Grumeti, striding for a victory in Williamhill.Com Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle on 25th February
Kempton will stage the Grade 2 Williamhill.Com Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle on Saturday, 25th February. It will be raced over two miles and is open for four-year and older thoroughbreds to participate with a £12, 073 purse, that is to be awarded to
the winner from the seven runners taking part.
The strongest contender on the lineup is Grumeti, Sakhee’s four-year-old bay gelding out of mare Tetravella. Trained by Alan King, Grumeti has already got the seasonal debut victory shining on his record.
He won the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial on 28th January at Cheltenham, raced over two miles and a furlong which he finished readily under an intense contention with Pearl Swan.
Grumeti was the 7/4 joint favourite of the race while the other joint favourite, Baby Mix, settled into the sixth position.
His welcome race for the 2012 season, the Berkshire Stand Bookshop Juvenile Hurdle on 18th January at Newbury, had him entered as a 8/15 favourite. However, he could not pull up to the expectations as he fell during the course of the race while
riding with Wayne Hutchinson.
Grumeti sealed his 2011 season successfully too. He grabbed the Totequadpot Novices’ Hurdle on 30th December at Taunton, raced over two miles and a furlong. He raced through the wire while in command of fourteen lengths, cornering the 13/8 favourite
of the race, Ted Spread, into the runner up’s slot.
Grumeti has been sent as a favourite in both his outings during the 2012 season. Having suffered an unfortunate fall in his seasonal debut kept him from reaching the wire before the rest, otherwise the four-year-old oozes of a promising third start of the
season.
Keys, Doyen’s five-year-old bay gelding out of mare Freni, is still to post his seasonal debut victory. His first start was on 18th February in the Espirito Santo Investment Bank Novices’ Hurdle at Ascot.
He was second in the two miles and three and a half furlong track, 1 ¾ lengths adrift from the winner, Super Duty. On a field of ten, Key’s was entered as a 4/7 favourite of the race.
The race today will be his second start of the new season and a second chance to record a win for the new season.
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