Horses To Follow » Emenem

Emenem

Emenem was probably unlucky not to win the opening race at Epsom on Derby day, the Class 2 10-furlong handicap for three-year-olds.

Dropped in through the early stages of the race, he was keen enough for Franny Norton just before they started the descent, but he travelled well when they straightened up for home, just behind the ultimate winner Desert Skyline. He didn’t seem to want to go outside Tartini, however, so his rider allowed him roll down the camber towards the inside. He had to endure a rough passage there, however, before finishing off his race best of all and just failing by a neck to catch the winner Drochaid.

Simon Dow’s horse won three of his previous four races, two of them on all-weather and one of them on turf, at Epsom; two of them over a mile and one over 10 furlongs. So he is versatile. He has pace for a mile, but he does stay this 10 furlongs well. He has had plenty of racing for a three-year-old, this was his 11th race, but he continues to be in fine form, and this was probably a career-best. The handicapper raised him by 4lb to a mark of 87, but this was a good performance in a good handicap, he deserved a hike of around that magnitude, and he should be able to progress again. He holds entries in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot, over a mile and a half, and in the Hampton Court Stakes, over 10 furlongs, but a Group 3 race. Neither is an ideal target really. A 10-furlong handicap would be ideal.

3rd June 2017