Jump The Gun

Jump The Gun can be marked up at least a little on the bare form of the performance that he put up in finishing fifth in the Ayr Silver Cup last Saturday.  Racing on the near side early on from his high draw, Iain Jardine’s horse was a little keener than ideal initially behind the leaders.  He travelled well to the two-furlong marker though, as rider Paul Mulrennan waited and hoped for the gap to appear beside the stands rail.  Unfortunately the gap didn’t appear though, he had to move to his left in order to try to secure a path. He had lots of ground to make up as they passed the furlong marker as Dusky Lord skipped clear and, while it never really looked like he would get there, he finished off his race strongly towards the near side to finish fifth.

As well as the fact that he didn’t enjoy a clear passage through the race, Jump The Gun raced on the near side in a race in which the far side dominated.  He did best of the high-drawn horses, from his draw in stall 25, with the other five horses who, with him, filled the first six places drawn 13 or lower.  He is set to run in a seven-furlong handicap at Ayr on Tuesday, and he will be of interest there, over a trip that probably suits him even better than the six-furlong trip of the Silver Cup.  We know that he goes well at Ayr too.  As well as his big run in the Silver Cup, he won there in August over Tuesday’s course and distance.

Ayr, 17th September 2022