Spencer taking aim the Derby with Curtain Call
Filed Under Shower Curtain | Posted on May 30, 2008
Normally on these occasions ‘gallop’ is a misnomer for something more sedate. Though he may have negotiated Epsom’s camber at a pace that wouldn’t have thrown a three-legged giraffe off balance, Curtain Call and his lead horse did a serious enough bit of work over the last three furlongs for pulling up before they ran out of grass to be an issue.
The colt is, according to Jamie Spencer, so nimble he would be showjumping if he were not running in the Derby. “I haven’t fallen off him, but I’ve been round his neck on a few occasions,” he admitted.
So far Spencer’s record in the race has not developed into the monkey that used to piggy-back a ride with Frankie Dettori until Authorized came along last year. His four rides have resulted in a respectable third (Moon Ballad), a fourth (Fracas) and fifth (Balestrini) and only one (Meath) was far enough behind for the distance to be measured in terms of open-top bus lengths.
It might worry some of Curtain Call’s fans that Spencer’s signature ride is to come from last to first inside the final furlong. “I’ll do what Luca says,” he assured. “He gives a good set of instructions. A lot of the boys will be afraid they won’t get the trip, so I can afford to be a bit more aggressive on him.”
Tags: balestrini, ballad, camber, colt, curta, curtain, curtain call, epsom, final furlong, fracas, frankie dettori, furlongs, gallop, giraffe, grass, meath, misnomer, monkey, occasions, signature, spence, spencer, taking aimRelated posts
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