Roi De Vitesse

It wasn’t surprising that Roi De Vitesse got outpaced early on in the Rochestown Stakes at Cork on Sunday. He broke well from stall one on the favoured stands rails, but he wasn’t able to hold his position in the front rank on the rail as Love Lockdown simply swamped him for early pace. He was the first horse off the bridle and looked as if he would be left behind at one stage, but he kept at it, and finished right on the heels of the first two, two smart aminals, in third place. Actually, if he had been able to engineer a bit of racing room for himself inside the final furlong, he would have finished even closer.

This was a performance that cried out for a step up in trip, at least to seven furlongs. Strange on first looking at his pedigree, given that he is by Chineur, a King’s Stand Stakes winner, out of a Barathea mare. But his dam won over a mile on the all-weather as a juvenile, and her half-sister, Santa Isobel, won over 10 furlongs. More than his pedigree, however, Roi De Vitesse’s previous effort had already suggested that he needed to step up in trip. That was at Pontefract over six furlongs last month when he stepped up markedly on his maiden win over five furlongs, staying on really well to get the better of Walkingonthemoon. When you are staying on well up the hill over six furlongs at Pontefract you probably want to go over seven.

The Listed Woodcote Stakes at Epsom on Derby weekend was under consideration for the son of Chineur after that, but Rod Millman obviously just felt that it would not be a stiff enough test for him. He had to have gone mighty close in the Woodcote as well, because Walkingonthemoon finished second in that contest to Corporal Maddox, despite not handling the track too well.

The Chesham Stakes over seven furlongs would have been an obvious target for Roi De Vitesse, but he is not eligible for that contest, as it is restricted to horses whose sires have won over 10 furlongs or more. The Group 2 Superlative Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket’s July meeting could be the race for him now.

14th June 2009