So Beloved

So Beloved showed signs of returning to form on his previous run behind Oh This Is Us at Haydock in May, and he stepped forward again last Saturday when he finished third behind Absolutely So and Jallota in the John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock.

Slowly away – there seemed to be a slight issue with him in the stalls, rider Daniel Tudhope looked to his right at the stalls handler just before the stalls opened, and he was left at least a length – and settled towards the rear of the field through the early stages of the race, it wasn’t ideal then that That Is The Spirit was allowed a bit of a solo up front. The overall pace was not overly strong, it was difficult to make ground from the rear off it, but So Beloved travelled well through his race. He was the last horse to come off the bridle and, when his rider moved him towards the near side and asked him for his effort just inside the two-furlong marker, he started a run that looked set to take him close. Absolutely So had started his run just in front of him, however, and he just couldn’t catch Andrew Balding’s horse. He started his run about three parts of a length behind him, and he finished off about three parts of a length behind him.

This was much more like it though from So Beloved. He came into last year’s renewal of this race on a high, he had won a listed race over the same course and distance on his previous run, but he was beaten by Home Of The Brave in the race last year, and he didn’t win again afterwards. Actually, his form tailed off after that. He was disappointing on his debut this season too, in the listed race that Home Of The Brave won at Leicester at the end of April, but his next run – the aforementioned run at Haydock behind Oh This Is Us – was much more like it, and he could progress again from this run. Seven furlongs is his trip, he goes on all types of ground, and he should do better behind a stronger pace. He is entered in the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes at The Curragh on Oaks weekend, and he will be of interest if he takes up that engagement. Actually, he will be of interest wherever he goes next. Seven furlongs is his trip, and he obviously goes well at Haydock, but he has also run well at York and Newmarket and Redcar, and at Goodwood, where his record reads 31175.

10^th June 2017