Tabarrak

Tabarrak put up a nice performance to win the Listed one-mile race at Ascot on Wednesday.

Well-supported in the market beforehand, Richard Hannon’s horse was settled nicely in fourth or fifth of the seven runners through the early stages of the race by Jim Crowley. Angled towards the near side at the three-furlong pole, he got a nice split between Algaith and Kaspersky two furlongs out, he picked up nicely to go through the gap, and he stayed on strongly to withstand the late challenge of favourite, the talented Ennaadd, the pair of them finishing over a length clear of Firmament in third.

Winner of a seven-furlong handicap at Ascot last May off a mark of 97, Tabarrak didn’t race again after that until he returned, newly gelded, at Newmarket last month to finish second to Mix And Mingle in a good handicap off a mark of 105. Raised 2lb for that to a mark of 107, he deserved to take his chance in a listed race, and he proved that he was well up to this level. This was just his seventh race, his record now reads 2122121 – two of his four defeats were by a neck – and he can progress again. He got the mile well, it was his first attempt at the trip, and that opens up options for him. He could do better with a little bit of cut in the ground, and he could step up into a Group race now.

3^rd May 2017