Man Of Eden

Man Of Eden did well to get as close as he did, coming from well back to finish third in the seven-furlong handicap at Haydock last Saturday. Slowly away, it appeared that he lacked the tactical speed to gain a prominent early position before they reached the turn, which comes up quickly after the seven-furlong start, with the result that he was only ninth of the 10 runners leaving the back straight. Moved to the outside early in the home straight, he came under a ride just inside the three-furlong marker, but he found lots for pressure. He stayed on strongest of all down the outside to take third place, beaten a total of just over a length.

This was a race in which it was an advantage to be handy. The first two home raced in second and third places respectively from early, it wasn’t easy to make ground from the rear, and Man Of Eden was faster through the final three furlongs than all his rivals. The Charltons’ horse did run well over seven furlongs in a nursery at The Curragh last September, but, on this evidence, he should do better when he steps back up in trip. The handicapper left him on his mark of 83, and that is a mark off which he will be of interest again.
Haydock, 8^th July 2023