3 minute read

George Scott is looking forward to watching his unbeaten colt Bay City Roller return to the track for the first time this season in Thursday’s Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown.

A comfortable winner at the Esher venue on his debut when carrying the colours of Clive Washbourn, Bay City Roller subsequently sported the red and white silks of Victorious Racing to defy a penalty on his next outing at Chelmsford.

The striking son of New Bay took his record to a perfect three from three with a gutsy half-length success in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last autumn, leaving connections dreaming of Classic glory over the long and dark winter months.

However, with some ease in the ground essential for Bay City Roller, Scott was forced to miss potential targets of the French and Irish 2000 Guineas, while a mooted trip to France for this weekend's Prix du Jockey Club was also shelved.

Whilst the Hamilton Road-based handler certainly expects his exciting prospect to get further in time, Scott sees the one-mile Listed event at Sandown as the logical starting point to kickstart his campaign.

"It's been reasonably well-documented that we've had other targets for him," said Scott.

"But I've been very keen, especially if he was going to run in a Group 1, that he was going to run on soft ground. That's naturally soft ground as well, not watered ground. Newmarket, Ireland and France this Sunday, that just hasn't been the case.

"So, we're happy to hopefully run on good ground at Sandown on Thursday.

"I just feel he's a horse that wants to get his toe in and at this stage of the year there's just no point in taking any chances.

"He's been away a couple of times and I'm very very happy with the horse. I'm really looking forward to getting his season started. He's ready to go, he's been sitting on his hands as such for a little while now."

When asked about further plans for Bay City Roller, Scott said: "Because we're certain that ten furlongs is going to be no problem for him, I don't really want to commit to anything further down the line.

"All options are open, but he's just not going to run if there is firm in the going description. Sandown is slightly different in the fact that it will be drying back.

"When we see how he gets on this Thursday, then we can make a plan."