Rogue Diplomat
Rogue Diplomat was good in winning the seven-furlong handicap at Doncaster on Sunday. Held up through the early stages of the race by Harry Davies, he only started to make progress toward the leaders from the two-furlong pole. He charted his way through traffic and then, taken towards the near side on the run inside the final furlong, he stayed on really well through the final 200 yards, hitting the front about 75 yards out and going on to win by a fairly cosy three parts of a length.
Winner of a novice stakes on fast ground over seven furlongs at Leicester in April, James Owen’s horse proved his ability to operate on easy ground when he just got up to land a Class 4 handicap at Newmarket in early August. This was another step forward from that, racing off a handicap rating of 81. He was racing off a mark of 89 on Sunday, after winning again at Southwell in the interim. He will get another hike from the handicapper now, but he can’t go up by too much, and there may be more to come from him still. He shapes like he will get a mile, and his half-brother Moving Water won over two and a half miles and two miles and six furlongs over hurdles, but this seven-furlong trip suits him well, he obviously enjoys travelling at seven-furlong pace and coming off it, so there is no need to step up in trip, at least for now. Given his ability to operate on easy ground, he will remain of interest as we move more deeply into the autumn. He is one for one now at Doncaster, and he will be of particular interest if he goes back there for one of their late-season meetings.
Doncaster, 14th September 2025
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