t have run him, and I just wanted to find something easier for him so we could regroup really and see how we get on,” said Teal.
“He was a bit quiet for a week after Sandown, it took a lot out of him, but he seems to be back to himself now and I’m happy with him.
“If he can bring his French Guineas run to the table he should be challenging.”
Dancing Gemini will be ridden for the first time by Oisin Murphy, with Teal finally getting the chance to leg-up the three-time champion jockey having pencilled him in to ride in the Eclipse in June.
“I have not really heard of him much, but I think he’s all right,” quipped Teal.
“I was hoping Oisin could have ridden him in the Eclipse, but he had to go to Haydock that day. He’s had a sit at home and he liked him a lot when he rode him.
“Fingers crossed we can get a clear run and then see what happens.”
This race was won 12 months ago by John and Thady Gosden and they have a real player once again in Lead Artist.
Beaten a nose on debut in the Wood Ditton, he then impressed when shedding his maiden status at York before finishing third when upped to Listed level for the Henry Cecil Stakes.
Lead Artist is one of two in the race for owners Juddmonte who can also rely on Ralph Beckett’s Task Force – with the Kimpton Down handler himself doubly represented by also saddling King’s Gamble.
Barry Mahon, European racing manager for Juddmonte, feels there is still plenty to be discovered about both of their colts and said: “They are two nice horses and we are probably trying to learn a bit about both of them, hence why we are letting them run.
“I think Lead Artist didn’t appreciate the soft ground the last day in Newmarket and it was a bit of a messy race – there was one group up the middle and we were on the far side on the slowest ground.
“Kieran (Shoemark, jockey) felt he just didn’t handle the ground and it was good to firm the day he won his maiden and we are looking forward to seeing him back on a sounder surface and we still think he is a colt with plenty of potential moving forward.”
On Task Force, he added: “We’re just in a little bit of limbo with Task Force, in the Guineas he ran a good race but the Jersey was a bit messy and we didn’t really learn much that day.
“He looked to us like he wants further and I think Goodwood on Friday, stepping up to a mile on a sound surface, is going to pinpoint to us whether he is a mile horse, a mile plus or where we are going with him.
“It could be that he has not trained on from two to three, I think we’ll find answers to all the questions like that on Friday, but his work at home has been solid and I do think he has done well from two to three, so we just need to get back on the right path with him.”
It was Roger Varian’s Al Musmak who was ahead of Lead Artist when claiming the Henry Cecil Stakes, successfully dropping back to a mile at Newmarket’s July meeting.
The Carlburg Stables handler is wishing for a favour from the weather gods as he competes at that winning distance once again, with Silvestre de Sousa in the saddle.
“I wouldn’t mind a thunderstorm for him and he appreciated getting his toe in at Newmarket in the Henry Cecil Stakes,” said Varian.
“He’s in great form, but I do think he is better with a little bit of cushion in the ground. It’s a nice race for him.”
Varian is another with two contenders, with Boiling Point another in the mix, while his owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid will see his colours also carried by Karl Burke’s Ice Max.
Socialite lost his unbeaten record in the Henry Cecil and goes for Charlie Hills, with Joseph O’Brien’s Irish Raider Atlantic Coast and Richard Fahey’s Native American completing the line-up.
