Horses To Follow » Ginger Jack

Ginger Jack

Ginger Jack put in a good performance to take a one-mile Class 3 handicap at Haydock last Thursday. The Mark Johnston-trained gelding was taken on for the lead by Benandonner after two furlongs and Joe Fanning was happy to sit in behind, obviously happy that the leader was going too fast, but it meant that he raced off the rail around the home turn. However, he picked up well in the home straight out in the centre, and stayed on well to catch Benandonner and hold off the challenge of Follow The Flag on his outside, with good horses like Rumool and Ezdeyaad in behind. Also, the time was good, just 0.07secs/furlong slower than standard.

This was a good effort from Ginger Jack and it saw him reverse form with Ezdeyaad, albeit on better terms than when they met over this course and distance, when Ginger Jack was probably ridden too aggressively and was hampered inside the final furlong. His third behind the same connections’ Sea Lord at Doncaster on his previous run looks even better now in light of Sea Lord’s subsequent exploits. The handicapper raised Ginger Jack to a mark of 87, up 4lb, but he was impressive in winning a one-mile handicap at Musselburgh off that mark, knocking two seconds off the course record, and there should be more to come from the son of Refuse To Bend. That was his 10th start but he still displays signs of greenness, he raced with his tongue hanging out at Haydock and with his head held slightly to the left. He should continue to progress.

1st July 2010