Forzy Origny

The Sir Robert Ogden-owned Forzy Origny ran an eye-catching race to finish sixth in the two-mile-five-furlong handicap hurdle at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day. Held up well out the back in the early stages by Ruby Walsh – he was actually third last going past the winning post first time – he made nice progress easily down the far side on the outside behind a fast pace that was being set by Marodima. He was ridden along leaving the back straight, and he was able to close up nicely to move promisingly in behind the leaders at the top of the home straight, but his effort petered out between the last two flights, and Ruby was easy enough on him once his winning chance had gone.

Nevertheless, this was a most promising run from a nice individual who kept the best of company in France and who was making his debut in the UK for Alan King. The last time the son of Sleeping Car set foot on a racecourse was in November 2006, when he finished third, beaten just eight lengths by the top class Or Noir De Somoza, in a Grade 1 chase for four-year-olds run over two miles and six furlongs at Auteuil. On his previous run, he had finished fifth behind Kasbah Bliss in a Grade 3 four-year-old hurdle, also at Auteuil. Although he is eight years old now, Forzy Origny has only run 10 times in his life, six times over hurdles and four times over fences and, if he is over the problems that kept him off the track for over three years, he is a very interesting prospect now. It will be interesting to see what Alan King does with him next, but you suspect that he could be a really exciting handicap chaser at a minimum. He could be much better over hurdles than the rating of 125 off which he raced at Kempton suggests, and he could be an even better chaser who could prove to be a fair bit better than his rating of 133 in that sphere. His half-brother won over two and three-quarter miles, and he is out of a half-sister to Cyfor Malta. He will be of interest wherever he goes next.

26th December 2009