King’s Warrior

King’s Warrior was quite a big price for his reappearance in the City And Suburban Handicap over a mile and a quarter at Epsom last Wednesday, but he shaped nicely in finishing fourth behind Area Fifty One.

Held up from the start, as he always is, he travelled smoothly and started to make some progress up the inside around Tattenham Corner, but he could never get close enough to land a blow in a race that favoured those ridden on the pace. The winner, Area Fifty One, had raced in second before getting up close home, and the second placed horse, Clayton, had never been out of the first four or five, while the front-running Vasily finished third. King’s Warrior couldn’t quicken from the three-furlong pole and the front group got away from him, but he ran on well from the rear down the outside under just a hands-and-heels ride to get up for fourth near the line, after Validus had been badly hampered.

Peter Chapple-Hyam’s gelding was having his first run since finishing down the field in last season’s Cambridgeshire, and the Cambridgeshire was his first run since he won the John Smith’s Cup at York comfortably over two months previously, so it is reasonable to expect that he will come on for this reappearance. He is talented, he looked very good when he won that John Smith’s Cup and, although he is 10lb higher than he was for that win, his new mark of 101 may not be beyond him on this evidence. He will be interesting wherever he goes next now. He would be particularly interesting back at York for a handicap at the Dante meeting.

24th April 2013