George Scott hoping to test Watch My Tracer at Newmarket after dropping out of Goodwood race
- Planet Sport writer
- 9 August 2023
Soft ground meant Watch My Tracer's team decided against sending her out at Goodwood but trainer George Scott is confident Newmarket will be more amenable.
George Scott is readying Watch My Tracer for a valuable sales race at Newmarket after soft ground scuppered an intended outing at Goodwood last week.
The Dandy Man gelding was a winner on debut at Yarmouth in May and ran a creditable race to finish just under five lengths behind the unbeaten River Tiber when seventh in the Coventry at Royal Ascot.
He got back on the winning trail with a three-length success at Windsor last month and Scott had been targeting the Group Two Richmond Stakes at Goodwood before conditions went against him.
Watch My Tracer holds an entry in the Gimcrack Stakes at York on August 25, but is more likely to head to the July Course the following afternoon for the Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes, a six-furlong contest worth £100,000 to the winner.
"We took him out of Goodwood on account of the ground. I think he'd have been OK with some rain, but it was almost specialist conditions," Scott said.
"He's a gelding so we'll go to the Tattersalls sales race, which is two weeks on Saturday, and he can hopefully go on to the Mill Reef after that.
"He's a nice horse, he keeps improving at home as well.
"Ascot came too soon for him really and we feel the best is yet to come."
The trainer added: "He's quite an exciting horse and I think the sales race will be a very sensible step for him as the Gimcrack is going to be particularly hot.
"With such good money on offer in that sales race, it's going to be a good stepping stone back into stakes company."
The grey has both a long stride and a good turn of foot, meaning his limitations with regards to trip are not immediately obvious from his efforts so far.
"It's hard to know with regards to his trip. He's not just visually long-striding, he's clocking a big stride length relative to other horses," Scott went on.
"If you gave me an option I'd rather an easy six furlongs than a stiff six because he's got plenty of pace, hence why I was always wanting to go to Goodwood with him."
Scott believes he has another promising juvenile on his hands in Piz Nair, a Bated Breath colt who won the second division of the same Windsor novice that Watch My Tracer landed in mid-July.
A move into Group-race company is now on the agenda, with the Acomb Stakes at York identified as a suitable target.
"I'm pleased with how he's working in the morning, I'm really considering the Acomb for him," said Scott.
"He's doing very well physically and he's got a lovely pedigree - he's out of a winning Galileo mare and he should just keep improving.
"If he sticks his hand up in the next couple of weeks we'll go for the Acomb, but if there's any sign that he's not ready for that then we'll run in another novice and look to step into that company further down the line."
The Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September was mentioned as a long-term objective after Piz Nair's Windsor win and that Group Two contest remains on Scott's radar.
"He's got a bit of racing to do before we make a plan on that but I think he's a nice horse," he said.
"It would be lovely to think we could put him away for the winter and dream of some nice races next year. I don't want to get carried away but I do quite like him."
