Our Joe Mac

Our Joe Mac stayed on really well to win a competitive one-mile handicap in soft conditions at Haydock last Saturday. He raced in midfield throughout, and was well placed when they turned for home. He made good progress three and a half furlongs out, taking it up at the two-furlong pole and fending off a number of challenges, including from Silver Rime, who came back at him, and the staying on What’s Up Pussycat, but he was really game and held on well to win by a neck in the end.

Richard Fahey’s gelding appreciated the easy ground here, and he continues to progress. (He was one of just four three-year-olds in the race, the other three finishing seventh, 14th and last.) He achieved his highest ever Racing Post Rating here, his previous highest came on similar softish conditions at Chester in May on his debut this season, were he was a really unlucky loser, forced wide before staying on to go down by just a nose to the useful Yaa Wayl in a good Class 2 handicap. This is his distance and this is his ground, he had been tried over further on his last run, were he ran okay in a really good handicap behind Dandino at Epsom on Derby day. The handicapper raised him 3lb for this, but he could still be a fair bit better than that given that he was essentially being assessed before Saturday under less than optimum conditions.

The son of Celtic Swing is worth following from here, he will be really interesting again next time with similar conditions, and he would be interesting if he took his chance in the Cambridgeshire if the ground came up soft.

7th August 2010