Almiqdaad

Almiqdaad ran en eye-catching race in the Old Newton Cup, a 12-furlong heritage handicap, at Haydock last Saturday. The son of Haafhd raced too freely out in front in his first-time blinkers, but it still looked like he had them all in trouble passing the four-furlong marker. He had no answer to Dangerous Midge's powerful surge, however, which took that rival past over a furlong out, and it looked like he was going to be swamped once passed, so there was a lot to like about the manner in which he kept on to finish fourth.

This was Almiqdaad’s first run in two months, he had been off since he disappointed at Chester's May meeting last run at Chester. He has been gelded since and his trainer Michael Jarvis has always maintained that he is a gross horse who takes a lot of getting fit, so it is reasonable to assume that he will come on a fair bit for this. The gelding operation may have done the trick for him, he ran a cracker here, setting a solid pace, perhaps too solid a pace in his blinkers, and still managing to keep on well. It was his first attempt at a mile and a half, and he stayed the trip well. Also, given that it was his first time wearing blinkers, there is every chance that they lit him up a little, and that he will settle better next time. He could be an improved performer now over this longer trip, he could be better as a gelding than he was as a colt, and he could be better with blinkers that he was without them. Even without the potential improvement, he is a talented individual, he won a big heritage handicap at Newbury last September when he had subsequent big race winners Charm School, Class Is Class and Cill Rialaig in behind, as well as Northumberland Plate runner-up Drunken Sailor. He will be of interest wherever he shows up next.

3rd July 2010

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