Might be too premature to write off Gallant Lion – see you at Epsom!

September 28

We are experiencing a relatively quiet farewell to what has been an awfully wet September, but, while it has proved expensive following Gallant Lion this summer, maybe we should give him another chance in Sunday’s Apprentice Derby at Epsom, where Alan has booked Brandon Wilkie to ride.

Transferred from Tony Carroll’s yard in the spring, Gallant Lion showed plenty of promise when finishing third at Newbury on his first run for Barbury at the Greenham meeting in April, so much so that it is hard to believe that he has still to win for us in four subsequent outings.

However, Gallant Lion had no luck in running whatsoever in his next two races, back at Newbury and, in particular, at Sandown, and, apart from disappointing at Carlisle, where he wasn’t beaten that far anyway, Gallant Lion can also be forgiven for trailing in eighth of nine in his last race at Chester – such a tight track that it is often ‘curtains’ if you miss the break on the Roodee – so, being only two lengths off finishing in the money at the line suggests it was not too below-par a run.

There are so many of our racecourses whose ground is heavy after the recent deluge, but, while doubtless Alan will have one eye on the weather charts next week, he has Nap Hand entered both on grass at Nottingham and the polytrack at Kempton on Wednesday, so keep an eye out for him if he is declared.

Nap Hand was a good winner at Haydock three weeks ago and is only 3lb higher, but he has also run well on an artificial surface so should he head to Kempton instead of Colwick Park he still ought to be considered.