Infiraad

Infiraad ran out a really impressive winner of what is usually a good seven-furlong three-year-old handicap at Newmarket on 2,000 Guineas day. Settled in front by Richard Hills, the son of Haafhd found an impressive turn of foot to go clear of his field from the two-furlong pole. He did hang right across the track, but it didn’t hinder his forward momentum, and he was four lengths clear of his field at the line.

The maiden that Infiraad won on his penultimate outing at Newmarket in April received a timely boost when the runner-up, Invincible Heart, ran out an impressive winner of a decent six-furlong handicap at Chester on Thursday. This Newmarket run was just the third run of Infiraad’s life, and he displayed signs of greenness in hanging to his right, so there is little doubt that he will improve for the experience. All three of those runs have been over seven furlongs, but trainer Barry Hills thinks that he will stay a mile okay, which makes sense given that he is by a Guineas and Champion Stakes winner, out of a mare who was placed over 10 furlongs and from the family of top milers Barathea and Gossamer. The Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot could be next, and he would be a big player in that.

2nd May 2009