Flame set for Newmarket test
Ed McMahon is resigned to dropping Pivotal Flame back to six furlongs for the first time this term in a bid for his smart but luckless colt to open his account for the season.
The Staffordshire trainer will saddle the three-year-old in the Listed Countrywide Steel & Tubes Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday, where he looks like taking on Wokingham winner Iffraaj.
Pivotal Flame, who finished 17th in the 2000 Guineas earlier in the season, has run some fine races in defeat, notably when third in the Hungerford Stakes and the Bunbury Cup over seven furlongs.
And having been ruled out of the William Hill Trophy (Heritage Handicap) at York on the same day, McMahon hopes his colt can finally land that elusive victory at Newmarket.
“He’s going to Newmarket,” confirmed McMahon. “He can’t run at York as he’s rated 106 and it’s a 0-105 handicap.
“He’s been put up 6lb for his Newbury run so that’s 11lb he’s gone up without winning a race.
“These heritage handicaps are few and far between so we have to run him in Group races for some prize money, but of course you are taking on better horses.
“He won over six furlongs as a two-year-old and then we trained him for the 2000 Guineas over a mile so we just have to hope that he’s retained his dash.
“It may not be the ideal race for him but at least the stiff six at Newmarket should help him.”
