Boogie Shoes

Boogie Shoes ran a really encouragingly race in his first-time blinkers at Newmarket last Thursday, producing a joint career-best effort on Racing Post Ratings, equalling the performance of his first run of the season, and he is interesting again now.

The blinkers just lit him up a little, and it wasn’t ideal that he was tracking Swerve, who had bolted to the start and who more or less bolted in the race. Boogie Shoes was inclined to go half a stride too quick chasing the filly with Neil Callan just having to hold him together, especially when the field got to Swerve at half way. The two groups converged at that point, with Boogie Shoes one of three horses who raced slightly away from those down the near side, and he was left four horses off the rail and was still racing enthusiastically with three and a half furlongs to run. He was travelling best of all a furlong and a half from home, he lengthened nicely as they hit the rising ground coming inside the final furlong but he just had no answer to Basseterre’s finishing kick through the final half-furlong, albeit that he wasn’t helped by the winner edging into him late on.

Basseterre is a good three-year-old, he maybe hasn’t fully lived up to expectations this season – he was left in the 2000 Guineas until a relatively late stage – but he looks to be getting it together now and Charlie Hills is looking forward to him for next season. The winner was able to take a nice tow in behind Boogie Shoes, and in the circumstances Boogie Shoes did really well to get as close as he did.

A 1lb hike for If Roger Varian’s gelding is not harsh and, if he can settle a little better in the blinkers next time, then he will be interesting. His three best runs have now all come at Newmarket on the Rowley Mile, so he would be particularly interesting if he were to run again at one of the remaining fixtures at the track this season.

29th September 2012