Karl Burke expects Toocoolforschool to come on a significant amount for his seasonal return in the ebfstallions.com Michael Foster EBF Conditions Stakes at Thirsk today.
The four-year-old failed to feature in three starts last season, having captured the Group Two Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury on his final start as a juvenile.
Toocoolforschool receives weight from three of his four rivals, and is running outside of Listed or Group company for the first time since winning his maiden at Ripon in August 2014.
However, Burke feels that he may just need the outing.
The Leyburn handler said: "He was obviously disappointing last year. There was no major issues, just lots of niggling little training setbacks.
"He has wintered well and whatever he does he will come on for it a huge amount.
"He's fit enough to run well and do himself justice, but we possibly won't see him run up to his rating of 107.
"The ground and trip will be fine and we will learn a lot for the rest of the year.
"He is still a very lazy work horse, as he was as a two-year-old, so he is a little bit hard to assess.
"I'd like to think after this we can go back up in class to black-type races and travel the world with him.
"Equally, though, he could end up in heritage handicaps running off big weights.
"I still think he has a lot of potential but he is a very laid-back horse until you get him on the track."
It will be the second year in succession Balty Boys has contested the seven-furlong contest, having chased home Heaven's Guest 12 months ago before going on to taste victory at Group Three level.
Trainer Brian Ellison said: "Balty Boys ran well in the race last year and we decided to go down the same route and start him off there again.
"Seven furlongs is a bit on the sharp side for him but it is a good race to start him off in.
"He deserves to have the weight he has got and he has been in good form.
"I expect him to come on a lot for the race but providing everything goes well it will be a good pipe-opener for the Sandown Mile on Friday."
Heaven's Guest's trainer Richard Fahey will this time rely upon last year's Bunbury Cup hero Rene Mathis.
Fahey said: "This race has been quite lucky to me in the past. We have Rene Mathis in it but it does look a competitive race.
"He is in great order but he was a bit disappointing in the Lincoln where he never travelled and got into it.
"Giving weight away is always a concern but the ground should be fine for him."
The five-runner field is completed by the Kevin Ryan-trained Kelinni and Indy from the yard of David Barron.
No comments:
Post a Comment