Racketeer

Racketeer showed a really nice turn of foot to win the first at Sandown on Friday, the Esher Cup, the one-mile handicap for three-year-olds. He travelled really well down to the two-furlong pole, then found as much as it looked like he would to quicken clear, drawing six lengths clear of his field and posting a good time, a second and a half faster than the conditions race over the same course and distance won by Parthenon later in the day.

This was just Racketeer’s third ever race, and his first on turf. He only just got home by a head in his maiden at Southwell in December, but he has obviously progressed significantly since then, and he can go on again from this. His trainer John Gosden said afterwards that he will need good or softer ground, so it may be that we will see him again before the ground gets too quick. The handicapper will have his say now, and he did carry bottom weight of 8st 4lb on Friday, but he had so much in hand that he should be able to take even a fair hike in his stride. He is a half-brother to Attraction, and he is an exciting prospect. He could be a fair bit better than a handicapper.

24th April 2009