Mitchum Swagger

Mitchum Swagger ran a nice race in the Group 2 Bet365 Mile at Sandown last Friday.

Weak in the market beforehand, David Lanigan’s horse was dropped in through the early stages of the race by Tom Queally. Keen enough down the back straight, he was just seventh of the nine runners as they rounded the home turn, but he did travel well into the home straight. Angled towards the outside two and a half furlongs out, he just couldn’t get a gap either side of Cougar Mountain through which to deliver his run. Queally didn’t have to snatch up or stop riding or anything, but he just struggled for real racing room and, by the time he got it, it was far too late, Sovereign Debt was making the best of his way home. Even so, Mitchum Swagger kept on all the way to the line to take fifth place, running on nicely at the finish, and beaten a total of just three and a half lengths in a good time, the fastest time of the day and just 0.09secs/furlong slower than Racing Post par.

The Paco Boy gelding is five now, but he is not overly exposed, having raced just 11 times in his life. He didn’t win last season, but he ran some fine races in defeat, including when he was beaten just a head by Hathal in the Group 3 Superior Mile at Haydock in September. He is up to Group 2 or Group 3 standard and, at his best on easy ground, he will be of interest again now the next time he has some cut in the ground. Third in last year’s Royal Hunt Cup off a mark of 108, he is only 2lb higher now, and he would be of interest again in that race, if it happened to be run on soft ground again, if connections went down that route again. The fast pace that big-field handicaps usually generate is a positive for him.

28^th April 2017