Elusivity

Elusivity had been unlucky in-running once or twice earlier in the season over seven furlongs, and he seemed to have improved for the drop back to six furlongs of late, running a close fourth in a good three-year-old handicap won by Bertiewhittle at Newmarket before getting his head in front next time back at Newmarket. Given a month off after that run, he was probably unlucky to come up against Sirius Prospect at Ascot last Friday in a Class 2 three-year-old handicap.

Elusivity was going visibly well under Jamie Spencer towards the far side, Spencer looked to be tracking the strong-travelling King Ferdinand through. He briefly had to niggle his horse two and a half furlongs out and moved him into the clear on the outside, perhaps thinking he would have to ask the horse for his effort at that stage, but Elusivity soon snapped back on the bridle and Spencer was able to move back in behind King Ferdinand and delay his challenge. Spencer decided he couldn’t wait any longer as they came to the final furlong, and pulled Elusivity out once more and asked him to pick up, possibly wanting to try to steal the race from Sirius Prospect, who had started slowly and was behind him. Brian Meehan’s horse quickly took two lengths out of his field before veering to his left and getting caught by the highly talented Sirius Prospect.

The way the Elusive City gelding veered suggests that he would have been better suited to being held onto for longer. He may well have beaten Sirius Prospect if he had been able to deliver his challenge from behind him. That said, he did do a similar thing on his previous run, he probably needs to be held up until the last possible moment.

He was beaten a length here by Sirius Prospect, a really talented horse who followed up with a really impressive win at York on Saturday off a 7lb higher mark, for trainer Dean Ivory, whose horses are running well at present. Elusivity finished a length and a quarter in front of the useful and in form Louis The Pious, with a break of six lengths then back to the rest. The time was good, the fastest of the day. Elusivity has a really useful turn of foot, connections have found his ideal trip, and there should be more progress to come from him now.

30th September 2011