Mystery Star

Mystery Star ran a cracker to finish second to Munsef in a competitive mile-and-a-half heritage handicap at Ascot on Sunday. Fairly well away from his disadvantageous draw towards the outside in stall three, Tom Queally got him in fairly quickly behind horses, just behind the front rank, but it still meant that he had to race three and four horse-widths off the rail the whole way while Munsef enjoyed the box seat on the rail, just behind the leaders. Mystery Star delivered his challenge four wide in the home straight, picking up really nicely out wide to come from four lengths behind the leaders, as Munsef got a nice gap on the far side when Night Crescendo faded.

Leader Record Breaker had two lengths on both of them as they approached the final furlong, but this pair were finishing much stronger, and they had it between them from 200 yards out. It looked as if Mystery Star was going to go on and win when he went a neck up on Munsef, but he lugged a little to his right, in on top of Munsef, and the Ian Williams horse battled back well on the far side. Nevertheless, in going down by a short head, it was a fine effort from the runner-up, who didn’t have the run of the race at all. He stayed the mile-and-a-half trip well on just his third attempt at it, and he is worth another chance at this distance.

26th July 2009