Redwood

Redwood was good in winning the Group 3 Glorious Stakes at Goodwood on Friday. The Barry Hills-trained colt had to be niggled along early on the race, but that’s the type of horse he is, he is a little quirky and is often under-rated as a result, which is no harm from a betting perspective. He was first of the bridle as they came up the straight, and there looked to be a whole host of horses travelling better than him, but he picked up well to go from last to challenge Sri Putra in front, staying on well to win nicely in a good time, the only time that dipped below standard on the day.

Redwood still looks progressive. His turn of foot is a big asset, he is at his best when he can quicken off a strong pace and in a small field, often appearing to be under pressure relatively early in his races. In winning here, he paid another compliment to Sans Frontieres and the Princess of Wales’s form, which had probably been under-rated.

While there is still a generally impression around that Redwood is a bit un-genuine and quirky, you can’t argue with a lot of his form, he ran a cracker when just denied by the useful Glass Harmonium at Sandown at the start of the year. His run after that can be excused, soft ground around Chester would not have suited at all, and there was a lot to like about the way he stayed on in second behind the impressive Sans Frontieres on his previous run. He remains worth following. He could be going to Turkey for a big international race there, or he could run in the Canadian International next.

30th July 2010