Ambivalent

Ambivalent was not seen to best effect at all in the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster last Thursday and is worth another chance at this level.

The sedate pace was all against her, she is a strong travelling filly with a high cruising speed, and she was too keen on this step up in trip. On top of that, she was badly positioned in last place, and although she crept closer between horses as they moved inside the final three furlongs, she got outpaced when Estimate pressed on having gone to the front at that point. Ambivalent dug in and kept on well, despite Hazel Lavery edging in on her for a sustained period inside the final furlong, but she could never quite land a blow on the principals.

Although this longer trip wasn’t a major problem for her, she should benefit from going back to a mile and a half now. She travelled easily all the way through the race on her first run of the season over a mile and a quarter (admittedly only a 0-75 fillies’ handicap), she cruised to the front on her next start in the Listed Aphrodite Stakes at Newmarket in July, and she readily had too much pace for Set To Music on her run before this in the Listed Chalice Stakes at Newbury. She is a pacey filly at a mile and a half, and doesn’t really need to step up beyond that trip. She is also a really progressive filly, she would have been seen in a much better light off a stronger gallop, and she is worth another chance at this level, off a faster pace and/or dropped back down in trip.

13th September 2012