| Course: YORK | Race date:18/05/06 | Race time:2:15 | Runners:7 |
| Race distance:1m2½f | Going:Soft | Winners time:2m 19.41s |
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Stall | Weight | Age | RPR | OR | Odds | B High | B Ave | B Low | In run | Finished | Dist Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strawberry Dale | Jamie Spencer | J D Bethell | 4 | 8-12 | 4 | 109 | 104 | 8/1 | 18 | 10.57 | 7.2 | 1.01 | 1 | |
| Mango Mischief | Seb Sanders | J L Dunlop | 1 | 9-0 | 5 | 106 | 103 | 6/1 | 11 | 8.2 | 5.4 | 2.6 | 2 | 3 |
| Portrayal | L Dettori | Saeed Bin Suroor | 3 | 8-12 | 4 | 103 | 112 | 5/4F | 3.1 | 2.28 | 2.1 | 2 | 3 | 2½ |
| Red Bloom | K Fallon | Sir Michael Stoute | 7 | 9-2 | 5 | 98 | 111 | 9/4 | 3.55 | 3.11 | 2.14 | 3 | 4 | 3½ |
| Ma'Am | Micky Fenton | I A Wood | 2 | 8-12 | 4 | 93 | 72 | 100/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 5 | ½ |
| Tarandot | N Callan | G G Margarson | 6 | 8-12 | 5 | 84 | 93 | 33/1 | 60 | 43.73 | 13.5 | 36 | 6 | 5 |
| Umthoulah | Robert Winston | K R Burke | 5 | 8-12 | 4 | 47 | 80 | 66/1 | 250 | 106.56 | 32 | 120 | 7 | 22 |
STRAWBERRY DALE had looked possibly to be flattered when making all in similarly muddy ground at Doncaster last autumn but she proved here that she is capable ofsmart form when the going is very soft and she is allowed her own way up front - soon at the head of affairs and setting just a fair gallop, she always looked in command and needed only to be pushed out to hold on well in the closing stages. She reportedly heads now for a similar contest at Cork and would have to be taken seriously granted this type of ground - though she is unlikely to be left alone up front again.
Mango Mischief had a 2lb penalty for her win in this grade last year and ran with credit, chasing the leader from the off and keeping on again to reclaim second in the latter stages - she handles this ground and is clearly very useful but she may not be easy to place.
Portrayal had looked still to be progressing when she made a most encouraging debut for Godolphin in Listed company last autumn and had also reportedly been pleasing in her home work, so this was a disappointing start to her 2006 campaign in a race for which she had 5lb and more to spare over all her rivals judged on BHB ratings - she made slightly laboured headway in the straight to threaten briefly over 1f out but lost second place inside the final 1f. The ground should not have been a problem for a filly who has won on the soft previously and though she may comeon for the outing she looks to have something to find to make her mark in this grade.
That was illustrated by the fact she finished only half a length ahead of Ma'am, who would have been 31lb better off at the weights in a handicap - the latter has clearly run a blinder in face of an impossible task but this is probably not form to take literally and she may suffer if the handicapper is taken in by her proximity.
Thetrip was not far enough for Tarandot, who will be better judged when stepped back up in distance, while Umthoulah was making a big leap out of maiden company and may not have handled the ground either.[DC]
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