Brown Panther

The performance that Brown Panther put up in winning the King George V Handicap on Thursday was visually one of the most impressive of Royal Ascot week.

An impressive winner of a handicap at Haydock on his previous start last month off a 10lb lower mark, the son of Shirocco travelled like a classy horse through the race, and he picked up impressively off the home turn when Richard Kingscote asked him to lengthen, putting the race to bed before they reached the furlong pole.

The manner in which the Tom Dascombe-trained colt came clear of some progressive and potentially talented rivals was impressive, and the time was good, marginally faster than the time that Banimpire clocked in winning the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes run over the same course and distance two and a half hours earlier. He wouldn’t want the ground to be too firm, and he has to improve again if he is to make up into a genuine St Leger candidate, but his star is in the ascendency, and best odds of 14/1 about him for the final Classic look generous at this stage.

16th June 2011

© The Sunday Times 19th June 2011