Honest Vic

Honest Vic did well to keep on to finish fourth in the two-mile-three-furlong handicap hurdle, given that he was held up in a race in which it was an advantage to race prominently. He got caught in traffic too as they left the back straight, with the result that, when they straightened up for home, he had too much ground to make up. The winner, Bold Plan, was held up also, and he did well to go on and win the race, but Honest Vic ran well too, he stayed on well over the last two flights to just get up for fourth place.

Henry Daly’s horse would surely have gone closer if the early pace had been stronger, but it was still a good run, and he can be marked up at least a little on the bare form. He is not that lightly raced, but he is only six and this was probably a step up on his previous run at Market Rasen, when he idled on front and just held up, and that was probably a career-best. He probably wouldn’t want the ground to get too soft, but he is obviously in good form, and there could still be a good handicap in him off this mark of 132.

Haydock, 23^rd November 2019