Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls looked unlucky again in the Portland Handicap. Held up early on, Geoff Harker’s horse travelled well but was still stuck in traffic on the run to the furlong marker. Switched towards the near side by Sam James, he made up significant ground through the final furlong. He did really well to get up for fifth place behind Oxted, leaving the impression that he would have been an awful lot closer had he been able to start his run a little earlier. It is not stretching it to say that there is a chance he would have won had he enjoyed better luck in-running.

This is the second time in as many years that he has looked unlucky in the Portland. He finished off his race well last year to take third place behind A Momentofmadness off a mark of 94. He raced off a mark of 90 this year, and the handicapper left him on that mark, which was more than fair.

There could still be a big handicap in him now off this type of mark. He does go well at Doncaster, and all his form is on good or fast ground, so he will be of interest again now if he runs at one of the remaining Doncaster meetings, as long as the ground does not get too soft. These big-field handicaps usually produce the strong pace that suits him well, and he is probably better suited to six furlongs than he is to the five and a half furlongs of the Portland.

Doncaster, 14^th September 2019