Northern Express

Northern Express put up a good performance to finish fourth in the Moet & Chandon International Handicap at Ascot last Saturday.  Settled nicely by Paul Mulrennan just behind the leaders in the near-side group through the early stages of the race, he travelled well just behind the pace on the run to the two-furlong marker.  Angled towards the near side, he got a nice gap just to the left of the leader Baradar.  He picked up well from there and, while he couldn’t get to Baradar, who ran out a good winner in the end, he finished off his race well to take fourth place, just a length behind the winner, with a nice break between him and the fifth-placed Fools Rush In.

Michael Dods’ horse has been in top form of late, his last five performances have been up there with the best of his life, and this was probably the best of them all.  The handicapper raised him by just 1lb from the mark off which he raced here under his penalty, and that was not harsh.  He will be of interest wherever he goes next, and he is versatile in terms of ground conditions, but he will be of particular interest when he runs next at York.  He holds an entry in the Clipper Handicap over a mile at York’s Ebor meeting and, while he is probably at his absolute best over seven furlongs, he is also effective over a mile, as he proved when he won the Thirsk Hunt Cup in May, and when he finished a close-up third in the Hambleton Handicap at York’s Dante meeting.
Ascot, 29^th July 2023