Nehaam

There is every chance that the Tattersalls Timeform Trophy that Nehaam won at Newmarket on Wednesday, a new race, will turn out to be a very good race, and the first two – who pulled clear of the Ballydoyle colt Rockhampton, already the winner of a 10-furlong maiden at the end of last month – will probably be worth following. Runner-up was Monitor Closely, a Peter Chapple-Hyam colt who won a Newbury maiden at the back end of last season, and was making his seasonal debut, but the winner is even more interesting.

Settled just behind the front rank on the far rail, and a little keen through the early stages of the race, Nehaam moved easily into the lead two and a half furlongs out, and showed a really impressive turn of foot at the two-furlong pole when Richard Hills could wait no longer and asked him to go and win his race. It was a race-winning move. He did seem to tire up the hill inside the last 50 yards, but Monitor Closely was never really going to catch him.

An impressive winner of a seven-furlong maiden at Newmarket last September on his only previous run, Nehaam is by Nayef and is a half-brother to Astrocharm, who won over a mile and six furlongs, and to Sand And Stars, a winner over a mile and a half, so he has every chance on breeding of getting the extra two furlongs of the Derby. You could easily argue that it didn’t look like he would get an inch further than this 10 furlongs, given the way that the runner-up was closing on the run to the line, but he was keen through the early stages, and there is every chance that he will settle better as he gains in experience.

John Gosden said afterwards that he was hoping to run him in the seven-furlong Tattersalls race at the back end of last season, but he figured that he was fairly immature, so decided to put him away for the season. That decision may reap dividends this season. Gosden also said that the colt bruised a foot badly and lost two weeks earlier in the season, and the trainer wasn’t sure that he would be fully fit for Wednesday’s race, so he will probably come on a lot for this. Furthermore, he was weak in the market before this contest, so it is probable that there is much better to come. The Dante is next on his agenda, with the Derby the long term target. Best odds of 20/1 about him for the Derby look more than fair. He is a lovely-actioned colt who should be well able for the contours of Epsom.

© The Irish Field, 25th April 2009