Mountain Coral

There is no question that you have to commend the Frank Oakes-trained Mountain Coral in landing the Scurry Handicap at The Curragh on Sunday. The five-year-old gelding has now won six of the seven spring handicaps that he has contested since he finished second last, beaten over a hundred lengths, in a maiden hurdle at Sligo almost 12 months ago. The first of those wins was off a mark of 45, some 39lb lower than the mark off which he won one of the most competitive sprint handicaps on the domestic calendar, and the way that he won this race, the way in which he and Niall McCullagh picked their way through their rivals on the near side to win by a half a length, the way that the horse gives the impression that he only just does enough, suggests that there is even more to come, and that he should still be competitive off whatever (reasonable) hike the handicapper gives him for this. He is one of those horses with whom the handicapper is obviously finding it difficult to get to grips, and he may not be quite finished just yet.

28th June 2009

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