Beau Balko

Beau Balko put up a nice performance to win the two-and-a-half-mile conditional jockeys' handicap chase at Wincanton on Saturday. It was just a four-runner field, but they gave Killer Kane a handy start and an easy lead. Also, the pace was not strong, and Beau Balko sat well off it in last place early on.

Still last of the four runners as they left the back straight, he was out to his left at the cross-fence, as he was at a few of his other obstacles, and he was wider than ideal around the home turn. But he still travelled well into the home straight and he jumped on into the lead at the third last, and he stayed on well over the last two fences to win nicely. He was faster than his three rivals through each of the last four furlongs, and his finishing speed was over 110% of his overall speed.

Winner of a two-mile handicap chase at Musselburgh in February off a mark of 123, Paul Nicholls' horse was stepping up to two and a half miles here for the first time, and he saw out the trip well, probably putting up a career-best performance in the process. The handicapper raised him by 4lb for this to a mark of 129, but he is only six and he has the potential to go beyond that mark now. He obviously goes well on this good ground, but he can handle soft ground too, as he proved at Ayr in April when he was travelling like a winner when making a bad mistake at the second last fence. He remains unexposed over two and a half miles, and he will be of interest wherever he goes next.

Wincanton, 9^th November 2024