Dona Alba

The third horse to take out of the Class 2 10-furlong handicap run at York on Tuesday was Dona Alba. Held up well out the back and wide from her disadvantageous draw in stall 15, she had to race four or five horse-widths wide the whole way. Still travelling well at the top of the home straight, she made nice progress when Eddie Ahern asked her to improve, but she got squeezed up as Stevie Thunder moved to his left seeking a gap through which to deliver his challenge, with the result that Ahern had to snatch up and start again. In fairness to the filly, she did get going again, and she finished really well down the centre of the track to finish fifth. This was a hugely improved effort on her two previous runs at Goodwood (she has run at Goodwood four times now and she has disappointed each time), and she may be under the radar now with uninspiring form figures in front of her. She is in the John Smith's Handicap at Newbury on 19th September, and she would be interesting if she took her chance in that.

18th August 2009


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