Prudent Honour

Prudent Honour ran a nice race to finish third behind Nuvelli and The Flying Dustman in a two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase at Gowran Park on Saturday. Held up early on by Bryan Cooper, he travelled well throughout and moved up just behind the leaders at the fifth last. He progressed around the leaders, still travelling best, around the home turn and led down to the third last, looking the most likely winner. His rider had a look around him at that point, but he had gone on plenty early enough, and he came under pressure on the run to the second last. A mistake there didn’t help, but the winner Nuvelli also made a mistake at that fence, which gave him a chance, but Nuvelli stayed on much stronger, and he actually got done for second place on the run-in by long-time leader The Flying Dustman.

This was just Prudent Honour's fifth start over fences, he is eight, and he had plenty of weight to carry, even allowing for his rider's 7lb claim. He has yet to win over fences, but he has shaped with promise in the past, including when finishing second behind Clan Tara in a beginners' chase at Fairyhouse in December. He is better than the bare form of this race suggests, he travelled like the best horse in the race on the day at the weights. This is his distance, but he needs to be ridden with a little more restraint. If he had been held onto and delivered at the last, or between the last two, he may even have won. Two and a half miles on soft or heavy ground suits him well. The handicapper has raised him 3lb for this, but a mark of 130 is still okay, and he may be under-rated the next time he runs, when he should do better if held up for longer.

13th February 2010

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