We send one runner down to Dunstall Park on Monday when Sparkle In His Eye will contest the 0-55 handicap over the extended one mile and one furlong at 5.30.pm, with Billy Garritty retaining the ride.
Sparkle In His Eye joined us from France in the spring and made an encouraging stable debut over this course and distance when finishing a staying on fourth in May. After finishing down the field at Newcastle three weeks later he sustained a shoulder injury which kept him off the track until finishing last back at Wolverhampton in October. His latest appearance also over this course and distance 23 days ago was a big step back in the right direction when finishing a staying on seventh, beaten by three and three quarter lengths, he can now race from a 7lb lower mark than from his stable debut back in May, and he has a handy draw in stall three.
Good luck to the connections, Samuel Sutton.
SPARKLE IN HIS EYE. 13 April 2016. Sea The Stars-Nyarhini. Owner-Samuel Sutton.
Sparkle In His Eye started his racing career in Newmarket, before moving to France, where he raced out of four different yards, and all over the course of just 13 runs. Sparkle In His Eye is out of a Fantastic Light mare who only raced on five occasions between 2005-2006, winning her maiden at Lingfield, and going on to record an official rating of 95. As a broodmare she has been busy producing eight offspring, including the 108 rated mare Token Of Love. One of Sparkle In His Eyes half brothers is the 127 rated winning hurdler Medalla De Oro.
Sparkle In His Eye started his career in January 2019 at Newcastle, racing from the yard of William Haggas, making a promising debut when finishing second, with improvement on the cards, which came to fruition at the same venue 17 days later when getting off the mark in style over a mile, and earning a Racing Post Rating of 78. His first run on grass was at Windsor in May, and although finishing in third, he bettered his first too efforts in a hot novices stakes. He next made his handicap debut from a mark of 82 at Sandown, finishing in fourth place, beaten by five lengths.At Chester in June in first time cheek pieces he could only manage sixth, with the jockey reporting that he hung right handed throughout. His final start for the Haggas yard was in July when he was sent over to Deaville, where he went off the 8/5 favourite, coming home by a decisive length, to record his second career win.
Sparkle In His Eye would next appear in August at Le Lion-D'Angers, and now in the care of Madame Pia Brandt. Over 10 furlongs on a good to soft surface he was beaten by eight lengths. 19 days later he ran at Compiegne when stepped up to 14 furlongs, but trailed in last of the five. His next start was at Deauville 37 days later, having changed stables to Andrea Marcialis, back at the extended nine furlong trip, he finished 10th, but beaten only five and a quarter lengths.His one other run for that yard was at Lyon-La Soie over 11 furlongs, where he came home in sixth place, beaten by 11 lengths. In January 2020 he had his one start for the yard of F. Vermeulen, at Marseille Pont-de-Vivaux, trailing in last of the 10 runners. After a break he returned in September of last year at Saint-Cloud, and now running from the yard of Eliass Mascalino, he went down by four and a half lengths, over one mile. His latest run to date was also in September, this time at Lyon-La Soie, where he stepped back up to 11 furlongs, but was eased down when beaten, coming in 11 lengths behind the winner.
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