Dark Moon Rising
Dark Moon Rising finished off his race well to take third place in the 10-and-a-half-furlong handicap at York on Sunday. Settled just worse than mid-division through the early part of the race, he was wide around the home turn, with the result that he was 11th of the 12 runners when they straightened up for home. He travelled well to the three-furlong marker, and he stayed on well through the final quarter of a mile. He ran into a little bit of a cul de sac inside the final furlong but, once the gap developed, he stayed on best of all to take third place, just a length behind the winner Zain Night.
This was a fine run by Kevin Ryan's horse. He did well to come from as far back as he came early in the home straight in a race that was not run at a fast pace. His finishing speed was 112% of overall speed, much higher than RaceIQ's par of 105%, and he was fastest of all through each of the last two furlongs, 0.23secs faster than the next fastest through the final furlong. He is not obviously unexposed, but he is in tremendous form, and he could be a well-handicapped horse how. His handicap rating of 84 is 18lb lower than his peak. He has won over seven and a half furlongs and a mile, but his last three wins have been over a mile and a half and a mile and five furlongs, and he shaped here as if he would appreciate a step up in trip. He should be seen to better effect next time he gets a stronger test of stamina, either a faster pace over 10 furlongs or a step up to a mile and a half, or both.
York, 7th September 2025
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