Amralah

Plenty went wrong for Amralah in the 12-furlong three-year-old handicap at Newmarket on Saturday, and he did well to win in the end.

He was keener than ideal behind a sedate enough early pace that Royal Skies was allowed to set and, while a couple of his rivals were also keen early on, Amralah remained keenest for longest. Even after they had passed the half-way stage, he hadn’t fully settled. He shifted to his right just six furlongs out, perhaps due to the fast ground, and he briefly got into a bit of a barging match with Van Percy which wasn’t helpful. Despite that, however, he continued to travel well to the final three furlongs, and he battled on really bravely through the final quarter of a mile to keep the favourite and hitherto unbeaten Urban Dance at bay. He edged away again at the line to win by nearly two lengths without the need for Silvestre De Sousa to get too serious with him.

The Teofilo colt had run well on both of his runs at two – finishing fifth behind Mill Reef Stakes winner Mohaajim on his debut and then battling on well to beat Fehaydi at Newmarket in November – and he made quite a pleasing, albeit fairly late reappearance as a three-year-old this season in August over a mile. That trip was clearly too short for him, and he did well to finish third in what was quite a useful race. He was unlucky to come up against the useful Zain Eagle on his next run in a classified race when stepped up to a mile and a quarter at Doncaster. Zain Eagle was disappointing at Chester on Saturday, but he never looked happy on the track.

Amralah’s dam is from the very good family of Reams Of Verse, Elmaamul and Manifest, and he has lots of scope to improve further now over this mile and a half. He is still lightly-raced, and just a 4lb rise for this win looks lenient. His new mark of 89 is one that he has the potential to surpass by a fair way, and he is one for the big handicaps over a mile and a half next season. In the meantime, he is one in whom to be interested if he runs again this term.

28th September 2013