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Trawlerman, last year’s winner of the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, will wear an equine version of ski goggles in the paddock and on the way to post before defending the stayers’ crown next Thursday, John Gosden, the gelding’s trainer, revealed on Friday.
Speaking on the Nick Luck Daily podcast, Gosden said the unusual step was necessary because Trawlerman “has a weird problem with his eyes in that he becomes very sensitive to light”.
Gosden added: “He’s been going out and doing a lot of his work in ski goggles, which he’s going to be allowed to wear in the paddock and cantering down to the start. But they won’t let him race in them, understandably – for fear he thinks he’s on a slope or something!
“He’s not going to enjoy a sunny day [but] having said that, once they’re racing, he’ll be focused on the racing, he won’t be focused on anything else.”
Seven of the last 10 winners of the Macmillan Sprint Handicap, the feature event of York’s popular charity day card on Saturday, have been drawn in single figures and Red Spells Danger (3.35), in nine, may be the best bet in this year’s field at around 6-1.
Tim Easterby’s gelding ran six times over seven furlongs without success before a drop back to six unlocked significant improvement. He was a wide-margin winner on his latest start, finishing four lengths clear in a strong time, and even a 10lb rise for that success may underestimate his scope for progress at sprint trips.
Greg Wood's Saturday tips
ShowBath 1.20 Everest 1.55 Havana Sprite 2.30 Legendsoftheland 3.05 Secret Harvest 3.50 Blue Hero 4.27 Solar Phoenix 5.02 Dappled Light 5.37 Danehill Star
Sandown 1.32 The Joker 2.05 Karvala 2.42 Lady Youmzain 3.17 Raammee 3.55 Sticktoyourguns 4.32 Tropbien 5.07 Personal Best
Chester 1.35 Station X (nb) 2.10 Masked Warrior 2.47 Dream On Kent 5.23 Sea Founder 4.00 Ruby’s Profit 4.37 Fox Journey 5.12 Newtown Duke
Hexham 1.42 Les’s Legacy 2.17 Obsessedwithyou 2.55 Ghasham 3.40 Perseus Way 4.10 Campaign Trail 4.42 Passengerontheship 5.17 Getaway Tobin
York 1.50 Dunkeld Dreamer 2.25 Mirabeau 3.00 Epic Poet 3.35 Red Spells Danger (nap) 4.15 Ten Clarets 4.50 Hale End 5.25 Kodiac Thriller
Uttoxeter 5.42 Tellherthename 6.12 Ladies Day 6.42 Onehundredneighty 7.12 Let’s Sail Away 7.42 Mighty Fleur 8.17 Loro White 8.53 Twist Of Fatecatch
Leicester 6.00 Duke Of Burgundy 6.30 Confernation 7.00 Lucky Camino 7.30 Obsidian Verse 8.00 Kameel 8.30 That’s Enough 9.00 Lesrico
Chester 1.35 The front-running Station X has the perfect draw against the rail and is back at his favoured six-furlong trip after being forced to share the lead from a tricky starting pitch at Carlisle last time.
York 1.50 Karl Burke’s Dunkeld Dreamer is a straightforward ride and could get her own way in front.
Chester 2.10 Masked Warrior’s gate speed and running style should be a good match for this test and William Haggas’s gelding also has form with some cut in the ground.
York 2.25 A good draw increases the chance that Mirabeau will add to his valuable win over track and trip as a juvenile.
Sandown 2.42 Lady Youmzain showed plenty of pace when finishing third in a Listed event over six furlongs last time out, and the drop back to this stiff five could be just what Kevin Ryan’s filly needs.
York 3.00 A trappy Listed event in which five of the six runners have a realistic chance, but Epic Poet has decent form over track and trip in his favour, too, including a fourth-place finish off a mark of 100 in the Ebor in August 2024.
Sandown 3.17 A first-time hood could be the key for Raammee after overexuberance blunted his chance when favourite for the Whitsun Cup over course and distance last time.
Sandown 3.55 Sticktoyourguns won over course and distance first time up last year and looks to be starting out on a fair mark.
