Rumool

Rumool ran well on just his fourth ever run to finish fifth behind Oasis Dancer in that good one-mile handicap at Newmarket on Saturday. Steadied at the start by Ryan Moore and moved over in behind horses from his draw on the near rail in stall one, the Clive Brittain-trained horse travelled nicely to the four-furlong pole, but came under pressure quite quickly when the pace increased three furlongs out. He was about six lengths off the pace and being ridden along with hands and heels going into the Dip, but he stayed on nicely up out of it, running on well under mainly a hands and heels ride, just two cracks of the whip, to get up and take fifth spot.

Although he won a six-furlong conditions race at Kempton last June, the son of Exceed And Excel gave the impression here that he now needs further than this eight-furlong trip to be at his best. Third over nine furlongs on his only previous start this season, at Kempton in March, he probably wasn’t best suited by setting the pace that day, but he did keep on after being headed to finish third, just a half a length behind the winner Middle Club. He is not a straightforward individual, he dropped his rider and bolted on the way to the start before he won his maiden, and he hung fairly violently to his left when he came under pressure, but there is no doubt that he has talent. He will probably be best suited to hold-up tactics now, and he will be interesting if he steps up to nine or 10 furlongs next.

1st May 2010