Hanoverian Baron

Hanoverian Baron was really impressive in winning what looked beforehand like a hot 12-furlong handicap at York on Friday. He tracked the leaders in the early stages, improved nicely from the top of the home straight, travelling well, hit the front two furlongs out and came clear, running on really well all the way to the line. He had been running over shorter trips last year, but he won really well on his first try over a mile and a quarter on soft ground at Sandown on his final start last season, he only got up inside the last 100 yards, giving the impression that he would be even better over further.

He was entered in the November Handicap at the end of last season, but didn’t get in. He thrived over the winter, according to his trainer Tony Newcombe, and he had run really well on his debut when he finished second behind the high class Alainmaar in the City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom at the end of April. Newcombe was talking afterwards about going for the Magnet Cup, but that race is run over a mile and a quarter, and that may be a little sharp for him. You have to think that, on this evidence, a mile and a half is his optimum. He saw out the trip really well, if anything he was idling in front, and rider David Probert said afterwards that he hit a couple of flat spots, although it was difficult to see where they were, even on the video. The handicapper raised him just 5lb for this, which is lenient in the extreme, this was a hot handicap and he is a progressive individual. He will be of interest wherever he goes next, but ideally he will race over no shorter than a mile and a half.

14th May 2010