Prince Of Sorrento

Prince Of Sorrento had won four of his previous five races going into Saturday’s Class 2 one-mile handicap at Sandown, and although he was beaten he ran another career-best.

He had been raised 9lb by the handicapper for his previous win at Yarmouth, and that looked harsh enough on the face of it given that that probably wasn’t a very deep race, the favourite underperformed on the heavy ground and Prince Of Sorrento managed to secure the near side rail from before halfway, with the near side rail being heavily favoured at Yarmouth this season when the ground has been soft.

Lee Carter’s five-year-old proved here that he warranted such a hike however, and that he is simply in the form of his life at present. He was really well backed but was drawn 13 of 13, Richard Hughes kept him wide of the others to start with, and though he did come across to race with the field, he was widest of all the whole way and wasn’t able to get any cover at any stage, which meant he raced freely until they started around the home turn. He was three horses wide turning for home, he was travelling as well as anything early in the home straight, and he went about chasing Fennell Bay passing the two-furlong marker. Mark Johnston’s horse, the only three-year-old in the race, had taken up the running three furlongs out and galloped home strongly down the centre of the track and, while Prince Of Sorrento was unable to catch him, he still ran on all the way to the line, pulling three lengths clear of the third and fourth horses home, who in turn were well clear of the rest.

Prince Of Sorrento has been raised another 5lb for this run, but this was another really big effort. The task of conceding the progressive winner 13lb on soft ground was just too great, but he remains very much on the upgrade. He may be under-rated next time now because he was beaten on this, his 26th race, but he is well worth looking out for now on easy ground or back on the all-weather, a surface on which he goes well.

16th June 2012