Haydock preview: Superior chance for Gemini to regain winning thread

Roger Teal is dropping Dancing Gemini in grade in the hope his high-class performer can enjoy a confidence-boosting run in the Betfair Backs Opinions Superior Mile at Haydock on Saturday.

A creditable fourth in the Lockinge at Newbury in May, the five-year-old has struggled in a couple of big races over a mile and a quarter since, finishing fifth in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and then last of five in the York Stakes.

However, the Classic-placed son of Camelot has – on paper at least – less on his plate as he reverts to a mile in Merseyside and while Teal admits the forecast heavy ground is “not ideal” for his stable star, he looks set to take his chance.

“I’ve spoken to the owner and we haven’t got many options left, so we’re probably going to roll the dice,” said the Lambourn handler.

“He’s run in testing conditions before and it’s not like he doesn’t go on soft ground, he’d just be better with a little bit of life in it.

“He’s working well and looks fantastic and his weight is great, so everything else is good and if the ground was reasonable you’d have to be pretty confident of a good run. Hopefully he can go and run well and get a bit of confidence back.

“It’s just a shame we’ve had all this rain, but I won’t be the only one disappointed and you can’t control the weather as they say.

“There’s few opportunities around, especially at this time of year, so we’re probably going to have to roll our sleeves up and have a go.”

The Marco Botti-trained Colori Forever will step out of his own age group for what will be the toughest assignment of his career so far.

He was out of luck in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot after encountering trouble in running, but fared better when second in a Listed race at Newmarket last time.

Botti said: “He’s taking on some higher-rated horses and this is probably the toughest race he has faced, but we think he is ready for that.

“He is a horse we have held in high regard all season. When he went to Royal Ascot in the Jersey he didn’t have a clear run. Things didn’t go his way, but then it was a solid run at Newmarket and he has been in great form.

“That was the first time we’d run over a mile, a stiff mile, and he saw the trip out really well so a mile with a bend shouldn’t be an issue.”

Other contenders for the Group Three contest include the William Haggas-trained NeedleMatch, who ran an eyecatching race in Ireland last month on his first start since the 2000 Guineas, and Richard Hannon’s Persica.

A clutch of talented juveniles go to post for the Listed Betfair Celebrates Bow Echo Ascendant Stakes – which as the name suggests – was won 12 months ago by this year’s 2000 Guineas hero.

Charlie Appleby’s Sandown maiden winner First Law is likely to be popular and the Moulton Paddocks handler told the Godolphin website: “It was a pleasing debut from First Law and he has come on a lot for the experience. I don’t see softer underfoot conditions as a negative and this has proven a nice race to win in the past.

“It will hopefully help us map out where we are going for the rest of the season and into his three-year-old campaign.”

The biggest threat to the Appleby runner could be Botti’s Rocket Boy, who proved his winning debut at Yarmouth was no fluke by finishing a close-up third at Listed level in the Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury three and a half weeks ago.

“It was a good run in the Stonehenge – he stayed the trip and he got a mile fine,” Botti added.

“He’s in good form and I thought it was a solid run at Salisbury, even in defeat. It was a good race and he was doing his best in the final furlong and it suggested that is his trip, so hopefully he has solid chance.

“He’s a nice horse and he has the right attitude. He’s by Soldier’s Call and he definitely showed his stamina on the dam’s side. To me he is more a miler than a sprinter, that is where we want to campaign him and this looks a nice stepping-stone of where to go next.”