Super Duty

Super Duty did really well to go so close in the Kim Muir considering he forced the pace throughout in a race in which it probably paid to be held up. The other three of the first four home came from well off the pace.

Donald McCain’s horse jumped accurately in the hands of Derek O’Connor. He was still going strongly in a share of the lead with Becauseicouldntsee at the top of the hill, that horse seemed to be going better over the usual third last down the hill but Super Duty got the better of him into the home straight and looked the likely winner when he jumped the last (the usual second last) two lengths clear. He probably just idled in front though and allowed Same Difference to join him up the inside as they bypassed the last fence. He did battle on really well up the hill, however, and he only just went down by a head, which wasn’t a bad effort even on the face of it, considering he was giving the winner 12lb including Ryan Hatch’s claim.

As well as possibly not advantaged by being right on the pace throughout, Donald McCain’s horses were a little out of sorts all week, a lot of them were stopping quickly and were well beaten, including some of the big names, and that makes this effort potentially even better.

Super Duty is only seven, this was just his fifth chase, he was a high-class novice hurdler last season and there should be a fair bit more to come from him as a staying chaser. He seems a better horse on better ground – as his trainer has maintained all season – and, second to Simonsig at Aintree last year, when he would have finished even closer but for a bad mistake at the second last flight, he would be of interest if he goes there again, for either the three-mile-one-furlong handicap chase, the race before the Grand National, or the Mildmay Novices’ Chase. Horses who have been beaten at Cheltenham actually have quite a good record in that race, and McCain loves to have winners at Aintree. Longer term, he has proved he stays in excess of three miles really well now on his last two runs, so he could be a Hennessy horse next season, and he could make up into a Grand National horse in time. Ballabriggs won the Kim Muir off a mark of 140 the season before he won the National for McCain.

14th March 2013