Douze Points

Douze Points put in another good performance in a big handicap when finishing fourth behind Thats A Fret in the six-furlong Joe McGrath Premier handicap at The Curragh on Sunday. Joseph Murphy’s gelding has gone close in the big pot-races a few times this season, he was only a half-length behind Toufan Express in the Low Low Handicap at Galway, and he was probably unlucky on his previous run at Leopardstown in the September Handicap, he didn’t get a clear run after the turn for home and got checked a furlong out before staying on into third.

He was unlucky again here. He broke well enough, but he got shuffled back early on in among horses, to the point where he was second last of the 26 runners with two furlongs to run. But once he managed to extricate himself from his rivals, he picked up really well and finished to great effect. He never really got into the clear, but he continued to make ground in among horses, and was in fourth place and just a length and a half behind the leader as they crossed the line.

He may not be the easiest horse with whom to win, he is usually held up and he has only won once even though he has been placed 10 times. The son of Redback is not obviously a progressive young sprinter who is on the up, but he is in the form of his life at present, he has achieved his highest two Racing Post Ratings in a 25-run career in his last two runs. He wasn’t advantaged by being held up in behind runners here, the prominent racers fared best, the first three home were prominent throughout, and he can be marked up at least a little on the bare form of this run. He remains interesting, he handles easy ground, and there could be a big handicap in him before the end of the season.

26th September 2010