Discovery Bay

Despite being beaten nearly three lengths, Discovery Bay was one of the most unlucky losers of the three days at York last week.

Well backed just before the off, Brian Ellison’s horse travelled really well the whole way, he was still going really strongly all the way up the home straight but was blocked in his run three times before Silvestre De Sousa finally accepted the situation and allowed him to coast home. He could just never get out of trouble, every time De Sousa tried to angle him in a different direction he ran into a dead end, and he was beaten just two and a half lengths, appearing to finish full of running.

The five-year-old was really progressive over hurdles this spring having joined Ellison from Charlie Swan, he has an official rating over hurdles of 130, and he remains potentially a really well-handicapped horse on the flat now for his new stable on a mark of 71. Although Charlie Swan tended to avoid soft ground with him, he went well on testing ground over hurdles at Wetherby in March, travelling really strongly on ground rated as heavy by Timeform. That said, he is by Dansili, so it is possible that he could be even better on a quicker surface.

The handicapper has left him on his mark of 71 after his York effort, and he is dangerously-handicapped on that mark.

15th May 2013