Aeolus

There was lots of talk about how unlucky Kimberella was in the Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle on Saturday – and he was – but Aeolus was also a little unlucky not to finish closer than he did.

Ed Walker’s horse travelled well for Graham Lee among horses, but he was short of room and checked on the run to the furlong pole. Short of room again after that as the winner Koropick moved across him, the race had got away from him before he got into the clear, and he just kept on to take fourth place.

This was the Arafa gelding’s first run since May. He is a listed race winner and a Group 3 winner, he won this race in 2015 when it was run on turf, on good ground, but he would be interesting now in a handicap, dropped down to a mark of 103, 8lb lower than his peak. He handles good ground and all weather surfaces, and he has run really well once on fast ground, but the balance of his form says that he is still probably a better horse on easy ground and he will be of interest when he gets back on it. He holds entries in the Bunbury Cup and the Stewards’ Cup, and he would be of particular interest in either of those big handicaps if the ground happened to come up on the easy side.

1^st July 2017