It's not madness to give Reckoning a chance
At York, Mind Of Madness (pictured under Jamie Spencer) won the Listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes while in Ireland Ainippe took the Listed Irish Field Curragh Stakes under Colin Keane.
Now unbeaten in two runs, the Ger Lyons-trained Ainippe has an entry in next month's Gr.2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury, while trainer David Brown has given Mind Of Madness entries in several races, including a sales race at Doncaster's St Leger meeting and the Gr.1 National Stakes at the Curragh.
A superb run by Sheikh Suhaim's progressive sprinter Extortionist when third in Friday's Gr.1 Nunthorpe Stakes was followed by a narrow defeat for Trade Storm in Saturday's Gr.3 Strensall Stakes and a worthy fourth place finish by Pallasator in the Ebor Handicap - an unhelpful draw in stall 22 did the horse no favour.
Trade Storm (Jamie Spencer, right) goes down narrowly at York on Saturday
Yesterday, in France, Secret Gesture (who is owned in partnership with Newsells Park Stud) took third place in Deauville's Gr.1 Prix Jean Romanet.
Two-year-old Dark Reckoning has to go some to match Secret Gesture's Classic-placed achievements, but she could pick up some black type today at Ripon where she runs in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Ripon Champion Two Yrs Old Trophy (16.10).
A course and distance winner at the track just over a week ago, Dark Reckoning comes into the race in fine form and is reunited with jockey Harry Bentley, who won on her last time out.
Trainer Ann Duffield said: "She came out of her win at Ripon last Saturday well and we have kept her ticking over quietly during the week. We feel we really must the opportunity of trying to get some black type for her and this is too good to miss. She handles the track well and the ground should be perfect."
The year-older Violet Symphony, trained by Mikel Delzangles and owned by Qatar Racing in partnership with Matthieu Offenstadt, also runs in Listed company today when tackling Deauville's Prix de Montreuil en Auge.
PICTURES: Laurence Squire