Dancourt

08-Jul-2009

Dancourt has a lot in his favour in this, and he is well worth backing at 11/2. Although he is still a maiden, the son of Cadeaux Genereux is highly progressive, he has only raced five times in his life, and there was a lot to like about his latest performance, in a similar contest to today's at Sandown last time. Always travelling well in the front rank, he took it up going easily more than two furlongs out. Once there, however, he seemed to think that he had done enough, and he idled in front, handing the initiative to Clerk's Choice before just keeping on to maintain second spot. That race was run in a good time, it was the only one to dip below Racing Post standard on the day. The sixth horse has since come out and won, while the fourth horse has just been narrowly beaten on his only subsequent run.

There is a chance that Dancourt is a bit of a thinker, and certainly, his head carriage when he took up the running at Sandown wasn't wholly attractive. He is a maiden, he has been placed four times in his five runs, and there is a chance that he is simply not a horse who will win often. That said, he hit the front plenty early enough at Sandown under Louis-Philippe Beuzelin, the first time that the 5lb claimer had ridden him. Ryan Moore is back in the saddle this afternoon, and that is a big positive. Hopefully Moore will hold him up for a late run. He could be another of these Ballymacoll horses who improve gradually with racing and with age, and he has only been raised 2lb for his Sandown run.

Even if he runs the same race as he did at Sandown, but is held up for longer, that might be good enough on its own. But he should be improving now anyway, at a much faster rate than a 2lb hike implies, a Ballymacoll three-year-old who has run just five times in his life, just twice on turf and just twice this season. A mile on easy ground should be ideal (his half-brother Stage Gift won a Group 3 and a Group 2 contest on soft ground), and don't be put off if he drifts in the market today. He drifted on his latest two starts and still ran well on both occasions. With that in mind, though, best to back him with a firm who are guaranteeing their morning prices.

Last Three Minutes is an obvious danger, and Kinsya is also a danger on the easy ground. But Dancourt could prove to be a fair bit better than a Class 3 handicapper, a 77-rated horse, and he is well over-priced in my book.

DANCOURT WON (ADV 11/2, SP 3/1)

Back