Toolain

Toolain battled on well to hold Galtymore Lad in a seven-furlong listed event at Ascot on Saturday, the same race won by Raven’s Pass in 2007. He had proved to be a bit of a quirky sort on his previous two starts, but this was much more like it. He was close to the pace throughout and he showed a nice turn of foot to take it up at the furlong pole , he did drift a bit to his left but Philip Robinson seemed to be happy enough to let him do so, he was always holding the runner-up.

He probably would have beaten Ecliptic – the July Stakes runner-up who may well have won that race had he not veered to his right inside the closing stages – had he not unseated his rider in the closing stages on his racecourse debut at Sandown, and he came out next time and won an egg and spoon race at Wolverhampton. The son of Diktat is obviously a bit quirky, but this was a much more genuine effort and he can only improve with more experience under his belt. The Champagne Stakes is next, apparently, and he will not be out of place in that.

24th July 2010