Sit Down Lucy

Sit Down Lucy did well to finish fourth in the Grade A two-mile handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday. Setting off just behind the leaders and towards the outside, Peter Fahey’s mare progressed to move up in behind the leader Wolf Prince by the time they reached half way, and she was left in a share of the lead when that rival came down at the fifth flight, also the fifth last. She led into the home straight, and she still held a share of the lead when they picked up at the final flight, challenged on all sides. She couldn’t fend off the closers, but she kept on well enough to retain fourth place.

This was a race that was run at a strong pace and in which the hold-up horses came to the fore. Sit Down Lucy was one of just two prominent racers who finished in the first 11, and the winner, Gua Du Large, was last early on. As well as that, it wasn’t ideal that Sit Down Lucy was left in front from so far out, and she jumped a little to her left throughout, which wasn’t ideal at a right-handed track. Interestingly, she has only run once at a left-handed track. That was at Killarney in October, when the two-mile-seven-furlong distance probably stretched her stamina.

She has only won once, a maiden hurdle at Limerick last April, but she has been progressing with every run through the autumn. She kept on well to finish second to Top Bandit – a winner again back at Punchestown on Sunday – in a two-mile novice hurdle at Punchestown last month. That was probably a career-best performance up to that point, and Sunday’s performance was probably better again. The handicapper raised her by just 1lb to a mark of 124, and that was more than fair. She appears to be adept at any distance between two miles and two and a half miles, and she will be of interest wherever she goes next. There could be a good handicap in her off that mark, possibly at a left-handed track. She will be of interest if she lines up in a handicap hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival.
Fairyhouse, 28^th November 2021