Quws Law

Quws Law should have beaten Companero in a Class 3 chase at Ayr on Saturday. He was settled out the back of the four runners in the early stages, but Great Approach and Companero both made mistakes at the last fence in the back straight first time, with the result that Peter Buchanan allowed Quws Law stride on at the top of the home run on the first circuit. He was in front from there until the run-in, and it looked like he had resisted Companero's effort when he kicked on around the home turn. He was pricking his ears and idling in front, however, and Companero, in fairness to him, kept at it, and got up inside the final 100 yards to deny Quws Law a deserved victory and a significant scalp.

Quws Law had made all when he had beaten Great Approach over the same course and distance in November, and he was a prominent racer over hurdles, but they seemed to want to hold him up on Saturday. There was a really strong head wind up the home straight at Ayr on Saturday, and it was difficult to be in front from too far out, so it wasn't in his favour that he found himself in front from the top of the home straight on the first circuit. This, plus the fact that the ground was really testing, means that you can forgive Quws Law for folding inside the final 100 yards.

There is no doubt that he will have to improve his jumping if he is to progress, but this was only his third start over fences, and there is at least a similar contest in him. If Companero ran his race - and there is no reason to assume he didn't, with a fair distance back to Great Approach in third (Quws Law was 3lb worse off with that horse from their running in November and he beat him by further on Saturday) - then this was Quws Law's best effort over fences to date by some way. He goes on soft ground, he handles fast ground, and he loves it at Ayr. (In fairness, eight of his 10 starts have been at Ayr.) He has just turned seven and should be worth following.

10^th January, 2009

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