Total Gallery

Conceding weight to all his rivals, Total Gallery produced a solid effort to finish fifth in the Temple Stakes at Haydock last Saturday. He broke well and travelled well through the first half of the race for Jimmy Fortune, settled in behind the leading group. As the pace increased, the son of Namid came under strong pressure, but he eventually ran on again to finish three lengths behind the front four.

Total Gallery showed significant improvement as the season progressed last year. After he won a highly competitive heritage handicap at Newmarket, he went on to be placed in two Group 3 contests before he landed the Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp, becoming the first three-year-old to do so in 12 years. He rounded off the season by running a solid race to finish sixth behind Sacred Kingdom in another Group 1 in Sha Tin.

The Stan Moore-trained colt has found it tough in his first two starts this season, carrying his Group 1 penalty, but he has run with real credit on both occasions. It is worth noting that, although he won a listed race first time out last season, it took him a while to really run to his best, he built up to his Group 1 victory at Longchamp towards the end of the season. Like a lot of three-year-old sprinters, he has the profile to get better with age and he should be spot on for Ascot now. He won at Ascot before and he could go for both the King’s Stand and the Golden Jubilee, where he would not have to concede weight around as he has in both his starts this season. He is probably at his best over a stiff five or five and a half furlongs, but he would have a real chance in either or both of the Royal Ascot races. He goes there with a low enough profile after two defeats this season on his record, but Royal Ascot has been his target since the end of last season, and he could go close in one or both of the Group 1 races at a decent price as long as the ground remains on the fast side.

22nd May 2010

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