Media Hype

Media Hype was a really well backed favourite for the mile-and-a-quarter Class 2 0-100 handicap at Newmarket on Saturday, but he didn’t really have the run of the race, and he remains a horse to keep on side.

He was slowly enough away and was squeezed out of it a little early on, he was further back than ideal in a race in which it was hard to get involved from the rear. The winner Area Fifty One tracked the leader through in second and had hit the front over two furlongs out, and the eventual third and fourth, Licence To Till and Qushchi, were both prominent throughout. On top of that, Media Hype was out in the centre of the track, possibly not the place to be, and although he wasn’t really badly hampered at any stage, he always seemed to be in traffic, and his rider wasn’t overly hard on him once his winning chance had gone in a race that was run in a good time.

The winner Area Fifty One was impressive, he stayed on powerfully once he had taken it up, but Media Hype is capable of much better than this. This was just the eighth run of his life, he has progressed quickly since going handicapping, rising 28lb in official ratings in just four runs prior to this. He had still looked green a couple of runs ago when hanging right across the track at Haydock. He was more professional when winning a big handicap at York’s Dante meeting on his run previous to this, when he had subsequent Duke of Edinburgh winner Camborne well behind, but he still looked a little inexperienced when he hit the front, and this run should have taught him even more.

He remains highly progressive, despite this defeat, and he is still a live John Smith’s Cup contender. That York win came over the John Smith’s Cup distance on was his only visit to the track, and it would not be surprising if Elaine Burke was training him to peak for that race. It is difficult to see how the handicapper concluded that he should be raised 3lb for his latest run but, even off a mark of 94, he will be of interest wherever he goes next, when hopefully he will be under-rated on the back of an ostensibly disappointing run.

30th June 2012