Legacy Thor

Legacy Thor only finished 11th in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle at Gowran Park last Saturday, but he ran much better than   that. Prominent from early, he travelled well across the top of the track, but he made a slight mistake at the third last flight, as a result of which he had to be niggled along a little by Rachael Blackmore in order to retain his inside berth as they raced to the home turn. He was quickly back on the bridle though, and he picked up in a share of the lead at the second last flight, but he made a bad mistake at that obstacle, his rider did remarkably well to remain on board, but that ended his chance and he was eased thereafter. He came home in his own time, 11th of the 14 finishers.

There could be a similar contest in Stuart Crawford’s horse now off  his current mark of 116. Winner of his maiden hurdle at Navan in December 2020, he was off the track for almost two years after he finished eighth in a novices’ handicap hurdle at Leopardstown’s 2020 Christmas Festival, but he is getting there again now. He ran well in the handicap hurdle that HMS Seahorse won at Navan in January on his last run before Saturday, he wasn’t beaten far having raced prominently in a race in which the hold-up horses came to the fore. He could be under-estimated now on the back of this run at Gowran Park. He can handle good ground as well as this soft ground and, while he has won and run well at Navan, he does tend to jump to his right, so he might be seen to best effect on right-handed tracks.
Gowran Park, 18^th February 2023