Big day for Boughey on two continents
George Boughey will be hoping to land the biggest payday of his training career so far on Saturday when he saddles the ante-post favourite for the $1.5 million Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in the shape of Al Dasim, a rapidly progressive three-year-old bidding for his sixth success in a row and his first in Group 1 company.
Boughey is in Dubai to put the finishing touches to Al Dasim’s preparation, but he’s sure to have one eye on the action at the Curragh on Saturday as well, particularly the Paddy Power Irish Lincolnshire (15:25) in which he is also responsible for the market leader, Totally Charming.
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Totally Charming was one of the most progressive handicappers around in 2022, winning four of his eight starts and producing a career best when last seen landing a competitive heat at Doncaster in October. Held up in the early stages, he made steady headway before quickening to lead over a furlong out, keeping going well from there to win by two lengths in decisive fashion.
A mark of 104 won’t make life easy for Totally Charming at the Curragh, but he’s still relatively lightly raced for his age and it’s not out of the question that he may yet have more to offer. The booking of champion jockey Colin Keane also catches the eye and it could be another productive overseas raid for Boughey on a big afternoon.
Don’t look past Insinuendo in Park Express
Last year’s impressive Irish 1000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs was a notable absentee when the final declarations came through for Saturday’s at the Curragh, but there is still plenty of talent on show in a 10-strong field and it could be a good opportunity for Willie McCreery’s consistent Insinuendo to gain a deserved success.
Beaten just three quarters of a length in this race 12 months ago, Insinuendo doesn’t have anything of the calibre of Mother Earth to contend with this time and she’ll also appreciate the drop in class having acquitted herself well in better company throughout the second half of last season.
She put up her best effort when finishing third, beaten only three and a half lengths, behind the very smart Emily Upjohn in the Fillies’ & Mares’ Stakes at Ascot in October.
That form comfortably sets the standard here on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings and it’s worth putting a line through her final start of last season in Bahrain when she’d possibly had enough for the year. She was a model of consistency otherwise, hitting the frame in four of her six starts, and it’s surely just a matter of time before she ends a losing run stretching back to July 2021.
Aubis Walk is one to watch in the Honeysuckle colours
It’s fair to say that Kenny Alexander enjoyed another memorable week at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. From only four runners, Honeysuckle provided her owner with the obvious highlight when ending her illustrious career with victory in the Mares’ Hurdle, while Gala Marceau (runner-up in the Triumph Hurdle) and Halka du Tabert (third in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle) also ran crackers when hitting the frame in their respective races.
The racing this weekend is fairly low key in comparison, but Alexander still has something to look forward to at Newbury on Saturday when the Nicky Richards-trained Aubis Walk lines up in the Mares ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final (14:40).
Bought for £120,000 after getting off the mark in Irish points at the second attempt, Aubis Walk showed improved form to gain a first success over hurdles at Sedgefield last month, ultimately winning by 23 lengths despite idling and hanging badly left on the run-in.
Admittedly, she probably didn’t have much to beat on that occasion, but the timefigure provides substance to the form and she won easily despite still looking far from the finished article.
Very much the type to improve with racing, Aubis Walk has the makings of a useful mare and a BHA mark of 116 certainly looks a fair starting point to life in handicaps for Richards, who has saddled nine winners from 23 runners in March at a 39% strike rate.
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