1st-Aug-2013

There is no doubt that Mount Athos is a high-class horse, but for one who is not really proven at Group 2 level, and whose primary objective again this year is the Melbourne Cup, he does look short for the Goodwood Cup. He may well win, but I am happy to take him on at 4/1 …

Brown Panther is a high-class horse, he was second in the St Leger two years ago on ground a little quicker than ideal, he was only beaten four lengths by Danedream and Nathaniel in last year’s King George, and he was only beaten narrowly in the Irish St Leger after that. He is shy of top-class over a mile and a half, but he is better over a mile and three quarters, and he could be even better over two miles now.

He did try two miles in the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp at the end of last season, but he had missed his intended engagement in the two-mile race on Champions’ Day before that, and it is likely that he didn’t give his true running that day.

He has always shaped like a stayer over a mile and a half, and he stayed on well to get involved in the four-way go for the line in the Irish St Leger. His dam was second in the Park Hill Stakes over the St Leger course and distance on just her second run, and her first foal won over a furlong shy of two miles, so there is plenty of stamina in Brown Panther’s pedigree.

If he does see out the trip, then he is good enough to be right in the mix. Indeed, he could be an even better horse this season judged on his reappearance at Pontefract.

Admittedly Main Sequence came back from that a sick horse, but there was a lot to like about the way Brown Panther won that day, and the way he kept on galloping after the line was particularly likeable. He has come on significantly for his first run back for the last two seasons, so to run as well as he did first time out augurs well for today. The ground should be perfect for him, just on the easy side of good, he should be able to get a good position from his low draw and he should run a big race.

BROWN PANTHER WON (ADV 15/2, SP 13/2)