Washraa

Washraa was unlucky not to finish closer than she did in the Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot on the Friday. Smartly away, she travelled well through her race towards the near side, just behind the leaders. A little short of room as they raced to the two-furlong marker, Andrea Atzeni switched her to her left, but it got tight for her as Espressoo moved to her right, and Washraa clipped heels. She did really well to stay on her feet, it could have been a nasty incident, but she lost all momentum at a crucial stage of the race. She was really brave in the manner in which she got going again, you would have forgiven her if she had just dropped away after that incident, but she stayed on remarkably well to take eighth place, almost eight lengths behind the winner Heredia.

Beaten in three runs last season, Owen Burrows’ filly had won her previous two races this season, a seven-furlong handicap at Wolverhampton and a one-mile handicap at Nottingham quite impressively. She was racing off a mark of 84 on Friday, just 3lb higher than her Nottingham mark, and the handicapper has left her on that mark, which could under-rate her ability by a fair way. She is progressive and, as long as she shows no ill-effects from the incident in the Sandringham, she will be of interest wherever she goes next. She stays a mile well, and she could improve for a step up to nine or 10 furlongs.
Ascot, 17th June 2022