Mizani

It was only a four-horse race that Mizani won at Navan on Saturday, but he was impressive in so doing, and he looks destined for better things now.

Shane Foley was soon tracking his main market rival Swerve, he moved up onto the leader’s quarters around the home turn, and though they both seemed to be going strongly two and a half furlongs out, Mizani picked up immediately when Foley asked him to, passing the two-furlong pole, quickly settled the race and stayed on really well all the way to the line. He was unextended yet still won in a good time, the best comparative time of the day and much faster than the other races over a mile (3.3 seconds quicker than the 50-80 handicap later on the card).

The two fillies who chased him home both had useful form. Ronan’s Bay, who finished second, was rated 88 going into the race, and had finished third to Homecoming Queen in a listed race last October, while Swerve had an official rating of 91.

This was just Mizani’s third ever race, all three runs having come in the last six weeks, and he is most progressive. After an encouraging debut over 10 furlongs at Navan, in a race that is working out well, he just got up to beat Handazan at Naas over the same trip. The pair of them were nicely clear, Handazan went on to win his next race by eight lengths, and Mizani stepped up on that run himself here. It may have been the soft ground, or it may have been the drop back to a mile – he is by Bachelor Duke out of a Zafonic mare who herself is out of a Jacques Le Marois winner – because he doesn’t lack for pace at this trip. Of course, it may just be that he is really improving now after his first couple of runs, he has the scope to continue to progress now and he should be worth following. He will warrant close consideration now wherever he runs next, inevitably stepped up in grade, especially while Michael Halford’s horses continue in such fine form.

9th June 2012