Viking Invasion

Viking invasion kept on well to take third place behind Rock Of Cashel in the seven-furlong maiden at Galway on Monday, a race that can often be a good pointer to the future. Drawn eight of eight, the Mehmas colt was slowly away, which wasn’t ideal. Ridden along early by Declan McDonogh, he was still further back than ideal and he was wider than ideal early on. Seventh of the eight runners as they raced to the three-furlong marker, he had to go widest of all around the home turn, but he stayed in admirably up the hill. He was never getting to the winner, but he kept on well all the way to the line to finish a close-up third, just a half a length behind the runner-up Admiral Churchill, coming from the rear in a race in which the first and second raced in second and third places respectively from early.

This was Viking Invasion’s third run, he improved from his debut to his second run at Naas, stepped up to seven furlongs from six, and he improved again here, finishing off his race well. Significantly, he was fastest of all through each of the last three furlongs. He holds entries in the Futurity Stakes and in the National Stakes, both over seven furlongs, but he should improve for the step up to a mile on this evidence, a hypothesis that is backed up by his breeding. He should be winning his maiden soon before going on to bigger things.

Galway, 29^th July 2024