Dancing Magic

Dancing Magic is the other horse to take out of the Spring Cup. Weak in the market beforehand, he travelled through his race really well towards the far side. He and the winner Metal Merchant were the only two horses who were still on the bridle at the two-furlong marker but, while Metal Merchant picked up impressively, Dancing Magic's run flattened out on the run to the furlong marker, as lack of a recent run probably told. He still kept on well enough to finish sixth, with a little gap to Raadobarg in seventh.

This was a nice start to the season by Roger Teal's horse. It is remarkable that he hasn't managed to win yet, but he was highly tried as a juvenile, he finished fourth in the Autumn Stakes and in the Dewhurst, and last year as a three-year-old, he ran in the Dante at York and in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot. He had a wind operation before his final run last season, in the Balmoral Handicap on Champions' Day at Ascot, and he was gelded during the winter, and he could be set for a good campaign this term. The handicapper dropped him by 2lb for this run to a mark of 94. That looks generous, and that looks like a mark that he should be able to exploit soon. His best form is on good and good to firm ground, so he should be seen to better effect as we move into the summer, and he is effective over a mile, but he stays 10 furlongs.

Newbury, 20^th April 2024