Covert Ambition

You have to give Covert Ambition another chance after he could only finish second to his 25/1 stable companion Crime Scene in the 10-furlong listed race at Newbury on Saturday. On Saturday morning, it looked certain that there would be a pace on early, with both Tranquil Tiger and Prince Siegfried in the line up. However, Tranquil Tiger was taken out because of the soft ground in the morning, and Prince Siegfried got away before the race started, did a circuit of the track and was withdrawn. Even then, it was possible that Ahmed Ajtebi and Crime Scene would set a decent pace in order that his better-fancied stable companion, Covert Ambition, would be seen to best advantage. As it turned out, however, he set the pace all right, but he set a sedate one, and that didn't suit Covert Ambition at all. Ultimately, he was out-speeded by his stable companion in what was an unsatisfactory race. The winning time was almost two seconds slower than that time that it took the handicappers to complete the same course and distance a half an hour later, and the first four home finished within a length and a quarter of each other.

It is time now to step Covert Ambition up in distance. He is by Singspiel out of a Yorkshire Oaks winner, and his racing style suggests that he is crying out for a longer trip. He has raced just four times now, each time over a mile and a quarter, so there could be huge progression from one so inexperienced when stepped up to a more suitable trip. It is interesting that he is entered in the Irish St Leger and the Ebor, both races over a mile and six. His rating of 109 may be just too much for the Ebor, but he would be an interesting big outsider in the Irish Leger. Wherever he goes next, he should be worth following, as hopefully a lot of people will put him down as disappointing ("that's as good as he is") after this run. He will need a fast pace if his next run is over a mile and two, and he will be more interesting if he is stepped up to at least a mile and a half next.

18th July 2009

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