Berk really is nobody's fool

13 April 2012

Paul D'Arcy knows what makes a horse tick. He should do because he was one of the top work riders at Newmarket until turning to training. And he knew as soon as he sat on Berk The Jerk at his High Havens stables at Headquarters that the colt, who runs in tomorrow's Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes over five furlongs at Ascot, was special.

Darcy, one of Sir Michael Stoute's "test pilots" following spells with trainers Sir Mark Prescott, Harry Thomson Jones and the late Paul Kelleway, is hoping Berk The Jerk can gain compensation for an unlucky run in York's Flying Childers Stakes.

The colt got into all sorts of trouble early on in that race - his second since being transferred to D'Arcy from handler Mark Tompkins - but finished strongly to take third place behind Saddad and Swiss Lake.

Before the stable switch, the unkindly named juvenile had won a maiden event in impressive style at Windsor and a Listed race at Sandown. D'Arcy, who also owns the Newmarket Equine Swimming Pool, has booked Pat Eddery for the ride.

On a televised Ascot card bristling with good races, D'Arcy's former employer Stoute can follow him into the winner's enclosure with Lilium in another Group 3, the Princess Royal Stakes over a mile-and-a-half, the distance at which her famous father, the 1989 Epsom Derby hero Nashwan, shone.

The filly turned a Listed race over course and distance here last time into a procession, beating Isadora, who should be in opposition again, by no less than five lengths. Provided Lilium acts as well on easier ground than she had on that occasion, she has a great chance of following-up.

James Given, the vetturned trainer, has had a tremendous run with Jessica's Dream and the filly just seems to go from strength to strength despite a busy season which has seen her score five times.

The Tote Trifecta Handicap over the minimum trip can see her go in again on underfoot conditions which will not worry her. After she won her maiden at Newcastle, she added competitive handicaps at Ripon, York and Sandown to her tally. She blipped a little in the 'Portland' where she raced wide, but put up an excellent display when seventh to Continent in Ayr Gold Cup. As a result of her latest victory at Ascot she has been raised 7lb, yet autumn is the time for improving fillies.

Henry Cecil's string is coming back to form slowly but surely, yet too late for the Warren Place maestro to play catch-up to any great degree. However, Quebec could show more than he has done to date in York's mileandthree-quarters handicap.

In the following Listed Rockingham Stakes, Prism appeals.

The Mark Tregoning filly limbered up for this with a victory at Salisbury recently under Martin Dwyer, who has struck up a winning run for the trainer on the horses not owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum. Prism was not all out for her last success and there is more to come.

In the mile-and-a-furlong Schroders Handicap John Dunlop's filly Riverina can shine again after her win in a Thirsk maiden way back in May. The chestnut daughter of Irish River has not run since but there have been good reports of her coming from Arundel.

Tomorrow's tips -

Ascot: 2.30, Berk The Jerk; 3.00 Lilium; 3.35 Jessica's Dream; York: 2.40, Quebec; 3.10 Prism; 3.40 Riverina; 4.15 Polar Kingdom; 4.45 Indaba.

Berk really is nobody's fool

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