Jacamar

Jacamar put up a game performance to win the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle. Strong in the market beforehand, Milton Harris’ horse was dropped out in rear early on by Paddy Brennan. His jumping was good and he made nice ground on the outside as they raced out of the back straight. He travelled well into the home straight, and he stayed on strongly down the outside to get past Sir Ivan on the run-in and then to get the better of Strong Glance, who had travelled well into his race on the far side, and he won well in a good time.

This is usually a good handicap hurdle, the last two renewals have been won by Stoney Mountain and Paisley Park, both of whom went on and won the Betfair Exchange Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Haydock in November, off handicap ratings that were, respectively, 4lb and 7lb higher, and that race a legitimate target for Jacamar now. He was racing from 3lb out of the handicap, and the handicapper will give him a few more pounds now this week, but he is only five, so he has lots of potential for progression now as a staying hurdler. It was just the second time that Paddy Brennan rode him in a race, and it was interesting that he said afterwards that he learned a lot about the horse when he rode him at Fontwell last time. The Maxios gelding has never been beyond two miles and five furlongs in his life, but he stays two and a half miles on soft ground well, and he could improve again for a step up to three miles.

Aintree 25^th October 2020