Luigi Vampa

Luigi Vampa did well to finish third in the 10-furlong handicap at Sandown on Saturday. David Menuisier’s horse was very slowly away, he was about four lengths behind the second last horse after they had gone a hundred yard, and he was always playing catch-up thereafter. Taken to the outside by Jason Watson as they raced down the back straight, he made ground to move up into mid-division by the time they got to the end of the back straight. Wider than ideal around the home turn, he made his challenge towards the stands side, and he stayed on well through the final furlong to get up for third place, just a length and a half behind the winner Makram in a race that was run in good time, a time that was faster than the time that St Mark’s Basilica clocked in the Eclipse.

Luigi Vampa has been slowly away in the past, including at Windsor on his debut this season, when he made up the lost ground quickly and made the rest of the running. It may be as a result of this that it appears that he is at his best in small fields. His record in fields of seven or less reads 11. At his best over 10 furlongs on good ground, he will be of interest wherever he goes next, and he will be of greatest interest the next time he races in a relatively small field.
Sandown, 3^rd July 2021