Ian Aylward put a newcomer to his kennel through its paces for the first time in a solo trial at Sunderland on Saturday and was very pleased with the result. Baliff Ray, a 2012 son of Ace Hi Rumble and Uptown Hawk, posted a 27.36 for the 450 metres, a time that would have put him in the frame for a crack at the William Hill Classic at the UK Festival of Racing on Wearside next month.
But his trainer revealed that the target will, in fact, be the William Hill Grand Prix over six bends. He said: “I was very pleased with that. He hasn’t run since last month, he has only been with us a few weeks and that was his first look at Sunderland so it was very promising.
“An old friend of mine Paul Tonyharms asked me to buy him a dog and we sourced this as out for him and he was bought with the Grand Prix in mind. He is just two and a half years old and should be coming to his prime and he was flying in Ireland before he joined us.
“He will have a trial at Belle Vue this week and then he will go back up to Sunderland the week after for another look round there.”
Called Uptown Rumble in Ireland, he was very lightly raced, but won four of his nine starts, the last a victory in a Shelbourne open where he clocked 31.04 for the 526 metres, just three spots off the fastest of the year.
