Cityman

Cityman ran a big race to finish third in the six-furlong handicap at The Curragh on Sunday. Settled nicely in mid-division by Amy Jo Hayes, he picked up on the run to the two-furlong marker when his rider asked him to. Moved to the far rail for a clear run, it never really looked like he was going to get to Fastnet Crown and Goodnight Girl, but he kept on encouragingly all the way to the line to take third place, beaten a total of two lengths.

It was a really encouraging run by Andy Slattery’s horse, on his first run back in almost a year. The majority of the horses went to the far side in this race, and in the Rockingham 35 minutes later, but Urban Beat won the Rockingham from a high draw and racing up the stands rail, and it is more than reasonable to assume that, as is often the case at The Curragh, the fastest ground was up the stands rail.

Amy Jo Hayes gave Cityman a fine ride, she was drawn low and she had to go far side, and he ran well for her. It was a run on which the Slade Power gelding should be able to build now, his first run since last July, and his first in a tongue-tie. The handicapper raised him by 2lb for Sunday’s run to a mark of 80, but that is still 8lb lower than the mark off which he raced when we saw him last at The Curragh in July 2020, and 13lb lower than his peak. He has obviously had issues that have kept him off the track in the interim, but if he is over those issues now, he could be a well-handicapped sprinter. He is adept over six furlongs, but his very best runs have been over five, and he will be of interest wherever he goes next.
The Curragh, 27^th June 2021