Lunar Victory

Lunar Victory was a victim of the new stall numbering on right-handed tracks as his draw in 16 of 16 in the Roseberry Handicap at Kempton on Saturday meant that he was drawn widest of all rather than right up against the rail as it would have been last season. There is a shortish run past the stands to the first turn for the 11-furlong trip at Kempton so Lunar Victory was caught wide, which meant that his rider had little choice but to drop him in behind runners otherwise he faced a hellish trip five or six horses wide for much of the contest. As it was, he still had to make his ground up very wide into the straight as many tried to get into it and, while the strong pace probably helped this big, long striding sort, he had to do a lot of running to get into it and just kept on through the last quarter-mile without quickening.

It was a day when it seemed to pay to race handily and towards the far rail, Red Cadeaux looked for a long while up the straight as if he had stolen it from the front before being run down late by Cosmic Sun who broke the course record, and in that respect Lunar Victory had it all to do from wide out and right down the field. It was a good effort in the circumstances, probably another step forward for him first time up this season off a mark of 87. While he has only won one of his seven starts, he has now put four good runs together in a row after a couple of very promising efforts as a juvenile and he should improve for a step up to a mile and a half and for a move to a galloping track.

2nd April 2011