Visionary

Visionary put up a good performance to win the six-furlong listed race for three-year-olds at Newbury on Saturday.

Travelling well for Jamie Spencer through the early stages of the race towards the far side, he was niggled along a little at the three-furlong pole, but he continued to move forward. It appeared that Simmie was travelling better at the two-furlong pole, but Robert Cowell’s horse found plenty for pressure. He showed a nice turn of foot on the run to the furlong pole to pick up between horses.

He got the better of Florida Times on the far side, and he stayed on well enough to just hold on from the fast-finishing Simmie. It was a fine performance by the Dream Ahead colt. There was a lot to like about the willing manner in which he saw out his race, and the winning time was good, just 0.14secs/furlong slower than Racing Post par.

In so doing, he proved his versatility, he proved that he could operate on turf as well as on all-weather surfaces. On the previous occasion on which he raced on turf, 12 months and six runs previously, he finished third in a novice stakes race at Ascot. That was just his second ever run. In the interim, he had won two of his five races on all-weather, rising from a rating of 91 to a rating of 101, a rating that earned him this attempt at a listed race.

He should be able to step forward again now. He is in the Commonwealth Cup, but the Jersey Stakes could be a more suitable race for him. He raced here as if he might be better over the seven furlongs of the Jersey Stakes than over the six furlongs of the Commonwealth Cup. Also, the step from listed race to Group 3 race – even highly-competitive Group 3 race – is an easier jump than the jump from listed race to taking on Caravaggio and Blue Point in a Group 1 race.

Visionary will be interesting at Royal Ascot, he ran well on his only run at Ascot, and he has improved since on all-weather, and we know that an ability to act on an all-weather surface is no liability to take onto the straight track at Ascot.

20^th May 2017