Mitbaahy

Mitbaahy’s performance in the Temple Stakes at Haydock last Saturday can be marked up at least a little on the bare form of the run, given that he had to race well away from the stands rail from flagfall. Slowly away from stall three, he was dropped in on the far side early on by Ray Dawson. Last as they passed the two-furlong marker, he picked up well on the far side, he made ground through traffic through the final two furlongs, and he finished off his race well on the far side, furthest from the stands rail, to get up for fifth place, just in front of Happy Romance.

This was a day on which, and a race in which, it was probably a significant advantage to race close to the stands rail. The three horses who filled the first three places here, Dramatised, Equilateral and Live In The Dream, all raced in almost single file for a lot of the race close to the stands rail. Also, the first four home raced, respectively, from stalls 10, 12, 13 and 11 of 13. Mitbaahy raced from stall three.

This was Roger Varian’s horse’s seasonal debut too, his first run since he finished down the field in the Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp last October. He was progressive last season though as a three-year-old sprinter, he won the Listed Scurry Stakes at Sandown in July, beating Live In The Dream comfortably, and he won a Group 3 race at Newbury in September, coming from well back and just getting up to lead close home. He is well suited by being delivered late off a strong pace over five furlongs. He has never run at Ascot, but Ascot suits that running style well, and, while it is a pity that he is just rated just 2lb too high for the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap at Royal Ascot, he could be an interesting outsider if he were to take up his entry in the King’s Stand Stakes.
Haydock, 27^th May 2023