Board Meeting

Board Meeting ran better than her finishing position suggests in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp on Sunday. She can be a little keen through her races, so she was settled her well out the back. The pace was strong through the early stages of the race, with Stacelita’s pacemaker Volver taking them along, and Board Meeting travelled nicely off it, if just a little keen. However, they slowed down in the false straight, with the result that the field concertinaed up a little, and Board Meeting’s rider had to take a fair tug on her reins to stop her clipping heels. They raced steadily from there for until they turned for home, and that didn’t suit Board Meeting at all. It meant that she had to pick up from the back and wide into a quickening pace. On top of that, she had to check a little to her outside to avoid Plumania, who was also checking to her outside. Even so, Board Meeting picked up really nicely, and she closed all the way to the line to take fourth place, promoted to third, just two lengths behind the winner Dar Re Mi, and just a short head behind Plumania in third. In another three strides, she had passed Plumania.

This was just the sixth run of Board Meeting’s life, and she has progressed with each of her five runs this term. She stays this mile and a half trip well, she probably needs it now, and she can be seen to even better effect if she can get a strong even pace throughout.

13th September 2009