Skukuza
Skukuza did well to get as close as he got in the Strensall Stakes over nine furlongs at York last Saturday. Keen after they left the stalls, Ryan Moore took him back in the field early on, where he settled much better. Seventh of the eight runners as they turned for home, he still had a wall of horses in front of him as they raced to the furlong marker. Switched towards the near side, he finished off his race strongly to get up for third place, beaten a short head and a head by the two Sheikh Mohammed Obaid horses King Of Cities and Boiling Point. He was faster than all his rivals through the final three furlongs of the race.
This was a nice bounce back to form by Skukuza after he was well beaten in the Golden Mile at Glorious Goodwood. He was drawn wide that day though, in a race in which an inside draw is usually a big asset, he had to expend plenty of energy in order to secure a prominent position, and that probably took its toll in the end. He had been impressive in winning a premier handicap at The Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend, and in winning a listed race back at The Curragh on Irish Derby weekend. He holds an entry in the Group 2 Solonaway Stakes at Leopardstown at the Irish Champions Festival and he will be of interest if he makes the trip to Ireland again for that. He is also in the Cambridgeshire and, while he would have top weight there, racing off his mark of 113, he would still be of interest if he was targeted at the race now, over the nine-furlong trip that seems to suit him well.
York, 23rd August 2025
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