Unex El Greco

Unex El Greco did well to finish third in the Investec Mile handicap at Epsom on Friday. It looked like they had gone too fast up front because the field was strung out from early, but those who raced handily were ultimately favoured, the winner, Highland Knight, led from early while the runner-up, Mawaakef, chased him on the rail. The pair of them duelled from three furlongs out, they kicked for home at just the right time and nothing was able to get into the race from off the pace. Deire Na Sli, who had raced about half way down the field on the rail, got a nice run up the inside and moved into third place a furlong out, but Unex El Greco, who came from further behind and out wide, got up to snatch third on the line.

Unex El Greco missed the start, he was second last out of the stalls, and he had to race three horses wide and well down the field early on. He had to switch out even wider when Capaill Liath faltered having taken a false step in front of him around Tattenham Corner, he had to come widest of all around the home turn and down the home straight, and he hung down the camber a little, but he finished best of all. Having been no better than 12th or 13th passing the two-furlong marker, he made up really good ground to finish third.

It may be that John Gosden’s horse is better over further, but he could be a horse for the Royal Hunt Cup, a strongly-run stiff straight mile could be ideal, and if he can get away from the stalls a little better and secure a more prominent position, a race like that should be ideal for him. The son of Holy Roman Emperor was a promising two-year-old, winning his maiden on his debut and finishing second in two nurseries after that, but last season was a complete non-event, he unseated his rider leaving the stalls on his first run, where he may well have done himself an injury as he was off for four months after that, reappearing just once when finishing well down the field at Newmarket in August. He didn’t have a great passage at Kempton on his first run this year, he ran a good race at Newmarket next time, his run before this, and given the circumstances here, this was likely another step up. He has plenty of potential to progress again from this now, and a handicap mark of 89, up just 1lb for this run, still leaves him potentially really well treated.

1st June 2012