Stone Of Destiny

Stone Of Destiny only finished seventh in the six-furlong handicap at Newmarket on Tuesday, but he ran better than that. Andrew Balding’s horse was very keen through the early stages of the race, he didn’t really drop the bridle until they were passing the three-furlong marker. He travelled well to the two-furlong marker though for David Probert, he was one of the only horses still on the bridle at that point but, when he challenged just on the far side of the eventual winner Gale Force Maya, he was squeezed for room as Chipstead moved to the left. He did get his gap at the furlong marker, but he had expanded lots of energy to get to that point, and he just kept on from there. Although he only finished seventh, he was beaten less than two lengths by the winner.

It was the second time in as many years that Stone Of Destiny was unlucky in this race. He didn’t win last season after his unlucky run in this race, but he did really well on his subsequent run at Goodwood, going down by just a head to Desert Safari, coming from the rear off a sedate pace, and he didn’t have a great run through the race either in the Dash at Epsom on Derby day, when he finished off his race well to take third place. Beaten only four lengths in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, he is down to a handicap rating of 95 now, 9lb lower than his peak last season, and that makes him interesting now. His hold-up style of racing determines that he will always be a hostage to pace and to luck in-running, but he is at his best off a strong pace over five or six furlongs and, unsurprisingly given his running style, his best runs have been at Ascot.
Newmarket, 12^th April 2022