Reiteration

Reiteration ran a race that was full of promise on his racecourse debut in the seven-furlong maiden that opened proceedings on Irish Oaks day at The Curragh on Sunday. Pulled towards the outside by Kevin Manning four furlongs from home, he was niggled along a little just in order to adopt a more prominent position behind the leader, the well-backed Ballydoyle colt Black Quartz, which he duly did. Just two lengths behind the leader passing the three, he was soon under pressure and seemed to be uncertain of what was being asked of him, as Johnny Murtagh went for home on Black Quartz and Eddie Lynam's horse Senior came up on his outside.

When Senior went past and began to lay down a challenge to the leader, it looked as if Reiteration's chance had long gone. Manning just pushed him along in behind the two leaders on the rail, and just flicked his whip at him. However, the son of Vindication began to pick up again just inside the furlong marker and, switched back towards the outside, he ran on well all the way to the line to take second place. He was never going to get to the winner, but he got to within three parts of a length of him at the line.

There were a number of reasons why Reiteration should be worth following. For starters, this is a race that Jim Bolger seems to like a lot for his better juveniles. He started Teofilo off in it three years ago and he started New Approach off in the race last year. On top of that, it is often a hot maiden. As well as boasting past winners of the calibre of those two Bolger horses, this is the race in which Driving Snow (now in the States and winner of a stakes race at Indiana Downs last week) beat Black Bear Island, Freemantle and Sea The Stars last year. The winner of Sunday's renewal, who had run twice previously, was hard enough ridden to get there and, as a son of Danehill Dancer, was well equipped to handle the soft ground, as he had proven on both his previous runs.

It wasn't so certain that Reiteration would be at home on soft ground. His sire was a dirt horse in the States who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but he is also the sire of Vocalised, another Bolger colt who does handle soft ground. Most foals of Reiteration's dam, For Dixie, raced in the States, only on dirt or on fast ground, but her colt foal who did run in Europe, Misbah, won twice on fast ground and was beaten a fair way in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot the only time he raced on softish ground. Reiteration will almost certainly improve for this experience and should improve for encountering better ground. He holds an entry in the National Stakes at The Curragh in September, and he could easily prove to be good enough to be well worth his place in that.

12th July 2009

© The Irish Field, 18th July 2009

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