Film Score

There was a lot to like about the performance that Film Score put up in going in on his racecourse debut in what looked like an above-average 10-furlong three-year-old maiden at Newmarket last Friday. The Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained gelding was a bit slow away but eventually settled in about mid-division, with Frankie Dettori happy to let him race on the outside of runners on his own. The son of Street Cry made smooth headway at the three-furlong marker to challenge the leader Mata Keranjang, he caught that runner at the furlong marker and went on to win by a neck, cosily enough, the front pair pulling six lengths clear of their field.

Mata Keranjang set a fairly high standard here, with his rating of 106, placed in a Group 1 in the San Siro as a two-year-old last year, third in the Free Handicap and last seen in the French 2000 Guineas. It was a fair achievement by Film Score to beat such an experienced and talented maiden on his racecourse debut, and that the pair of them was able to pull so far clear of some potentially useful rivals, with the fourth horse, the Henry Cecil-trained All Action, well backed on the day. Frankie Dettori rode the winner confidently, just letting him bowl along on the outside, and he always looked like getting there when the pace quickened.

Film Score was a $400,000 purchase for Godolphin, out of a Canadian stakes winner, and he is clearly talented. He should have little difficulty stepping into listed or Pattern company.

28th May 2010

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