Whispering Gallery

Whispering Gallery put up a good performance to win a Class 2 mile-and-a-half handicap at York on Wednesday. Quickly over to the rail from his outside draw in stall 12, he set a fair pace through the early stages, and was still in front, travelling easily, at the two-furlong pole, at which point Richard Hills asked him to stretch. When he did, the response was impressive. He took two lengths out of his field, and suddenly the race was really for the minor placings. On that, favourite Class Is Class came through from last place at the top of the home straight to finish second. He probably found this ground a little lively, but he was last because they appeared to be going faster than his fastest cruising speed, not because Ryan Moore decided to be last, so it is probable that it wasn’t a fast pace, that it wasn’t a case that the leader stole this by stacking them up from the front. The pace was sound, the time was good, and the winner’s performance was full of merit.

This was just the fourth start of Whispering Gallery’s life. After winning his maiden by 10 lengths on his racecourse debut at Hamilton as recently as this June, he was a bit disappointing when thrown into a handicap off a mark of 92 and stepped up to a mile and a half at York in July, but he got right back on track with a decent performance to land a 10-furlong handicap at Newmarket earlier this month, making all and beating the useful and well-backed Recession Proof well. Whispering Gallery’s dam won over a mile and seven, and she is a half-sister to Percussionist, so there is every chance that this fellow can improve again for stepping up further in trip. He is a real galloper. This was just the fourth run of his life, so it is almost certain that there is natural progression forthcoming anyway. He should be able to cope with a fair rise in his handicap rating, and he should be worth following.

19th August 2009