BoyleSports Lockinge Stakes Tips: Roger Teale Bullish On Dancing Gemini

Roger Teal is quietly daring to dream of BoyleSports Lockinge Stakes glory with his improving four-year-old, Dancing Gemini. After a tough but promising run in last year’s Derby, the horse has come into his own this season, with two impressive victories under his belt. Teal sees a different horse this year – stronger, more mature, and ready for a shot at the big time.

Despite stiff competition from top contenders like Rosallion and Notable Speech, Teal is optimistic about Dancing Gemini’s chances. Victory would be a huge achievement for his small team. But for now, it’s all about letting his horse take his chance and hoping for a bit of Lockinge magic.

Here are Roger Teal’s thoughts ahead of the big race that is scheduled for 2.35 pm on Saturday, May 17th.

Why Dancing Gemini Is Giving Roger Teal Reason To Dream of BoyleSports Lockinge Stakes Glory

He was sixth in the Derby last year after finishing second in the French Guineas.

He was drawn out wide and ended up being last almost the whole way around which is where we didn't want to be. Then obviously was badly positioned turning for home and ended up going wider than we wanted to be. The ground was pretty soft the day before and we ended up coming down that path on the worst ground.

He made up a lot of ground up in the home straight but as soon as he got to the furlong pole he started to run out of gas. He got into about third position and we thought he was going to be placed and then in the last hundred yards his stamina just waned. He still ran a cracker but you always want to be closer don't you?

The difference in him now as a four-year-old is incredible. He was always probably what you call a late developer, quite weak. Now he's levelled off and filled his frame. He's not a very tall horse, but he's really filled his frame. He's got a great top line on him, a lot of muscle, and a good neck on him now. He's matured nicely.

We are daring to dream! It's a nice place to be, it's nice pressure to have, I think.

The way he's won his last two races this year, and in the style that he's won, you've got to let him take his chance.

*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

Dancing Gemini’s Biggest Lockinge Rivals

We’re going to come up against top-class horses like Rosallion, and Notable Speech. But they’ve got to show him a lot of respect as well. You always worry about the opposition, but I think sometimes you just have to worry about your own horse and see.

But he deserves to take his place.

*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

Lockinge Glory Would Be Huge for Our Small Team – I’ll Be Gunning for That BoyleSports Handshake

It would just be a massive achievement for the whole team. Meg that rides him out, Pat who looks after him and all the other lads and lasses in the yard that play their part, my wife Sue.

We all work very hard, and it would just be the icing on the cake if we could go and bag the Lockinge. It would mean so much to everyone and believe you me we would appreciate it!

It’s very kind of BoyleSports to sponsor the race. Lots of betting companies now are throwing their hat into good sponsorship and it's helping a lot. BoyleSports have really come forth for this one and hopefully I can be shaking the director’s hand on the day.

All we've got to do is just mind our own business, do what we do, and then hopefully, if Gemini can turn up in the same form as he has the last couple of times, then we'll have a good day.

We’ll see how he runs on the day. Like I said, if we can keep him in the same form that we have so far, then obviously, Ascot will be definitely next in line.

*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

Making a Mark and Hoping It Matters – The Ongoing Owner Challenge

He hasn't! I don't know what you have to do in this game to attract new owners in, but all you can do is keep putting yourself in the shop window and hopefully one day someone will say, ‘Let's go and let's give this guy a chance.’

I've got my loyal long-standing owners who are marvellous and have supported me year in, year out.

As to getting the big money owners, no, we haven't attracted any of them yet.

We made a decent start last year, but it just went wrong mid-summer.

The horses are in good health. They've been in great form and they look really well in themselves as well.

It’s a combination of a few tweaks here and there. The main thing is making sure we have a decent batch of hay. That’s important.

We had a wrong batch of hay last year which had low protein. We didn’t realise at the time. It was only when we had it analysed that we discovered the issue. We did lots of tests on different things to find out what was going wrong.

The horses weren't running badly. They were getting placed. It wasn't like they were running out the back of the TV, but it was just hard to get winners. Those little extras that you need. So, they have a little bit more protein in their diet. That’s the main thing we've done differently this year.

Sum Thing Special: The Hilarious Reason One of Roger Teal’s Horses Is Named a Horse After Carol Vorderman

We have around 40 in the yard at the moment and we've got a couple more coming in. I've only got a couple of jumpers, one of them is called Vorderman. He’s won at Fontwell before and was second last there at Plumpton.

Funny enough, he is named after Carol Vorderman. It was all to do with Chipstead, when we got disqualified from winning the Portland at Doncaster on appeal.

They analysed the race and said mathematically the interference cost the second horse trained by Jim Goldie something like 21 seconds.

I said you’d have to be Carol Vorderman to work that out. One of the owners of Chipstead was on Instagram and messaged Carol. She messaged back and then they got talking. The horse is by Study Of Man, so we were out to dinner and thinking of a name that had ‘Man’ in it.

I suggested Vorderman.

*Prices are subject to fluctuation.

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