Popular sprinter Take Cover will attempt to add further gloss on his exceptional CV by winning the totescoop6 Beverley Bullet on Saturday.
The 10-year-old gelding has been a wonderful servant for South Yorkshire trainer David Griffiths, for whom he has won 11 races and earned over £546,000 in prize-money.
Take Cover has surprisingly never raced at Beverley and also makes a swift return to action, having finished last in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday.
Griffiths is unfazed by the quick turnaround, though, and cannot wait to see the dual Group Two winner test his powers in the £50,000 Beverley Bullet over five furlongs.
He said: “All being well, we’ll be going to Beverley for the Bullet.
“The Nunthorpe didn’t go to plan as he was in the stalls too long before the race and that was that, really.
“The ground wasn’t brilliant that day, either, so that didn’t help, but he hardly had a race at York and is fresh and well.
“He’s not run at Beverley before, but he’s worked there in the past so at least he has an idea about how to handle the track.
“We couldn’t go to Beverley for the Bullet last year as he won a Group Two, but he doesn’t have a penalty this season and we go there optimistic of a big run.”
The totescoop6 Beverley Bullet has become an established staging post towards the Group One Prix de l’Abbaye at Chantilly.
Tangerine Trees did the double in 2011 but Take Cover is unlikely to follow suit. He will, however, be campaigned at a very high level throughout the autumn.
Griffiths added:
“After Beverley, we’ll probably look at going to the Flying Five at the Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend.
“There’s also a Group Three at Newbury (Dubai International Airport World Trophy) that he was placed in a few years ago and he could run there, too.
“We’ve still got plenty of options so hopefully he will have a good autumn.”
Take Cover won a Listed sprint at York in July, when potential Bullet rivals Final Venture, Judicial and Ornate finished upwards of half a length in arrears of the son of Singspiel.
He is as low as 5-1 in the betting for the Beverley Bullet, with the Richard Fahey-trained Kimberella the general ante-post favourite.
The going for Beverley Bullet day is currently good to firm, with watering taking place to preserve conditions.
A mainly dry week with sunny spells has been forecast in the build-up to the most keenly anticipated raceday of the Beverley season.
TOTESCOOP6 BEVERLEY BULLET – THE LAST 10 WINNERS
2007 Hellvelyn Ted Durcan/Bryan Smart
2008 Look Busy Slade O’Hara/Alan Berry
2009 Exceptional Art Franny Norton/David Nicholls
2010 Mister Hughie Sam Hitchcott/Mick Channon
2011 Tangerine Trees Tom Eaves/Bryan Smart
2012 Borderlescott Frederik Tylicki/Robin Bastiman
2013 Stepper Point Martin Dwyer/William Muir
2014 Pearl Secret Jamie Spencer/David Barron
2015 Maarek Jamie Spencer/Evanna McCutcheon
2016 Alpha Delphini Connor Beasley/Bryan Smart
