Swindler

Swindler put up a good performance to finish fourth in the Stewards’ Cup.  He travelled well in the near side group, and he picked up well when Louis Steward asked him to.  He wasn’t as strong in the finish as Summerghand was in the centre, and Brian The Snail got back up on the near side to beat him for fourth place, but he had done a lot of running to hit the front on the near side, and his run just flattened out a little close home.

It was still a fine run by Ed Walker’s horse on just his second run of the season.  He is not straightforward, he had to be walked to post before each of his last three races and he refused to enter the stalls and had to be withdrawn from the Silver Wokingham at Royal Ascot, but he obviously has lots of talent. He was beaten just a head by Mohaather in a novice stakes at Nottingham on his last run as a two-year-old, and he won two of his three races last season as a three-year-old.  He is progressive too, this was just his eighth race and it was up there with the best runs of his career.  The handicapper raised him by just 1lb for this, and that is fair.  He continues in good form, six furlongs on fast ground suits him well, and he goes particularly well at Ascot.  He will be of interest now in another big six-furlong handicap at Ascot, a track at which he is unbeaten in two runs.

Goodwood, 1^st August 2020