Provenance

Provenance did well to get as close as he did in the Wolferton Handicap at Royal Ascot on Saturday. Dropped in early on by Ryan Moore from her outside draw, 13 of 13, she was significantly disadvantaged by the sedate early pace. Once Richard Hughes got to the front on Fattsota, he dropped anchor, he stacked the field up behind him. The net result was that several horses were eager to go faster as they raced down the side of the track with five furlongs to run, and those who were positioned handily were at an advantage. When the inevitable sprint for home began at the top of the home straight, the horses at the back were trying to make ground into a quickening pace, while simultaneously trying to navigate their way through traffic. Provenance started the sprint in second last place, but she finished best of all, getting up for fifth place, just three lengths behind the winner Mahsoob, who was well placed throughout.

Sir Michael Stoute’s filly won three of her six races last season as a three-year-old, her first season racing, progressing through the season until she disappointed a little on her final run in October at Newmarket. She shaped encouragingly on her debut this term, however, in finishing a close-up third behind Don’t Be and Crowley’s Law in a fillies’ one-mile handicap at Goodwood in early May off a mark of 102. She had only run once over 10 furlongs before Saturday, in that Newmarket race in which she was beaten at the end of the season, but she saw out the trip on Saturday well. She should do better off a better pace at the trip.

The handicapper raised her just 1lb to a mark of 103, and that is fair. She should progress again from this, just her second run of the season. She stays the trip well, and she will be of interest over it again now in a more strongly-run race. She wore a hood on her last four runs last season, but it was left off on her debut this term, and it was missing again on Saturday. She did wear a tongue-tie, but she shapes like a straightforward filly. Saturday’s run was probably the best run of her life, and she can progress again. A half-sister to Integral by Galileo, she will be of interest wherever she goes next.

20th June 2015