Pether’s Moon

Pether’s Moon probably won’t have been missed as an unlucky horse in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot last Thursday, but he really was unlucky, he just had nowhere to go in the home straight.

In fact, the damage had been done earlier because, having jumped out fairly well and looked set to adopt a good position just behind the leaders, plenty of those drawn wide came across in front of him after a couple of furlongs as the pace wasn’t overly strong. He was caught on heels and shuffled back on the inside at Swinley Bottom, and it was always likely from that point that he would be hostage to fortune. He was starting to pick up nicely against the far rail two furlongs out, however, and he was virtually alongside the eventual winner Elidor, and probably going better, when the gap up the inside closed on him. Richard Hughes had no option but to snatch up and pull off the rail, but the gap two horses off the rail soon closed on him too as horses improved on his outside with their momentum up. He had no chance after that, but the way he picked up again late after his winning chance had gone on under just a gentle hands-and-heels riding suggests that he may have gone very close to winning the race with a clear run. He remains a potentially well-handicapped horse.

He wasn’t the only hard luck story in the race, but he was almost certainly the worst, and he finished full of running. He had been well-backed beforehand, this was just the fifth run of his life and he is still completely unexposed at a mile and a half. He will be of interest next time he runs, with the age-old proviso that he is not over-bet, as obviously unlucky losers tend to be.

20th June 2013