Qewy

Qewy put up a really good performance to finish second to Jennies Jewel in the Ascot Stakes on Tuesday.

Settled towards the rear of the field and towards the outside by James McDonald, he was wide all the way. He was still travelling well as they started the turn for home, but he must have been about 15 lengths behind the leader and ultimate winner Jennies Jewel. He picked up well when his rider asked him to, he stayed on really strongly all the way up the home straight, but the mare in front was really game, and she picked up to repel his challenge. Qewy was just a neck down at the line, but the rest of the field were nicely stretched out behind the first two home.

This was probably a career-best from Qewy under any code. Winner of the Listed Heritage Stakes over a mile for John Oxx as a four-year-old, he was a decent novice hurdler for John Ferguson, he finished fifth in Douvan’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and he was third in the Grade 2 Top Novices’ Hurdle at the 2015 Aintree Grand National meeting. He shaped as if he would be a high-class novice chaser at the start of last season too, but, returned to hurdles, his season petered out a little. Tuesday’s run was his first since he was brought down in a handicap hurdle at Aintree last April.

His stamina for this two-and-half-mile trip on the flat was not proven, but he saw out every yard of it. And he did well to get so close, given that he came from as far back as he did. The winner made all and the third and fourth were both handy from early. Qewy was the only horse to get into the race from the rear.

The handicapper will probably give him a few pounds now, but he shouldn’t raise him too much above the mark of 100 off which he raced on Tuesday. The fact that he stayed so well opens up lots of options for him. He could be a horse for the Ebor or the Cesarewitch, and he would not have to improve a great deal to get into the reckoning for the Goodwood Cup or the Lonsdale Cup or the Doncaster Cup.

14^th June 2016