Mattmu is strongly-fancied by the Yorkshire ‘racing family Easterby’ to gain reward for tremendous consistency on the famous Knavesmire this afternoon; one of twelve ‘decs’ for the £120,000 Duke Of York Stakes over six furlongs, an outstanding opening day attraction for a highly-prestigious ‘Dante’ meeting, named after the Northern-trained Epsom Derby winner.
Three glorious sessions, hopefully the sun will continue to shine through till Friday and Mattmu can enlighten proceedings as he bids to put his name firmly on the map; victory would guarantee the Indesatchel colt a stallion career and wouldn’t you want to send a mare to this winner of five races and placed in nine others from fifteen starts?
It involves reversing recent placing with Magical Memory, decisive winner of the group three ‘Abernant’ over a similar distance at Newmarket last month, despite winning by only two necks from Tupi and Mattmu; the last-named can do much better.
On my time-handicap Mattmu ran several pounds below his ‘career-best’ mark, achieved when finishing four lengths third to Mecca’s Angel and the fantastic USA-trained Acapulco, in the group one ‘Nunthorpe’ last August, over five furlongs, on this course!
That’s significant, so many thoroughbreds don’t act on this unique track which has a daunting ‘lead up’ from stables over the far side and a paddock which resembles a sauna, or indeed a seething cauldron, when it’s hot, which is forecast.
Mattmu should be too good for Magical Memory and ‘top-weight’ Twilight Son, a Henry Candy-trained Kyllachy colt which is burdened with a 5lbs penalty for winning the group one Haydock Sprint last September; there are others, it’s a wonderful dash and so exciting because this is the ultimate test of my time-handicap.
Racing Research Computer champion jockey, David Allan, has ridden Mattmu in twelve of his last thirteen outings; he got his reward for magnificence last year and Tim Easterby knows he’s so lucky to have such a talented, reliable, stable jockey.
Running in tandem will be a seven-race all-weather fixture on Lingfield polytrack which concludes with a bid by Muatadel to make it sixth time lucky in the three-y-o Maiden Stakes over six furlongs, drawn one!
Richard Kingscote, a former ‘computer champion’ and a class act, rides Mark Johnston’s charge for the first time; enough boxes are ticked for a nap selection.