Harris Tweed

Harris Tweed put up a really nice performance to take the Edinburgh Cup, a Heritage handicap run over a mile and four and a half furlongs at Musselburgh last Saturday, and the fact that it was Derby day at Epsom means that there is a chance his performance will go a little under the radar. Willie Haggas’s colt raced prominently from flagfall and took it up after they had gone two furlongs. He set a strong pace and he was still in command as they turned for home. Corsica challenged him two furlongs out and looked to be going the better, but Harris Tweed picked up impressively and galloped all the way to the line to post an emphatic five-length win.

It was difficult not to be impressed by this performance. He set a fast pace, yet was still able to pick up again when challenged up the straight. He was pushed out all the way to the line and he lowered the course record by a remarkable four seconds. The race was full of unexposed three-year-olds and time may show that this was a really high class performance. The handicapper has raised the son of Hernando 10lb to a mark of 96, but this was only Harris Tweed’s fifth ever start and tit is likely that we have not seen the best of him yet.

Prior to this, he had won his maiden impressively and was then a beaten favourite at Newmarket off an unsuitably slow pace, when it looked like he may not have handled the dip. He has plenty of options, he could easily step up into listed or Pattern class, and even his new mark of 96 looks lenient if connections choose to continue down the handicap route for now.

5th June 2010