Shimmering Surf

Shimmering Surf was desperately unlucky not to win a 12-furlong fillies’ listed race, a really competitive-looking affair, at Newbury last Sunday. She travelled well but was well back early in the home straight off an early pace that wasn’t overly strong. They quickened it up early in the straight and she was just starting to stay on before getting into a barging match with Becqu Adoree two furlongs out, just when she was beginning to make progress, her momentum severely checked. She got going again and finished really strongly to almost catch the winner Pachattack, but ended up going down by just a short head.

This was Shimmering Surf’s first try at 12 furlongs and she stayed it well, she almost certainly improved significantly for the step up in trip. She is a progressive filly anyway, this was just her fifth start, but the extra distance seemed to bring her forward again. They didn’t go a frenetic gallop early on, Wedding March and Pachattack set a solid but unspectacular pace – there were stamina doubts about the winner beforehand at this trip – but the time of the race was actually really good, just 0.16secs/furlong slower standard and the fastest time of the day by some way. Peter Winkworth’s filly had finished third behind Eleanora Duse and Pink Symphony, two decent fillies, in another listed race over 10 furlongs on her previous start, the form of that race receiving a significant boost when Eleanora Duse finished third behind Midday and Snow Fairy, and in front of Meeznah, in the Yorkshire Oaks.

The daughter of Danehill Dancer should continue to progress. She will be well suited by 12 furlongs again, and she should be suited by an even stronger pace. Also, on this evidence it looks like she would get another two furlongs, which would mean that the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster on St Leger weekend would be an option. She is very interesting.

1st August 2010