Sirocco Breeze

Sirocco Breeze was most impressive in landing a Class 3 seven-furlong handicap at Lingfield on Thursday. Settled nicely in mid-division, he moved up nicely around the home turn, improved to join the leader Beckermet at the two-furlong pole and then quickened away really impressively to win as he liked.

This may not have been the greatest Class 3 contest that Lingfield ever staged. Most of Sirocco Breeze’s rivals were fairly well exposed. Beckermet is a useful stick, and he did get it all his own way up front, allowing Neil Callan to dictate a pace that suite himself, but this was his 79th run, he has been struggling this season to find his best form, and he had never before won over a distance beyond six furlongs. The fact that he was able to stick on so well to retain second place, although he did appear to be quietly fancied, suggests that the rest of them didn’t have much in hand of the handicapper.

Sirocco Breeze is interesting now, however. This was the Green Desert colt’s first start in a year. He had actually run just twice before, winning his maiden on his racecourse debut at Leicester over seven furlongs on soft ground last October, and then disappointing a fair bit when beaten in a conditions race at Doncaster before the end of last season. This was his first race since. The handicapper had taken no chances by giving him a mark of 93 for his handicap debut (7lb higher than the mark he had before he disappointed in that conditions race, for some reason), but he made light of it. He could prove to be quite useful indeed, and he is one to look forward to for next season when he should be a fair bit better than a handicapper.

29th October 2009