Dhaamer

Dhaamer looked up against it having his first run of the season in the very competitive Class 2 10-furlong Investec Investment Handicap at Epsom on Friday, but he ran with real credit to finish third to two very useful handicappers in Resurge and Right Step. He raced handily behind a fast pace, was sent on a long way out and took a couple of lengths out of the field by the two-furlong pole, only to be caught by two who had been ridden back off the pace.

John Gosden’s four-year-old travelled enthusiastically on his first run since early October, and willingly took up the running over two furlongs out, kicking into a tidy lead, but he just couldn’t fend off the front two. The three finished nicely ahead of the fourth horse, the useful Beaumont’s Party, who had won his previous two and who was 3lb well-in.

Resurge has quickly developed into a real Epsom specialist, this win making it three wins and two seconds from five starts at the track, and Right Step has run with huge credit in big handicaps before, most noticeably at Glorious Goodwood last season and at York’s May meeting on his latest start, so going down to those two race-fit rivals is no disgrace at all. Dhaamer may have been able to do even better too if he had been held onto for slightly longer. That said, he was going strongly as they levelled for home and he picked up well when Richard Hills gave him a squeeze, the jockey probably keen to make use of his stamina given that he looked like he would get further when winning over this trip at Sandown last September, for all that he disappointed when upped to a mile and a half on his final start last term. In the end, his lack of a recent run probably told, together with the way he raced prominently off a strong pace, and he can be expected to improve significantly for this. The handicapper has raised him just 1lb, which is more than fair given that he fared much the best of those who raced close to the pace. He will be interesting wherever he goes next.

3rd June 2011