Establish

Establish did well to win the three-year-olds’ one-mile handicap, given that he was held up early on and that he made his ground from the rear and towards the centre of the track, when it was probably an advantage to be handy and towards the stands side.

He travelled well through his race for David Egan, a little more keenly than ideal if anything. Just seventh of the 10 runners passing the three-furlong pole, he had to move towards the centre of the track in order to engineer racing room for himself but, once he did, he picked up impressively. He hit the front just inside the furlong marker and he stayed on well to get home by a half a length from Eastern World, with the pair of them almost two lengths ahead of Finest Sound, who was in turn clear of the rest.

There is solidity to this form. The second and third brought the strongest form into the race, the two of them dominated the market, and they both raced more prominently than Establish and closer to the stands rail.

Zero from three last year as a juvenile, Roger Varian’s colt shaped really promisingly on his debut this season, and he won a Class 5 novice stakes next time at Bath at long odds-on, just getting up to beat a filly of Simon and Ed Crisford’s who had had the run of the race in front. This was his toughest test to date, and it was his best performance. The handicapper raised him by 6lb for this win, but he has raced just six times, and he has the potential to go beyond his new mark of 93. This mile is a good trip for him for now but, by Australia and from the family of Alexander Goldrun, he could go nine or 10 furlongs. His trainer mentioned the Cambridgeshire as a possible medium term goal, and that would be an interesting target.

Newmarket, 11^th July 2020