Takeit Easy

Takeit Easy only finished fourth in the two-mile handicap hurdle at Doncaster on Saturday, but there was mitigation. Theo Gillard was allowed a relatively easy lead on Geromino, and the main protagonists were all still travelling well as they rounded the sweeping home turn. Takeit Easy picked up at the third last flight when Paul O’Brien asked him to, but he was squeezed out of it on the run to the second last flight, and he didn’t meet that obstacle on a correct stride, with the result that he lost momentum on the landing side just as the pace was increasing. He was playing catch-up after that, and he just kept on over the final flight and up the run-in to take fourth place behind Tommy’s Oscar, who just wore down the long-time leader Geromino close home.

Takeit Easy actually beat Tommy’s Oscar in a handicap hurdle at Wetherby in October, and he was meeting Ann Hamilton’s horse on 6lb better terms on Saturday. Of course, Tommy’s Oscar has improved in the interim, he was an impressive winner at Haydock in November. Takeit Easy wasn’t seen to best effect either on his last run before Saturday, off a sedate pace in a handicap hurdle at Huntingdon, but he still kept on for second place behind subsequent Gerry Feilden Hurdle winner Onemorefortheroad, with subsequent Doncaster winner Ingleby Hollow back in third. A handicap rating of 134 should be well within range for Pam Sly’s horse, and he will be of interest now in a two-mile handicap hurdle in which it looks like there will be a decent pace on.
Doncaster, 11^th December 2021