Secrecy

Secrecy didn’t lose much in defeat when finishing second to the progressive Cityscape in a competitive one-mile listed race at Haydock on Saturday. The King’s Best gelding always travelled well for Frankie Dettori, held up well off the pace through the first half of the race. He had to be ridden along and switched right to the outside of the whole field to get a run and get into contention, and he picked up really well to go past Awzaan and challenge the improving run of Cityscape at the furlong pole. He looked the most likely winner at that point, Frankie looked like he was about to kick on and win well, but Cityscape just found more at the end, going on to win by just over a length, with the pair of them clear of their field.

This was a good run from Secrecy, he was the only one to challenge Cityscape and the only one to make ground from the centre of the track, having had to be switched there to get a run. Given that, he is probably even better than the run suggests and losing out to Cityscape is no disgrace, Roger Charlton’s colt looks really progressive now, having come back from a few setbacks after running in last year’s 2000 Guineas. Secrecy himself doesn’t have many miles on the clock and there could be more to come from him this season. He finished a close third to the ultra-progressive and tough Sea Lord (who ran well when supplemented to the Irish Champion Stakes since) on his seasonal debut in a Group 3 at Salisbury, a race from which the second, Poet’s Voice, has since come out and won the Group 2 Summer Mile. On his last run before Saturday, Secrecy picked up really well to beat his stable companion, Sirocco Breeze, the choice of Frankie Dettori on the day, in a decent conditions event at Kempton. He will be interesting wherever he goes next.

4th September 2010