Sandown Setback for Dancing Gemini as Teal Plots Mile Return
In the aftermath of Dancing Gemini’s disappointing run in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, trainer Roger Teal is keen to drop the colt back to a mile in search of a confidence-boosting performance. The talented runner had finished a promising second in the French 2000 Guineas on his seasonal reappearance before an admirable effort behind City Of Troy in the Epsom Derby.
However, the move up to 10 furlongs at Sandown failed to pay dividends, with Dancing Gemini finishing last of the six runners as City Of Troy once again prevailed. Teal believes the soft ground conditions at the Surrey track proved the undoing of his stable star, who was travelling powerfully before failing to pick up when the pressure was applied.
“I think he struggled on the ground and he travelled really strong, it was just when Kieran (Shoemark, jockey) thought he was going to pick up, he just couldn’t and his stride shortened,” Teal explained. “I would love to run this horse on better ground and I was concerned in the morning because of the amount of rain they had. I know what that hill is like at Sandown, it stops trains.”
With the Coral-Eclipse proving a disappointing outing, Teal is now keen to drop Dancing Gemini back to a mile and potentially seek out a confidence-boosting victory at a slightly lower level. The Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood on August 2 is on the trainer’s radar as a potential next target for the colt.
“I would like to drop back to a mile and regroup,” Teal continued. “We’re just going to monitor him over the next week or so and make sure we are happy with him and then maybe step back to a mile next time. I think we will lower our sights a little bit, get a confidence-booster into him and get him back on track.”
With the Goodwood festival just around the corner, the Horse Racing News community will be keen to see if Dancing Gemini can recapture the form that saw him challenge for Classic glory earlier in the season.
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