Archers Road

The winner and runner-up in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury on Saturday, Monsieur Chevalier and Shamandar, are obviously very smart juveniles, but the third horse, Archers Road, deserves a fair degree of credit for finishing third. This was a race in which, with Star Rover and Above Limits going at each other up front from early, it paid to sit off the pace, as the winner and second did, but Archers Road raced handily the whole way. Mick Channon’s horse took it up at the furlong pole but, even at that point, you could see that Shamandar on the near side was a big danger. Even so, Archers Road picked up nicely to go a length up and, although he was passed by both that filly and by Monsieur Chevalier inside the final 100 yards, he still kept on well to take third, with daylight back to the fourth horse.

The son of Titus Livius was much more experienced than most of his rivals in the Super Sprint – that was his 10th run – but he is still progressing. He is at his best on good or fast ground, and he would be interesting if allowed take his chance in the Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood next Tuesday, where the fast track and fast ground should suit his running style ideally.

18th July 2009