Teal encouraged by Dancing Gemini’s Ascot effort

Molly Hunter
October 21, 2024 4:57 pm

Trainer delighted after ‘solid’ run when fourth in the QEII.

Roger Teal is buoyed by Dancing Gemini’s fourth-placed run when returning to Group One company in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.

The Camelot colt started his season at the same grade at ParisLongchamp, where he was the runner-up when beaten only half a length in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains.

Subsequent runs in the Derby and Eclipse saw him finish sixth both times, after which a step down to Group Three class resulted in a fifth-placed finish in the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood.

Teal felt the latter run was an unreliable reflection of the bay’s ability and that theory was proved to be true when he lined up at Ascot as a 50-1 chance under Tom Marquand on Saturday.

On soft ground the three-year-old finished fourth in an admirable run that stands him in good stead for his next outing, whether that be later this season or next year.

The Betfred Derby Festival – Derby Day – Epsom Downs Racecourse — Dancing Gemini heading to post for the Derby (Bradley Collyer/PA)

“He ran a lovely race to get us back on track, it was a solid run in a very classy field,” said Teal.

“I was delighted with him. Now it’s all a bit up in the air at the moment, there are no firms plans. I’ll have to speak to his owner and see how he comes out of the race and then we’ll decide if we want to look for something else or put him away until next year.

“He took the race very well, he settled much better and Tom might have ridden him a bit more forward if he’d known he was going to settle so well.

“He was just too keen the previous time, it was a very solid run and it was really nice to see him back on track.”

Teal considers the horse to have developed physically throughout the season and is looking forward to seeing how he returns to the yard with a winter break under his belt.

Betfred Derby Festival Gallops Morning – Epsom Downs Racecourse — Dancing Gemini working on the track at Epsom ahead of the Derby (John Walton/PA)

“I think he’ll probably get a mile and a quarter next year, he’s still maturing, still growing,” he said.

“He looks better now than he did at the start of the season, he’s put on a bit of weight and there’s much more about him than there was.

“I think he’s a horse that has just taken a while to come to hand. Physically he’s looking much better and when he’s found his full strength, he will probably get a mile and a quarter.

“To be fair to the horse, apart from Goodwood he hasn’t had a chance on better ground and he just boiled over that day. He was keen to post and keen in the race, he got very worked up so it wasn’t a race to judge him on.

“I’d like to see him on a bit of decent ground because he tends to have run in the mud, so it’s hard to get a true guide on him.

“I said to David (Fish, owner) when we were going to meet him in the winners’ enclosure ‘we’ll come back next year and win that!’.”