So the new Flat turf season 2020 is almost upon us.
I always get confused by the exact date which may be at the end of March or (I imagine) the start of April. Thankfully, unless it has changed, we will start with the Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster.
It will be the normal roll call with the likes of David Evans et al. To be fair the last few years have seen some talented juveniles. Readers will remember Ontoawinner syndicate and Show Me Show Me who won the Brocklesby Stakes a shade cosily and placed at Group 3 class at Goodwood's Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes. In fact, this son of Showcasing went on to win total prize money of £72,655.
Time will tell what this year's renewal will display.
I am always hopeful that Bill Turner will have an entrant and a horse with a touch of ability. He is one of few trainers to make a name for himself in this race with (if memory serves) six winners. The Dorset trainer has struggled to capture those dizzy heights in the last few years with two-year-olds running down the field and showing limited ability. In fact, his two-year-olds have been very poor. This is much to do with the loss of a couple of loyal patrons and in particular, E A Brooke, who won the Brocklesby with the likes of He's So Cool and Sally's Dilemma.
Bill Turner's Brocklesby winners started back in 1996 – Indian Spark.
The victories continued:
2002 – The Lord
2006 – Spoof Master
2008 – Sally's Dilemma
2011 – He's So Cool
2013 – Mick's Yer Man
As we can see, the winners have dried up over the last six years and I am not holding my breath Bill Turner will be tasting victory in the Brocklesby Stakes 2020.
Time will tell. It must be frustrating for so many smaller trainers who have proven they can train winners if only given the horse.
Good luck to Bill for the season ahead.