MICHAEL Dods has had 12 winners in May, including Azure Blue’s Group 2 triumph at York last week, and he’ll be hoping to keep the momentum going at Redcar on Monday.
Dods, who trains at Denton, near Darlington, is again dreaming of Group 1 success with Azure Blue, following the stable’s top-grade successes with Mecca’s Angel and Mabs Cross in recent years.
The trainer, pictured below, is back to using Callum Rodriguez more this season, and they had a winner at Hamilton on Friday night, with Arkenstaar, in the colours of Azure Blue’s owners Peter Appleton and Anne Elliott. The trainer-jockey combination also landed the Thirsk Hunt Cup this month with Northern Express.
They team up with Alethiometer and Zuffolo on Redcar’s eight-race Monday card and it may be worth sticking with an in-form team.
Alethiometer is named after the mystical compass in the His Dark Materials books by Philip Pulman, and her consistency last year points to a successful four-year-old campaign.
She was placed twice on quick ground at Redcar as a two-year-old, winning at Thirsk in between those runs, and again got her nose in front at Doncaster last year.
Dave Stone’s filly is making her seasonal debut, and most of the Dods horses have needed a run, but she has the form to give weight away to her rivals in the Styled Interior Design Straight Mile Fillies’ Handicap if she’s ready.
Zuffolo, a ready winner at Thirsk at the end of April in 2022, was also a consistent performer on fast ground last season but finished last of eight on soft ground at Beverley on his seasonal bow. He’ll strip fitter for the Join Racing TV Now Handicap and will be back on quick ground, so a better run can be expected. Malton handler Nigel Tinkler won the race last season with Dandy Dinmont and will fancy his chances of following up with Exceed who has been second on his last three runs this season.
Newmarket trainer James Tate has produced Dubai Dawn to win his first two races on the all-weather at Wolverhampton – the last in facile fashion – and the son of Dawn Approach will be a warm order to land the Watch Racing TV In Stunning HD Handicap under PJ McDonald.
Jack Channon has made a fine start to his first year since succeeding his father, Mick, and he may have the answer to the Pat and Les Holmes Memorial Restricted Maiden Stakes with Milteye, who has been placed on both runs this year, at Bath and Goodwood, and will have the strong assistance of Kevin Stott.
Grant Tuer’s Mr Jetman showed a good attitude when beaten only half a length at Musselburgh last week and may have the thrust to go one better in the racingtv.com Handicap, with Sam James in the saddle.
Galilaeus, a son of legendary sire Galileo, makes the long trip from Ralph Beckett’s Hampshire yard in a bid to follow up a Bath win over a mile and a half last week. He tackles an extra two furlongs in the final race of the day, the Watch Racing On Sky 424 Handicap, and the fact that he is Hector Crouch’s only mount of the day is a positive sign.
The opening racingtv.com EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes has split into two and, with so many debutantes, the market will be the best guide. In division one, Roger Fell’s Chumbaa has the most experience of those to have run, with placed form at Southwell and Beverley. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one of the newcomers prove too good.
Hollie Doyle has a clutch of rides and is unlikely to go home empty-handed, so debutante Chaturang – a son of Invincible Army and trained at Lambourn by Archie Watson – is the choice for division two.
- Main picture: Alethiometer with connections after winning at Thirsk