Castle Robin

Castle Robin ran well in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday to finish sixth behind Boreham Bill. Prominent from early, and racing towards the inside, he raced in the second wave behind the clear leader, favourite One True King. He jumped into a dispute of the lead at the sixth flight, despite making a mistake, and he remained in the front rank before kicking into the lead on his own as they rounded the home turn. He came under pressure though as they straightened up for home and his early exertions told. He was only fourth jumping the second last flight, and he just kept on from there to finish sixth.

Charlie Longsdon’s horse raced prominently and towards the inside from early, which may not have been ideal, given how the race was run. The first five home all came from further back, and four of them raced towards the outside for most of the race, probably on the best of the ground. It is therefore probable that Castle Robin can be marked up a fair bit on the bare form of the run. He remains progressive.

A point-to-point winner for Paul Cashman in November last season – and unlucky not to have won the previous April – the Robin Des Champs gelding won two of his first three races this season, the latter a 17-runner conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Cheltenham’s November meeting off a handicap rating of 119, and he ran well on his last run before Saturday to finish second to an impressive Nicky Henderson French recruit, Emir Sacree, in another conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Ascot off a mark of 126. The handicapper raised him by 4lb for that to a mark of 130, and he has left him on that mark after Saturday’s run. That is fair, and it is a mark that he could surpass now. A half-brother to Fortria Chase winner Arctic Skipper, he has only just turned six and he has run just six times over hurdles, so he has the potential to continue his progression.
Kempton, 9^th January 2021