Sir Reginald

Sir Reginald produced a good effort to finish third in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York on Wednesday. Frankie Dettori seemed to be intent on holding onto the son of Compton Place early and he was restrained towards the rear for the first half of the race. He did get outpaced when the front three quickened at the three-furlong pole, but he was also short of room in among horses, and he did run on really well when he got out and was able to get after them, just getting up to deprive Temple Meads for third place.

Sir Reginald must have been six lengths behind the leaders passing the furlong pole, but in the end he was beaten just three and while he probably wouldn’t have won with a clear run, he would have been a lot closer than he was in what looked like a good renewal of the Gimcrack. The winner Approve was already a proven high class juvenile coming into the race, having won the Norfolk in impressive fashion at Royal Ascot, runner-up Crown Prosecutor had created a really good impression on his first two starts and showed his true form here after disappointing on his previous run when sent off as favourite for the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, while fourth-placed Temple Meads was a really impressive winner of the Weatherbys Super Sprint on his previous run. So the form looks solid and the race was run at a decent pace and in a good time, the second-fastest comparative time on the day.

This was just Sir Reginald’s fourth ever race and he is obviously held in high regard by his owner Jim McGrath and trainer Richard Fahey. He looked good on his racecourse debut yet, when he finished second to subsequent Coventry Stakes runner-up Elzaam, and he should be able to go on from this now. He should also improve for easier ground given that his half-brother Henrik, a talented sort who only raced three times, finished third to Motivator in the Racing Post Trophy on soft ground on his last start.

18th August 2010