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| Reck-ing Crew - Unbeaten Reckless Abandon returns in Saturday's Temple Stakes |
It is domestically that we stay for this preview though, and the 5f contest that is the Temple Stakes at Haydock, part of the British Champions Series.
Won impressively last year by Bated Breath and one for the real speed merchants out there this year’s renewal has a couple of interesting angles to it but doesn’t exactly look a vintage running.
That said I’m particularly excited for this year’s Temple Stakes as it looks set to be the three-year-old debut of one of my favourite juveniles from last season Reckless Abandon.
Still unbeaten after five starts at two, the Clive Cox colt has two Group 2s and two Group 1s to his name thus far, the form of which all reads very well.
Before the winter he was towards the head of the market for the 2000 Guineas and connections’ decision to swerve the first classic of the season with him seems to suggest they know exactly what they have here, and that is a very fast horse.
He broke his maiden over 5f at Doncaster then took minimum distance contests at Royal Ascot and in France before stepping up to 6f to land the Prix Morny and the Middle Park at Newmarket on his final start of 2012.
Darley have bought a controlling interest in the horse for future stud rights and the decision to campaign him as a sprinter is definitely an interesting one. With somewhat of a gap in the market so to speak, the stage is set for a new domestic sprinting superstar to emerge and I really hope Reckless Abandon can play that role.
Even if he doesn’t end up being the next big thing I do think he will be too good and too quick, especially getting weight – albeit not a lot, for the older horses here.
That said, Reckless Abandon certainly won’t have it all his own way though and in Eddie Lynam’s Sole Power he faces one of the most consistent Group level sprinters in the world.
Sole Power was second in this last year behind Bated Breath and hardly ever runs a bad race. He showed the fire still burns brightly when taking the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket in impressive style and he’ll relish good, quick ground.
It may not end up being quite as quick as ideal for him but if he can get a good tow in to the race, which he should do with several known early speed merchants in the field, he could be very dangerous.
Pearl Secret was unbeaten until his attempt at the Nunthorpe last year and although he was far from disgraced in that he was never on terms and will need to prove he can mix it with the big boys.
He missed his intended return run at the eleventh hour, but David Barron’s declarations that this is the quickest horse he’s ever trained should not be ignored and it would be no surprise to see him run well.
Maarek is a talented sprinter that has progressed through the ranks but really thrives in the mud. He’s unlikely to get his ground on Saturday though and although not far away in the Duke Of York last week you’d think he would have been more dangerous on the Knavesmire than at Haydock given the surface.
Of the rest, Mince is now not going to run it would seem, the old boy Kingsgate Native looked as good as ever when second to Sole Power at Newmarket and could run well, Spirit Quartz was third in this last year and has too been consistent at the top level so at around 12/1 could reward each-way punters and it would be dangerous to rule out the rapid Tangerine Trees at a bigger price.
For me though, although Sole Power is very much respected and feared most and I am scared to be going against Pearl Secret as I still don’t think we’ve truly seen what that one can do it’s Reckless Abandon that gets the vote.
The old cliché is that you should keep backing an unbeaten horse and though very green on his first few runs, Reckless Abandon is not just still unbeaten he seemed to improve with every run last season.
His stamina may have been stretched a little too far at a mile, but the decision to miss a classic in favour of a sprint campaign to me would suggest that this horse could become a sprinting superstar this season, and if he’s to do that he needs to be winning races like this and in my opinion will.
Temple Stakes – Selected Best Odds:
Sole Power 7/2
Reckless Abandon 9/2
Pearl Secret 7/1
Maarek 10/1
Mince 10/1
Swiss Spirit 10/1
Spirit Quartz 12/1
Kingsgate Native 16/1
Ballista 20/1
Morawij 20/1
Masamah 25/1
Tangerine Trees 25/1
Doc Hay 33/1
Elusivity 33/1
Humidor 33/1
Ballesteros 40/1
Recommendation:
1pt win Reckless Abandon @ 9/2 (William Hill)
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