Portman Still No Wiser Over Danvers

The Jonathan Portman trained Mrs Danvers (GB) (Hellvelyn {GB}) was one of the success stories of the 2016 British flat season, winning each of her five starts for prize-money just shy of £200,000. This year however is proving most frustrating for Portman as he tries to get to the bottom of an issue that has kept the filly sidelined since her tame comeback at Chantilly in April when she finished sixth in the G3 Prix Sigy. “She hasn't been 100 per cent sound since she came back from France and currently we are still looking for a diagnosis. We are still doing research, but we are unable to make plans unfortunately,” said the Lambourn trainer. Mrs Danvers exceeded expectations last year having been bought back for only £1,000 as a 2-year-old at the Tattersalls Ireland Ascot Sale in February 2016. She won her first two starts in clear cut fashion before giving her multitude of syndicate owners a nice payday when winning the £250,000 Weatherbys Super Sprint. She then added significant value to herself as a future broodmare when winning a listed race at Newbury before signing off the year with a victory in the G3 Cornwallis S. at Newmarket. That win prompted dreams of Royal Ascot and the G1 Commonwealth Cup for connections but her current condition has now ruled out any such thoughts. “There isn't much for her until July anyway. I had hoped to take her to Haydock for the [G2] Temple Stakes and now she won't be ready for anything in June. I've got 110 owners who want to know what is going on with her and it's quite embarrassing for me to tell them I don't know, but we're leaving no stone unturned to get to the bottom of it,” Portman added.