Had a productive first year as a chaser, winning three times at trips up to 2 miles 3 furlongs. The best of those victories was probably a 10 length defeat of Eamon An Cnoic at Haydock in early May. He has had a light Summer campaign, and was targeted at the ultra competitive Betway Summer Plate at Market Rasen last time out. He was upped in trip that day, but ran a race full of promise to finish just over 7 lengths 2nd to comfortable winner Francky Du Berlais. The way he finished that race, storming through late on, strongly suggested that he could be a significantly better horse over even further. He is an accomplished jumper and Neil Mulholland will surely be tempted to have a crack at 3 miles with him. There is a decent race over 2 miles 7 ½ furlongs back at Market Rasen in a fortnight which was won last year by Potterman, owned by James and Jean Potter who are also involved with the ownership of EXELERATOR EXPRESS. If he shows up for that race he looks certain to have a big say in the outcome, and in any event can make his mark in staying chases in the coming months.
We’ve had Royal Ascot, Newmarket’s July meeting and most recently Goodwood but my eye-catcher and horse to follow is Dubawi Legend, who made his debut away from those big meetings, in a Novice Stakes race at Doncaster last month.
Dubawi Legend is a very nicely bred colt, his sire is Dubawi, who was unbeaten as a 2yr old, winning a Group 3 and Group 1 at 2. He also went on to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas and was 3rd in the Epsom Derby.
His dam is Lovely Pass, who won 3-8 in her racing career, over 6f-1m and was rated as high as 105. She handled fast ground. He’s a half brother to Golden Pass who’s also with Hugo Palmer and has won 4-7 in her career so far and recently won at the July meeting in a Listed race off a mark of 101. The dam’s sire is Raven’s Pass who was 3-4 as a 2yr old, placed in the Craven, 2000 Guineas, Sussex Stakes and won the Celebration Mile (Group 2), Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Group 1) and the Breeders Cup Classic (Group 1).
He made his debut at Doncaster last month, in a novice stakes race over 7f. He won the 12 runner race, beating Brasil Power by 5L. He was highly impressive, he looked very calm and relaxed suggesting he knows his job already. He broke well and was settled in midfield, with runners around him all racing keenly but he travelled smoothly and looked very professional. He moved through to lead 2f out on the bridle and soon kicked clear when pushed along, receiving just one tap with the whip and the rest was just pushing out hands and heels. The pace that was set was very slow but he still showed an extra gear to pull clear. That was just his debut and he looked as if he’d been racing for years, his relaxed nature, how smoothly he travelled, and the way he showed a real turn of foot off a slow pace under hands and heels, I was really taken with that performance.
In regards to the future for him, he currently holds an entry into the Champagne Stakes (Group 2) over the same CD he won on his debut. But he also holds an entry on the same weekend in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Group 1) at Curragh, over 7f. He looks sure to step up to at least a mile in the future and given his pedigree, it could well be that he may be a 2000 Guineas contender next season if all goes well (Sire won Irish 2000 Guineas, dam’s sire was placed in the 2000 Guineas). The trainer, Hugo Palmer knows the family well and has had a 2000 Guineas winner back in 2016, could this colt be a potential star?
