Toronado to prove best at middle distances

Toronado to prove best at middle distances

AS A NEW generation of three-year-olds prepares to lock horns over Newmarket’s Rowley Mile, the six-from-six unbeaten dual Group 1 winner Dawn Approach, by New Approach out of a Phone Trick mare, holds strong claims for his handler Jim Bolger, with the right blend of speed and stamina for this race.

Richard Hannon’s unbeaten High Chaparral colt and Group 2 winner Toronado was a fine winner of the Craven Stakes on his reappearance this season from his stablemate Havana Gold, replicating his win in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last term, from the front. He moved to second favourite for the Guineas on the back of his Craven performance, but with a Dosage index of 0.89 he looks certain to improve for middle distances.

The prepotent stamina influences evident in the Sadler’s Wells  tail-male line (through High Chaparral) in addition to Shirley Heights through Darshaan in the top half of Toronado’s pedigree (dam side of High Chaparral’s) gives him what he needs in terms of stamina attributes for 10 and 12 furlongs. The influence of Toronado’s dam sire Grand Slam is not prepotent and therefore should be overridden by those contributing stallions, in terms of stamina aptitude, in the top half of Toronado’s pedigree.

The colt is consequently worth backing for the Derby at available odds ahead of an expected good showing in the Guineas (at a trip below his optimum), but we should probably stick with Bolger’s ante-post Guineas favourite for the 2,000 Guineas itself.

                                         Fine middle-distance prospect Toronado should

                                                                     catch the eye at Guineas trip

c S E Miller 2013