Frontier Lady

Frontier Lady ran a cracker to finish second in the extended two-mile handicap chase at Fairyhouse on Wednesday. Sent to the front from flagfall by Paul Townend, she travelled and jumped really well throughout, measuring up her fences well and getting away quickly on the landing side. It wasn’t ideal that Seepeeoh challenged her for the lead up by Ballyhack, she was a little keen when she did, and Townend was happy to take her back a little off the new leader, happy that his mare didn’t have to lead. She continued to travel and jump really well from there, however, and she was back in front rounding the home turn. She was the only horse still on the bridle on the run to the second last, when a good jump, coupled with a mistake by her only real challenger at that point, Sizing America, looked to have sealed it for her. Townend gave her a squeeze going down to the last and she picked up nicely, but she was a little deliberate at the last, landed flat-footed, and just got run out of it by a rallying Sizing America.

She has run 10 times now over fences, she shouldn’t have too many secrets from the handicapper, but she appears to be progressing on her last five runs and, on this evidence, her current rating of 110 seems to under-estimate her ability at least a little. (She was rated 116 are her peak last autumn.) She handles this soft ground well, but she might do better returned to a sharper track.

2nd December 2009