Leslingtaylor

Leslingtaylor was last of 12 entering the straight in a 0-85 12-furlong handicap at York on Saturday before running on eye-catchingly to be closest at the finish, just failing to get up for third place despite not getting the clearest of passages. It was a most encouraging effort, especially considering it was just his second run of the season and he was only given a couple of flicks with the whip by his jockey, the 7lb-claimer Shane Kelly. He had won a Class 5 contest at Redcar the previous Saturday and judged on this run and his previous one he is an improved animal on the flat. He had actually won his previous two flat races (with a third place finish in a good handicap hurdle at the Aintree Festival sandwiched in-between), the first off a mark of 70, and he was racing off 79 here, a mark that isn’t beyond him on this evidence. He has a very good strike rate for such a versatile performer and is plainly in good heart at the moment. There is every chance that he will be able to carry this improvement on the level over to the jumping game when he reverts to hurdles or fences imminently, which would make him interesting off a mark of 134.

9th October 2010