Redvers

Redvers is worth noting now after a good run at Newmarket on Friday in which he did well to get involved in the placings having been held right up on a day and on ground on which it paid to race handily.

The four winners on the day over less than a mile all made all, or raced handily, the whole way, including Paramour in Redvers’s race, on whom Darryll Holland tacked over to the near side rail quite early, securing a position which may have been favoured on the day. As well as the fact that Redvers was held up last of all, he raced in the separate group out in the centre, well away from the near rail. He had to be niggled along from three furlongs out but made nice progress from a furlong and a half out, widest of all, to get into contention. Paramour was not stopping despite edging out to his left late on, and Redvers had to settle for third place, just missing out on second spot in a photo finish with Illustrious Prince, who himself had led the group down the centre. Indeed, with Able Master sticking on for fourth, the three horses to have raced in the front rank finished first, second and fourth; Redvers was the only horse to get into the race at all from the back, and he had to make up quite a lot of ground to do so.

Ed Vaughan’s gelding had blinkers on for the second time here (his first time for current connections), which is significant. He has now probably produced the two best runs of his life on the two occasions on which he has worn the headgear, having run well to finish third in a conditions race at Doncaster last October in first-time blinkers. He ran really well in the Spring Mile at Doncaster on his first run this season, his first run for Ed Vaughan, again from off the pace in a race in which it was an advantage to race handily. He is only four, he is still relatively lightly-raced, and he will be interesting again now off this mark of 85, ideally over this seven-furlong trip, especially if he races in blinkers, and his chance will be heightened if there are prominent racers in the race and the probability of a fast pace.

8th June 2012