Oolong Poobong
Oolong Poobong did well to get as close as she did for her high draw in the Sandringham Handicap on Friday. She travelled well through her race on the near side of the stands-side group, as only four fillies went far side. She looked a likely winner when she picked up at the two-furlong marker, but it quickly became apparent that the far side were in front. She did move to her right, over towards the far-side group, but she had too much ground to make up and, in the end, she went down by just less than three lengths. She finished almost two lengths behind Cajole, who also raced in the near-side group from her low draw, and Cajole is another filly to keep on side after she had moved to her left to race with the near-side group. But she raced on the far side of the near-side group. While she moved to her left early on, she didn't have to do as much running as Oolong Poobong had to do late on in order to challenge the far side group in a race in which the first three home were drawn two, six and one. Oolong Poobong finished fourth from stall 21.
Ed Bethell's filly went into the Sandringham on an upward trajectory, having run out an impressive winner of a seven-furlong handicap at Haydock on her previous run off a mark of 82. She coped well with the step up to a mile, and with the step up in grade and with her new mark of 87, and a 2lb hike for her Sandringham run was not harsh. That was just her seventh run and, although she had the pace to win over six furlongs as a juvenile, she saw out the stiff mile well on Friday, and she will be of interest again now over a mile.
Ascot, 20th June 2025
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