Premio Loco shines in Summer Mile
George Baker is not only the tallest jockey in the weighing room, he is also the thinnest and he somehow managed to thread Premio Loco through the narrowest of gaps to win the Group Two totesport.com Summer Mile Stakes at Ascot.
Baker had opted for a rails position in a bid to not be forced to lose ground by having to race wide around other horses. But, swinging into the home straight Premio Loco was stuck behind a wall of horses. An early attempt by Baker to angle wide for a run was blocked by both Ouqba and Dream Eater so the jockey then tried to find a run between Forgotten Voice and Fareer.
It looked no less promising until Forgotten Voice began to tire a little and edged off the rail. It was the brave man’s route, but if it was a brave manoeuvre it took a brave horse to pull it off and Premio Loco never flinched as he came through and, having got upsides Dream Eater and the French runner, Vertigineux, he would not be denied as he beat Vertigineux by a length.
“I was a bit cheeky really but Jimmy [Fortune, the rider of Dream Eater], had every right to be holding me in and I wasn’t able to get out,” Baker said. “I’ve had to switch back in and my horse has a good turn of foot. He’s got me out of trouble.”
Premio Loco was putting up a career-best performance and Baker reckoned that the six-year-old has been a galloping advertisement for his trainer Chris Wall. “He’s a horse who’s improved and improved with time and it’s a good performance from everyone at Chris Wall’s to keep him improving,” Baker said. “He’s not the easiest to deal with. He’s straightforward enough in a race but they’ve done a great job preparing him for his races.”
Baker was left to prepare for a short break however when the stewards suspended him for four days (July 25th-27th and 29th) for careless riding.
A year ago Lord Shanakill won the Group One Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly. He had failed to win in his next five starts, three of them this year for Henry Cecil. However the drop to Listed level for the totepool City Plate at Chester gave him the chance to improve on the trainer’s 29% strike-rate at the track.
Tom Queally elected to track the lead until he came three wide off the home turn into the short home straight. He was still about a length-and-a-half behind Dunelight and, for a stride or two, did not appear to be cutting down the leader’s advantage.
Queally rode with the confidence that comes from winners – including a double at the July meeting at Newmarket – as he pushed Lord Shanakill out with just hands and heels to win by three-quarters of a length.
http://www.senore.com/Wigmore-Hall-wins-John-Smith-Cup-at-York-a15864
http://www.senore.com/Wigmore-Hall-wins-John-Smith-Cup-at-York-a15864
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