Saint Segal

Saint Segal was probably unlucky not to win the two-mile-one-furlong handicap chase at Ascot on Saturday. Held up in behind early on, he was still a little keen, but he wasn’t as keen as he had been on his seasonal return over the same course and distance three weeks earlier, when he led from early before finishing third behind Boothill. David Noonan delivered him with a well-timed run this time, he had just hit the front on the run to the final fence, and he probably would have won – he traded at 1.5 in-running – had he not come down.

The handicapper raised Jane Williams’ horse by 3lb for this to a mark of 139, but he is only five and he has raced just six times over fences in his life, so there should be more to come from him. He obviously goes well at Ascot, but he is versatile in terms of track configuration, and he goes well left-handed too, and he can handle soft ground as well as this goodish ground. There could be a good two-mile handicap chase in him still.

Ascot, 25^th November 2023