Elusive Pimpernel

Elusive Pimpernel was an extremely impressive winner of the Craven at Newmarket last week and he now looks to have a big chance in the 2000 guineas back at Newmarket in just less than two weeks. He broke well enough and raced handily under Ryan Moore through the early stages alongside Dancing David. As they began to race nearing the three furlong pole, Moore looked in slight trouble and had to niggle along Elusive Pimpernel, but the response was impressive, he showed a superb turn of foot to go three lengths clear one and a half furlongs out and he was pushed out to the line to win by nearly five lengths.

This was an impressive performance from Elusive Pimpernel on his reappearance as a three-year-old, having always given the impression he would improve from two to three. He showed a good turn of foot here after taking a little while to get going, a trait that was his hallmark last season as a juvenile. He was well beaten by St Nicholas Abbey in the Racing Post Trophy at the end of last season, but the ground at Doncaster that day was softer than ideal for John Dunlop’s colt and he failed to show the same turn of foot St Nicholas Abbey did. He was the clear second best horse in the race on the day, and we know that he has trained on as a three-year-old. If St Nicholas Abbey is the horse that it looks like he is, Elusive Pimpernel won't beat him in the Guineas, but he is a solid alternative, he deserves his place as second favourite for the Guineas, and Aidan O'Brien's colt can't run in every top class mile race open to three-year-old colts.

15th April 2010

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