Racy

Trouble in running is part and parcel of big field sprint handicaps, particularly so at York where they can congregate towards the stands side down the straight course, and that was the case here with Racy, certainly a sufferer in the five-furlong handicap, the first race on the Thursday of the Dante meeting.

The Medicean gelding was well drawn in stall 16 but was well back towards the favoured stands rail and was impeded when first looking to start his run, having to switch three horses off the rail. When he did get through the first wave of horses in front of him, he made his ground impressively and found himself on the heels of the leaders, but was forced to check again. He ran on well up the stands side as the winner Ancient Cross edged out to his left, narrowly failing to get up for second, three quarters of a length behind the winner. While the winner won a little cosily in the end, he had a perfect run through this race, a lovely gap emerged allowing him to race against the favoured stands side from about half way, and it is not hard to argue that Racy would have finished much closer, if not in front, granted a clearer passage.

This was a cracking effort on his first run for Kevin Ryan having been sold out of Sir Michael Stoute’s yard at the end of last season. He is the first foal of Soar, the Princess Margaret and Lowther winner, and he was a talented sprinter last year, holding his own in big field three-year-old early season handicaps at Newmarket. He is still very lightly raced having been off since June, and he has been gelded in the meantime, with his weakness in the market on Thursday suggesting that he may come on for this as well. He has been raised 3lb for this run, but that still leaves him on a very workable mark of 91, and Kevin Ryan, who does well with his sprinters, is sure to place him to good effect this season. he is entered in the Wokingham, and odds of 25/1 about him for that would be very interesting indeed if you knew that that was his target.

12th May 2011