Struth

Struth did well to keep on as well as he did to finish second in the Shergar Cup Classic at Ascot on Saturday. Slowly away and settled back in the field early on by Matthew Chadwick, it wasn’t a help to him that the early pace was not fast. Struth was a little keener than ideal early on, and he was still third last as they turned for home and the pace quickened. He still travelled well at that point and, moved towards the outside, he still had plenty of ground to make up on the leaders, and that was always going to be difficult, into a quickening pace. He picked up well though, and he stayed on well down the outside to take second place from Intinso, just failing by a head to catch Royal Empire.

This was another good run by Charlie Johnston’s horse. Second behind subsequent Queen’s Vase runner-up Saint George in a handicap at Doncaster in June, you can easily allow him his run in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot, as he chased the fast pace that day. Two of his next three runs were good – the other was on very soft ground at Goodwood – and this was up there with the best of his career, in first-time cheekpieces. Good ground suits him well, or ground just faster or just slower than good, and a mile and a half is a good trip for him, although he does stay a mile and six. There could be a good handicap in him soon.

Ascot, 12^th August 2023