Sharestan

Sharestan was really impressive in winning the Irish Lincolnshire at The Curragh on Sunday. He travelled well towards the outside of the main group, he made up ground down the centre of the track to press the leaders just inside the final three furlongs, and he made good gradual progress to draw alongside the leader Ansaab. Having got there comfortably enough, he then took a couple of bumps from Kevin Prendergast’s horse, and he had to knuckle down to go past. He forged on entering the final furlong and continued to put distance between himself and his field all the way to the line.

The runner-up Ansaab was well backed, and the third horse, the Tommy Stack-trained Sikara, was well fancied too, so the form looks solid. Also, the time was good, the fastest comparative time on the day by a fair way, and Sharestan might have even been a little disadvantaged in having to come so wide through the final few furlongs as the evidence from the six-furlong maiden earlier on the card and the concluding mile maiden was that right over on the far side was the place to be up the straight – indeed the third and fourth in this race both made good late progress over towards the far side.

Sharestan, then, could be even better than the bare form of this race. As well as that, this was just his third ever run, his first since last July, he should improve for the run and, given that his dam won over 10 furlongs and that she is from the family of Shahrastani, Sharestan should improve again for stepping up in trip to 10 furlongs himself. His running style certainly suggested that a step up in trip would suit, and he could get even further than 10 furlongs in due course. He won this competitive handicap pretty comfortably off a mark of 97, and a hike of 11lb should not be sufficient to halt his progress, especially if he is stepped up in trip, if John Oxx decides to continue down the handicap route. In all probability, however, he is not far off Pattern class already, and he could be the type to keep on improving through the season. He is exciting.

25th March 2012