Capercaillie

Capercaillie ran a fine race in the Queen Mary at Ascot on Wednesday. In hindsight, she obviously faced an impossible task from stall 11 against the American speedball Jealous Again, who emerged from stall one, yet she still ran a race that was full of credit in defeat. She had to do a lot of her own running out in the centre of the track, she raced largely on her own when Dettori asked her to go forward two furlongs out on what appeared on the day to be the slowest part of the track, but she picked up well, showing speed for a furlong, before she just got run out of third place by Ceedwell.

Like almost all the beaten fillies in the Queen Mary, she will doubtless progress from here. This was just the third run over her life, she had looked very good in winning her previous start at Musselburgh, and Mark Johnston apparently thinks that she is the best filly that he has had since Attraction. That is bullish talk from a usually reticent trainer, and Capercaillie is worthy of another chance. She could still be a high class filly.

17th June 2009