Applause

Applause ran a massive race to finish fourth in the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket on Saturday. On the evidence of the sales race run earlier in the day, when the field split into two groups, there was a massive advantage to be gained from racing on the far side, and so it proved to be in the Cambridgeshire itself, so Applause's draw in stall 14 of 32 was a definite disadvantage. William Buick did tack over towards the far side as much as he could in the early stages, but he and Applause still had to race out in the centre, and a long way off the far rail, where the best of the ground was. Nevertheless, Applause made nice progress when Buick asked her to get closer to the leaders before they reached the half-way stage. In the firing line as they passed the four-furlong pole though still out in the centre of the track, Buick was able to sit back up a little on her as she travelled fairly well before asking her to quicken fully three furlongs out. It wasn't ideal that she had to race without cover for as long as she did, but she still picked up nicely, closing on the leaders on the far side and going down by just over a length in the end.

This is the second time in as many runs that the Jeremy Noseda-trained filly has put in an eye-catching performance. On her previous run, in a hot listed fillies' race run over a mile at Ascot last month, she missed the break a bit and was well back in the field in the early stages. She was actually stone last of the 17 runners when they turned for home, but she finished strongest and latest of all down the outside to finish sixth, closest at the finish. On her previous run at Redcar, she beat Wannabe King well, and that colt went and won his next three, earning a hike of a stone from the handicapper, and was actually sent off a well-backed joint favourite for the Cambridgeshire. The handicapper has raised Applause 4lb for her Cambridgeshire run, but that still leaves her on a mark of just 96, and that could under-estimate her ability considerably. She has only run six times in her life, and is almost certainly still improving. She is untried on soft ground, but she won her maiden easily on good ground, and she would be of big interest if she was turned out again before the end of the season.

3rd October 2009

© The Irish Field, 10th October 2009

Back