Mastery

Mastery ran a cracker on his first run in 202 days to finish third in the competitive nine-furlong Group 3 race won by Tazeez at Newmarket on Friday. He travelled really well for jockey Daragh O’Donohue towards the rear of the field, and he gradually made headway up on the outside three furlongs out. But he had to make all his ground on the far side, on probably the slowest part of the track and away from where the race developed between Tazeez and the other Godolphin horses Vesuve and Al Zir. He still stayed on really well to finish a highly respectable third.

This was a really promising effort from the Godolphin horse over a trip that was completely inadequate. He was a 10/1 shot here, and he was probably his stable’s third string, yet he still managed to come there with every chance inside the final furlong. Last year’s St Leger winner, his previous run was in the Dubai World Cup, when he was beaten just a length and a half into fifth place behind Gloria De Campeao. It will be really interesting to see where he turns up next now, a step up in trip at least to a mile and a half is most likely and he should strip much fitter with the benefit of this outing.

15th October 2010