UK: Time Medicean To Defend Grey Horse Hcp

Wednesday, 15 August 2012: Newmarket stages the Blue Square Bet Grey Horse Handicap this Saturday, August 18, the only race of the season in Britain restricted to horses who are registered grey and aged three and above.

The six-furlong contest on the July Course was first run in 2003 and was won in great fashion last year by Tony Carroll's Time Medicean, who heads 21 entries for the 2012 renewal after an impressive success at Goodwood on July 31.

Carroll, based in Worcestershire, said: "Time Medicean is likely to run in the Blue Square Bet Grey Horse Handicap. He has been fine since Goodwood and there have been no problems with him.

"I was very pleased with his win at Goodwood. They went very fast in front and he was able pick them up.

"He should put in another good performance at Newmarket but you need all on the luck on the day with him as he needs to be held up.

"If Raul Da Silva is at Newmarket I would think he will ride.

"I think the Blue Square Bet Grey Horse Handicap is a very popular with the public and is a very good concept."

The entries also include 2010 victor Witchry, who has run in the past four renewals of the Blue Square Bet Grey Horse Handicap, and Red Avalanche - both trained by Tony Newcombe, who also won the race in 2004 and 2005 with Middleton Grey.

Henry Candy's Dream Catcher could chase a hat-trick after comfortable victories at Windsor and Pontefract, while Richard Guest could be represented by recent Leicester winner Rylee Mooch.

Jeremy Gask has two possible runners including the consistent four-year-old Speightstown Kid, who finished second at Kempton on July 4, beaten half a length.