Oasis Dancer

Oasis Dancer looked good in winning what may prove to be a good one-mile handicap at Newmarket on Saturday. Sent to the front from flagfall by Jim Crowley, and racing more or less on his own out in the centre of the track, he travelled well throughout, kicked from the front going down into the Dip and came clear impressively, putting the race to bed before they had passed the furlong pole.

This is a race that has been won in the past by subsequent Group 1 winner Notnowcato and, while Oasis Dancer has to go some way to be that good, he is a progressive individual and he could prove to be a fair bit better than a handicapper. A 66/1 winner of the big sales race, the Tattersalls Timeform Million, at Newmarket last October, he had previously chased Workforce home in a maiden, the only race in which Michael Stoute's highly-touted colt (as short as 6/1 second favourite for the Derby in places) has raced to date, the Ralph Beckett-trained colt made a pleasing debut behind Meezaan in what looked beforehand like a good three-year-old handicap at Newbury in April, but this was a big step up on that.

He has raced only five times in his life, and he can progress again from this now. He is a galloper, he is probably going to be at his best on a wide galloping track where he can use his stride. The handicapper raised him 9lb to a mark of 102 for this, which may leave him just too high for the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot. Handicaps may be a thing of the past for him now anyway, he should be well up to listed race standard at least.

1st May 2010

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