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By Stephen Dwyer

Saturday September 4th 2010
Leopardstown 15:45
Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes (group 1)
€750000.00 added, 3yo plus, 1m 2f, Class 1, €434500.00 penalty

Those four simple lines should tell you all need to know about the Irish Champion Stakes. But they don’t. Tattersalls might need to consider their position on the naming convention; it is no longer the Tattersalls “Millions” but rather the Tattersalls “Three quarters of a million”. Down from a prize fund of €1,000,000 in 2009 to €750,000 this year, you might ask has the Irish Champion Stakes lost any of its gloss? Maybe, but then again this is not 2009 and paint is much scarcer now.

Looking back over past winners is like that moment in a University’s conferral ceremony when the Registrar awards honorary degrees to prestigious leaders in their field. Since 1976 we have seen Giant’s Causeway, Dylan Thomas, Sadler’s Wells, Inkerman, Daylami and of course, a contender for a new “himself” (Sea The Stars) claim the Irish Champion Stakes. The great sire, Sadler’s Wells, was quickest of all when Pat Eddery led the field on a merry dance in 1984. Aficionados will assert that particular race was in the Phoenix Park, and not Leopardstown, thus there may be some consternation over the time of the race. Still the fact cannot be disputed and that’s why it’s included.

The Champion Stakes, sitting as it does at the latter end of the flat season, is a very prestigious event. As of last year, the winner of the Champion Stakes earns an automatic invitation to compete in the three million Breeders’ Cup Turf race. This makes it the fourth race in Ireland to be included, along with the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Phoenix Stakes and Pretty Polly Stakes. It’s a tempting carrot.

Saturday’s Leopardstown card revolves around the Champion Stakes and yet the six horses in the race have not had their seasons revolve around the Champion Stakes. Aidan O’Brien fields three of the six runners, Juddmonte and QE2 conqueror Rip Van Winkle heads the betting. Currently at odds of 4/6 it would appear in the bookmakers ring to be a penalty kick for the four-year-old. It is significant that the Ballydoyle team selected Rip Van Winkle ahead of Fame And Glory, who heads to France, and it sets up a rematch between Rip and Twice Over.

It is just over two weeks since Rip Van Winkle beat Henry Cecil’s Coral-Eclipse winner but remember it was only in the last 100 yards that Rip Van Winkle got to Twice Over with a storming late surge. The shorter straight at Leopardstown may lend an advantage to Twice Over, the gruelling final stretch at York played to Rip Van Winkle’s strengths last time out and it is unquestionably an interesting matchup.

Aidan O’Brien thinks very highly of Rip Van Winkle and indeed his stablemate, former Derby favourite Cape Blanco. Johnny Murtagh also believes that Rip Van Winkle is still improving and with Henry Cecil musing that a drop of rain would assist Twice Over, it will be an intriguing contest. The likely fast going might not be ideal for Twice Over but he is a tough, versatile sort and he won the Eclipse on ground that was good to firm. If he does win, it will be Henry Cecil’s first Group One victory in Ireland since Ramrura won the Oaks in 1999.

Cape Blanco, last seen when beaten 11 lengths by Harbinger will be ridden by Seamie Heffernan. The so called “second string” jockey at Ballydoyle demonstrated his natural craft and ability last weekend when winning the Moyglare in great style on board Misty For Me and another big run cannot be discounted. Another English challenger, the Mark Johnston Sea Lord, was supplemented for €75,000 on Monday. Fallon takes the ride, the going will suit but it is the colt’s first run over a mile and the first foray into Group One Company. It’s a big ask but why not take the chance?

Rip Van Winkle will probably win the Champion Stakes, he has the form, the ability, and he ticks all the right boxes, even in a field that lacks quantity but exudes quality. Additionally his connections in the race are unsurpassed.

Serious business The Champion Stakes, but then again, there’s €750,000 on offer here.

That’s a lot of paint.

By Stephen Dwyer

By Alan Conway

For many the highlight of the Irish Flat season is on Saturday when Leopardstown plays host to this year’s renewal of the Irish Champion Stakes. The race which was established in 1975 has a top class roll of honour. Names like Sadler’s Wells, Triptych, Giants Causeway, Fantastic Light, New Approach and Sea The Stars have won this prestigious event.

The race has thrown up some of the most memorable moments in Irish Flat history. Who could ever forget Dr Devious and St Jovite battling head to head down the straight and it was only the width of a cigarette paper that separated the pair at the line. Or the epic battle between Dylan Thomas and Ouija Board in 2006 where after the race Kieren Fallon was carried from the parade ring to the weigh room by racegoers in a show of solidarity over his ban from riding in England.

What is your favourite Irish Champion Stakes race? One race so good that years later when you watch a re-run of it you still get a chill down your spine. For me there is only one. The 2001 renewal of the Irish Champion. Galileo vs Fantastic Light.

It was the clash of the generations and a clash of ideals. We had in the dark blue corner the unbeaten dual Derby winner in Galileo. With his blue blooded pedigree and his race record he was an archetypal Coolmore horse. In the royal blue corner we had Fantastic Light who represented everything that was good about Godolphin. He was campaigned fearlessly at the highest level around the world and came to Leopardstown looking to settle a score.

The pair had already clashed once that season in the King George at Ascot where with a nice pull in the weights and the smoother passage Galileo won the first round. This race would see an epic second round. It didn’t disappoint.

From the off the Ballydoyle pacesetter Ice Dancer went off like the clappers and rendered himself useless as the rest of the field ignored him. Turning for home the Godolphin pacemaker had taken over and moved ever so slightly off the fence to allow Fantastic Light up the inner and forced Galileo a little bit wider. It would prove a race winning move.

Both horses settled down to a tremendous fight all the way to the line and it was Fantastic Light who prevailed. To say that there were any losers that September day would be unfair. Galileo lost nothing in defeat and despite his failure in the Breeders’ Cup his reputation remained intact and he has proved a wonderful success at stud.

All the people in attendance that day knew that they had witnessed something special. To me it summed up what flat racing is all about. Two heavyweight horses going toe to toe fighting to be the absolute best. Neither giving an inch, both giving their all and leaving their hearts out on the track.

Some people can be cynical when it comes to horse racing. The Irish Champion Stakes that day showed everything that is good about our sport. We may not get as good a race this Saturday but the Irish Champion Stakes will always have a special place in my heart. Here is to another great race on Saturday.

By Alan Conway

By James Condron

Alan Potts in his book “The Inside Track” stated that “the only way that a sharp punter can obtain an edge from the jockey booking, is to look for the next champion while he is still claiming an allowance”. His reasoning was that as the top jockeys get the best rides and ride more winners, their following amongst punters increases leading to their mounts inevitably starting at a shorter price than they should. The use of good apprentice and conditional jockeys on the flat and national hunt and the allowances that these jockeys can claim, can offer punters an edge with their mounts very often starting at value prices. This week I will focus on three apprentice jockeys in Ireland, who have caught my eye as having the potential to make top jockeys, and who may prove profitable for punters to follow for the rest of the flat season; Sam James, Leigh Roche and Joseph O’Brien.

Sam James

A total of five wins from 33 rides in August giving a level stakes profit of 28.5 points, highlights Sam as a jockey to follow, primarily in handicaps which have provided Sam with all his career victories to date. Sam experienced the biggest victory of his fledgling career at Killarney recently winning the www.thetote.com Kingdom Gold Cup Handicap aboard Top Spin for trainer John Joseph Murphy for whom he has ridden three winners from five mounts, delivering a level stakes profit of 35 points. If the evidence of recent weeks is to be believed, Sam is improving greatly as a rider under the tutelage of trainer Kevin Prendergast at Friarstown, Co. Kildare where jockeys of the calibre of Kieren Fallon, Charlie Swan and current stable jockey Declan McDonogh have all learned their trade. Kevin Prendergast also provides an environment where apprentice jockeys can prosper, an example of which is Chris Hayes who landed two consecutive apprentice titles in recent seasons. Whether Sam can achieve those heights is uncertain however, with 13 career wins to his name so far, his claim remains a generous looking 7lb and surely exploitable by trainers in the latter months of this season.

Joseph O’Brien

Joseph who currently claims 5lb, had a terrific Galway with three winners, the most notable of which was the Guinness Premier Handicap on Rajik for Charlie Swan, really seems to have grown in confidence of late, the result no doubt of having the privilege of regularly riding some of his father Aidan’s string on the Ballydoyle gallops and from the experience of riding in numerous Group races at home and abroad. O’Brien’s potential is not lost on other trainers who are beginning to use his services also, it is noted in this regard that he has a good record when riding for Pat Flynn, with three wins from 12 rides, giving a level stakes profit of 4.25 points, while other profits were noted when Joseph rode for Eoin Doyle (two wins from six rides giving a level stakes profit of 25 points) and James McAuley (two wins from 14 rides giving a level stakes profit of eight points). Interestingly, following Joseph in races only open to apprentices in Ireland over the last two seasons, would have resulted in a level stakes profit of 10.75 points due to a 12% win strike rate in such races.

Leigh Roche

Like Joseph O’Brien, Leigh rode a winner of a big handicap at Galway, in his case, the Topaz handicap over 2m, on top weight Easy Mate for his boss Dermot Weld, who remarked that Leigh has great value on the night for his 7lb claim. Within a week, Leigh had followed up this success, with victory on the stables well backed Rock Critic at Naas. While he has ridden winners for outside trainers such as Norman Cassidy, Christy Roche and John Joseph Murphy, Leigh has proved to be very profitable to follow when riding for Marcus Callaghan, (who through the efforts of stable stalwart Patrickswell), has provided all three wins from 18 rides, giving a 17 point level stakes profit and Joanna Morgan for whom Leigh has ridden two winners from four rides, a 24 point level stakes profit. With five winners under his belt in August, his valuable 7lb claim is sure to be exploited by Dermot Weld and other trainers in handicaps this autumn.

Note for remainder of season:

Sam James

All handicaps

Riding for John Joseph Murphy

Joseph O’Brien

All handicaps

Riding for Pat Flynn, Eoin Doyle and James McAuley

Races only open to apprentices

Leigh Roche

All handicaps

Riding for Marcus Callaghan and Joanna Morgan

By James Condron

By Caitriona Fenton

With a starting price of 10/1 it was fair to say that the Aidan O’Brien-trained Misty For Me was not considered a very strong contender for Sunday’s Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh. The daughter of Galileo made the running to come in first by a length and win the Grade 1 race leaving the hot favourite Memory back in a very distant sixth place.

Watching the race and how it unfolded it was clear to see that jockey Seamie Heffernan knows his stuff and takes direction well. And why shouldn’t he? The 38 year old from Kildare has been involved in racing since the tender age of twelve and has been an essential part of the Ballydoyle operation since 1996.

Seamie Heffernan started his career with Arthur Moore and then as an apprentice to Carlow-based Jim Bolger where he was joint Champion Apprentice in 1994. He soon became an established rider with wins such as the Golden Pages Handicap at Leopardstown on Royal Vision in 1994 and in 1995 he won the Joe McGrath Handicap on Ailleacht and the Coolmore Concorde Stakes at Tipperary on Wild Bluebell.

Heffernan joined Ballydoyle as a 24 year old in 1996 in the era of the great Christy Roche. In his first year there he won the Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown aboard Shell Ginger and also won the Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh on Air Of Distinction. Heffernan had success with other trainers also, among them Pat Flynn and Joanna Morgan. He won successive Savel Beg Stakes in 1997, 1998 with the Pat Flynn trained French Ballerina. However it was not until 2000 that Seamie landed his first Group 1 win.

Being second to so many of the great jockeys certainly has its perks as shown when Heffernan got his first taste of Group 1 success on the 17th September 2000. Heffernan came home victorious in the National Stakes at the Curragh on the 10/1 priced Beckett by three lengths while stable jockey Kinane chose to ride 4/9 favourite Darwin who came in sixth place.

It wasn’t long before Heffernan rose up the ranks and achieved Classic success. 2001 saw him winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas on the O’Brien trained Imagine, again getting the better of stable jockey Kinane who came in third place on Toroca. Heffernan was fast proving he had the talent and drive to join the ranks of the jockeys he had for so long looked up to.

No race however has showcased Heffernan’s talent and hard work as much as the Derrinstown Derby trial at Leopardstown. He has won it no less than four times and on top class horses which proves O’Brien’s faith in him. He first won the important race on Galileo in 2001, High Chaparral in 2002, Dylan Thomas in 2006 and most recently he won it on Fame and Glory in 2009.

Heffernan benefited in 2007 and 2008 from Kieren Fallon’s absence and it was in 2007 that he achieved his first Irish Derby win. Soldier Of Fortune proved very fortunate for Seamie and he followed up this success by winning the Derby again in 2008 on Frozen Fire.

Heffernan has seen many great riders come and go through the hallowed gates of Ballydoyle but he remains on. It is no doubt a great experience to ride work with so many top class jockeys including Mick Kinane, Jamie Spencer and Kieren Fallon. However Heffernan is a top-class jockey in his own right and as second jockey to some many household names over the years it is easy to forget just how successful he has been!

By Caitriona Fenton

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The arbiters of sport do not have it easy these days. It has always been the case that the referee has a good game when he remains inconspicuous, but the fitness levels of players are now at an all-time high, with the result that ballgames are played at such a pace that it is nigh on impossible for the man in the middle to have a perfect game.

There have been some high-profile errors of late – Lampard’s goal that wasn’t, Tevez’s goal that was, the Leinster Final try that was given as a goal, Benny Coulter’s square ball on Sunday – and we have the technology now to review each incident in graphically-enhanced super slow-mo, so that the referee’s every misdemeanour can be shown up at tea time in high definition for the felony that it really was.

Racing’s stewards are essentially its referees, but with two major differences. In stewards’ favour is the fact that they can deliberate over their decision. They can look at a race from every angle, from the side, from the front, from the back, sometimes from overhead. They can interview the players involved in an incident and they can debate the issue among themselves before they have to announce their decision. Referees obviously don’t have such luxuries. They usually have to make their decisions within, at most, a couple of seconds, penalty or not, square ball or not, before play has moved on and the opportunity is lost.

What makes the stewards’ job difficult, however, is the fact that their decision is based not on what happened, but on what would have happened if a certain incident hadn’t occurred. Now we are into conjecture, extrapolation and balance of probability, and that complicates matters. Would the ball have gone into the net if Suarez hadn’t handled it on the line? Easy. Would Down have beaten Kildare anyway on Sunday if Coulter’s 12th-minute goal had been disallowed? Not so easy.

The Galway stewards have been busier than most of late. On the Wednesday of the Festival last month, they had a close look at the finishes of the three-mile handicap hurdle and the one-mile handicap, as it affected the placed horses, Hoopy probably sailed close enough to the wind in edging across King Of Redfield on the run-in in the hurdle race, but he got home by a neck and the stewards decided to allow him keep it.

On the Thursday, however, they did disqualify Separate Ways for going across Luttrell Lady inside the final furlong of the one-mile handicap. It was a decision that surprised many. The stewards were effectively saying that Separate Ways interfered with Luttrell Lady, and that, on the balance of probability, the interference cost Luttrell Lady victory.

It seemed to run contrary to popular opinion. Not that popular opinion is nor should be the ultimate arbiter in these situations, but it is a fair indicator. Separate Ways did drift over towards the far rail under Colm O’Donoghue, and Joseph O’Brien did take a tug on Luttrell Lady and came around the leader to challenge on the outside, closing the gap to within a half a length at the line, but it was difficult to be dogmatic about the fact that the incident affected the result.

It is easy to be wise in hindsight. Separate Ways’s trainer David Marnane got the race back on appeal two weeks later, and the fact that his horse won another handicap on his next start off an 8lb higher mark – the day after he won the appeal – adds further credence to the notion that he was the best horse in the Galway race. All was well that ended well for connections in that instance, the trouble of preparing for and attending an appeal notwithstanding, but people who backed Separate Ways on the racecourse on the day lost their money, and that can’t be right.

If the Separate Ways decision caused raised eyebrows, however, then the Magical Memoir decision last Saturday caused cap-doffing and head-scratching. Magical Memoir passed the post first, but the stewards decided that the filly had interfered with runner-up Days Ahead to such an extent so as to affect the result, and awarded the race to the runner-up.

It was a brave decision to make. Magical Memoir did drift towards the far rail after jumping the final flight in front, Davy Russell was delivering Days Ahead with a dangerous looking challenge against said far rail, and it looked bad side-on for sure, Russell had to snatch up late on. However, from the head-on view it appears that there wasn’t enough room between the leader and the far rail for a horse to fit from fully 150 yards out. Did the gap close on Days Ahead, or was the gap and the opportunity gone already by the time he got to it? And even if he had got through it, would he have won?

The balance of probability can often hang on a knife-edge. The difficulty lies in what happens in common practice as opposed to what the rules state. In practice, in Ireland and the UK, the first horse past the post seems to be favoured. Stewards seem to be happy to allow the winner, the aggressor, keep the race unless it is obvious that the runner-up would almost certainly have won without the interference. The Galway stewards seem to have deviated from this apparently accepted norm, and it is that inconsistency that seems to have caused the head-scratching.

It is very different to what happens in France or in the Far East, where if you cause interference, regardless of how it may or may not have affected the result, you are thrown out. Black and white. If you step out of your lane in the 100-metre final, you are immediately disqualified, regardless of whether or not you were the fastest athlete in the race.

The French system isn’t ideal either, but it does have certainty and consistency, and that is just a starting point for any system of arbitration.

© The Racing Post, 31st August 2010

By Rory King

Two horses to take out of York and two more from last week.

Having originally thought that Midday emerged as by far the best filly from the Yorkshire Oaks, on closer inspection Snow Fairy actually ran a very encouraging second. Having strengthened up through the season, she now looks likely to improve for the step up in distance to a mile and six, having shown a neat turn of foot to win over ten furlongs on her first run of the season, as she temporarily came off the bridle turning in here. Soon back travelling well, Richard Hughes had her tracking Midday up the straight but Midday, the triple Group 1 winner over ten furlongs, was far better suited to the sprint finish than the dual Oaks winner, although Snow Fairy stuck to her guns well in the final furlong.

Considering how she totally outstayed her rivals in the Irish Oaks, and the way she ran all the way to the line here at York, I think she will relish the step up in trip on Town Moor. The 6/1 currently on offer for the Leger does look very big, particularly as the strong favourite Rewilding who seems to need a break in between his runs may find this coming too soon after a hard race in the Voltigeur, albeit he was very impressive. That, combined with the fine record of fillies in the race, especially Oaks winners, makes Snow Fairy the most appealing one for me at this stage.

The other horse to take out of the Ebor Festival for me is Crown Prosecutor. I think Brian Meehan’s colt emerges from the Gimcrack as the best six-furlong performer in the field. He was the only one really able to lie up with Temple Meads early on and looked set to win having mastered that rival entering the final hundred yards, only to be run down very late on by Approve who looks likely to get a mile plus next year. Crown Prosecutor travelled through the race like a very good horse and ultimately only lost the race by being outstayed late on. He proved here that his Vintage Stakes experience at Goodwood had not made its mark on him, physically or mentally, and he will be very high on the list for me in any six-furlong two-year-old race for the rest of the season.

Traffic Guard was unlucky not to win the Listed August Stakes at Windsor on Saturday night and emerges as by far and away the best horse in the race. Held up last of the seven runners in a race featuring a dawdling early pace, he travelled very enthusiastically and picked up willingly down the middle of the track inside the last three furlongs but just could not get to Whispering Gallery who was given a fine ride by Durcan, in the prime position out in front from the word go. A bump a furlong and a half out did not help Traffic Guard, and he is without doubt the horse to take out of the race. He is at his best in my opinion over twelve furlongs, despite that excellent second to New Approach in the Irish Champion Stakes as he stays very well – over ten furlongs he needs tracks with very long home straights to bring his stamina into play (he has always run very well at Newmarket). Traffic Guard has now put three very good runs together and will be of interest wherever he turns up next.

Primarily being a jumps fan, I got very excited seeing Grand Slam Hero destroy his rivals in a decent early season three and a quarter mile handicap chase at Ffos Las on Wednesday. The official winning distance of five lengths could easily have been trebled as the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained horse sauntered home, with Paddy Brennan never having an anxious moment on board. Twiston-Davies has improved this horse over thirty pounds since he’s had him, and as a nine-year-old he is relatively lightly raced, so it’s not impossible that he improves again after this. Since he has been in the care of the Gold Cup-winning trainer he has won six of his eight completed starts (hurdles and chases) and of the three times he has failed to get round, one was a first fence fall in the Galway Plate and another was an early retirement at Newton Abbot after being severely hampered at the first. The race that immediately sprang to mind for me for Grand Slam Hero is the Hennessy, due to the similarities of Ffos Las to Newbury and the manner in which he dispatched his rivals here. Although that race is still three months away, Grand Slam Hero is clearly thriving at Naunton and if the trainer can get him to Newbury in anywhere near the same form as this then he will take some beating. I don’t know what the plan is with Denman with regards the race this year, and if he doesn’t run then Grand Slam Hero will likely be one of the higher rated runners as he must go up at least another ten pounds for this latest demolition job. Even so, I will be very interested in his chances if he does line up at Newbury in late November.

By Rory King

This year’s renewal of the Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh on Sunday looked like a high quality one beforehand, and it looks even better now in hindsight. The first four home – Misty For Me, Laughing Lashes, Kissable and Together – dominated throughout, they occupied the first four positions from early and they had a clear break on the rest of the field from fully five furlongs out, a break they never looked likely to relinquish. The time of the race was top class for juvenile fillies, just 0.15secs/furlong slower than standard on ground that the rest of the times on the day suggest was good, not the official good to firm, and the second fastest comparative time overall on the day, second only to the Group 3 sprint.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see all four fillies progress significantly from this, but the one to take out of the race for me was third-placed Kissable. Lady O’Reilly’s filly was the first of the four fillies to come off the bridle. Indeed, it looked at the three-furlong pole when the pace quickened as if she might be swamped and might not be involved in the finish at all, as the other three fillies appeared to be travelling better. However, the further they went the stronger the Kevin Prendergast filly seemed to get, and she stayed on best of all through the final 200 yards to catch Together for third place and get to within a neck of the runner-up Laughing Lashes, a length behind the winner, and she was in front 100 yard after the winning post.

The daughter of Danehill Dancer has run just four times now. On her previous run, in the Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown in July (after which she was mentioned here), she did finish just third, three lengths behind Together and two lengths behind Laughing Lashes, but she was caught for room just as they quickened at the top of the home straight that day, and she actually did well to stay on to finish as close as she did. All last week, Prendergast said that he was hoping that it would rain a little, that a little bit of a cut in the ground would be in his filly’s favour. The rain didn’t arrive in any great quantity but, you have to think that, if it had, given the manner in which she stayed on, Kissable would have gone mighty close to winning. By Danehill Dancer out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Kitty O’Shea (herself a full-sister to St Leger winner Brian Boru), her full-brother Kingdom Of Munster won his maiden on heavy ground at Tipperary, so you have to think that Kissable will progress again for easier ground and for a greater test of stamina. As a Tattersalls graduate, she is in all the valuable sales races between now and the end of the season, but she would be of big interest if she took up her engagement in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Ascot at the end of September, especially if the ground were to come up on the easy side at Ascot on the day.

29th August 2010

© The Irish Field, 4th September 2010

Hamish McGonagall ran a lot better than his finishing position suggests in the Group 3 Goffs Flying Five at The Curragh on Sunday. Always handy and towards the far side, he was short of room a couple of times through the final two furlongs when his rider David Allen wanted to go forward, once when Glamorous Spirit came across him slightly just inside the two-furlong pole, and again when Benbaun moved to his left a furlong out. The net result was that Allen had to switch him all the way across to the far side, furthest of all from the favoured stands rail, in order that he could get room to deliver his challenge. By the time he did, however, it was all too late, Astrophysical Jet had shot through a gap on the near side and quickened up to win nicely. However, Hamish McGonagall finished best of all down the centre of the track, and was actually in front 100 yards after the line.

It is almost always an advantage to race close to the stands rail on the sprint track at The Curragh, and Sunday was no exception, so Tim Easterby’s gelding did well to go so close from his draw in stall 13 of the 15 runners and racing down the centre of the track. He just didn’t have the easy early pace to maintain his early position in the front rank to the three-furlong pole against some real speedsters, but he doesn’t have to lead, and he looked very strong from the middle part of the race on. If he had enjoyed a clear run, even though he was racing out in the centre, he would almost certainly have gone close to beating Astrophysical Jet, even though she was a clear two-length winner.

Winner of a big five-furlong handicap at York’s Ebor meeting on his previous start, the son of Namid is in the form of his life. He was rated a career-high 109 coming into this race but, on this evidence, that mark still under-estimates his ability. He is worthy of his place in Group races, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him pick up a big five-furlong prize during this Indian summer before the ground turns. He will be of interest wherever he runs next, either in a Pattern race or in a big handicap, as long as the ground is good or better, and he may just be under-rated on the back of this run.

29th August 2010

© The Irish Field, 4th September 2010