Out And About

Out And About looked good in landing the concluding race at Haydock on Saturday, the seven-furlong three-year-olds’ handicap.

Ryan Moore settled the Fastnet Rock gelding back in eighth place of the 13-strong field, as he sought to get in close to the rail from stall nine before they rounded the turn out of the back straight, which they do about a furlong after the seven-furlong start at Haydock. The rider succeeding in getting his horse in just one off the inside rail, and settled into a nice racing rhtyhm. Niggled along a little as they straightened up for home and passed the four-furlong pole, Out And About made nice progress towards the near side initially. Passing the two-furlong pole he started to engage top gear as Moore got into the drive position. He came with a powerful run down the outside, struck the front at the furlong pole, and just kept going nicely all the way to the winning line.

This performance from William Haggas’ horse impressed visually. He only got home by a length in the end from Fighting Temeraire and George William, but he left the impression that he had far more in hand than that. The turn of foot that he showed to go from mid-division to the front rank in the space of a couple of hundred yards was the turn of foot of a horse who was probably competing in a grade that was well beneath him, and he just idled inside the final furlong as his rider did no more than keep him up to his work.

The handicapper raised him 8lb to a mark of 92, but, such was the probable magnitude of his superiority, he is value for all of that. Also, this was his seasonal debut, and it was just the third run of his life, so he has bundles of scope for progression.

Held in high regard by his trainer, the Out And About was beaten on his racecourse debut at Newbury last August. However, sent off an unconsidered 25/1 shot for that race, he did make nice ground towards the end of the contest on soft ground to take fourth place. It was a different story on his next run, at Redcar in October on better ground when, sent off the 11/10 favourite, he kept on well to win nicely.

William Haggas suggested that the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot might be the race for Out And About now, and that race would be a logical target. His new mark should get him into the race on a nice racing weight, probably in the mid-8sts, and, a half-brother to four horses who won over a mile, he could improve again for a step up to that trip. He does race like he will get further than seven furlongs.

28^th May 2016