Alaskan Gold

Alaskan Gold did well to finish as close as he did in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on Saturday. Bumped at the start, and held up early on in a race in which the first four home all raced prominently, he switched from tracking the near-side group to tracking the far-side group early on, and he had to make his challenge widest of all, furthest from the stands rail. Ultimately, he couldn’t get there, he only finished fifth, and Esquire ran out a good winner, but he was beaten a total of just a half a length for second.

Karl Burke’s horse was progressive last season as a juvenile, he won a novice stakes over six furlongs on good ground at Carlisle in August, and he rounded off the campaign by getting to within a half a length of Ballymount Boy in a listed race over six furlongs on heavy ground at Doncaster. He could appreciate a return to six furlongs now, and the re-fitting of the visor that he wore that day. He could improve again for that combination.

Newbury, 20^th April 2024