Fox Hunt

Fox Hunt has already put in a couple of eye-catching performances this season, and he produced another good effort when finishing a close second to Opera Gal in 10-furlong handicap at Chester on Saturday. Drawn wide and well back in the field early on, towards the outside of runners, he was third-last going around the clubhouse turn and wider than ideal, and he was four or five horses wide going around the final turn, but it was clear that Joe Fanning had a lot of horse under him at this stage. Fanning delayed his run until they were halfway around the home turn, by which stage Opera Gal, a strong stayer, had gone for home on the short Chester run-in, and he only just failed to catch her, going down by a short head in the end, with a six length gap back to the rest.

This was a good performance by Fox Hunt, the track wasn’t ideal, he was wide all the way and he only just failed to beat a fairly useful sort in Opera Gal. The time for the race was five seconds faster than the maiden run over the same distance on the same card, and the front pair finished well clear of the rest. Opera Gal is a really consistent filly, she ran well to finish second to Willing Foe at Doncaster on her previous run, a race from which the third horse, Tepmokea, went on to finish a really good third to Forte Dei Marmi in a big heritage handicap at Newbury.

Fox Hunt has a nice progressive profile now, he was unlucky as well on his previous run, he just got outpaced and hampered in on the rail just as he was getting back into the race and he finished really strongly when he eventually got a clear run. He gives the impression that a fast-run race over 10 furlongs or a step up to 12 furlongs would suit him well. A winner on his debut, when he was impressive in winning a race from which the second, third and fourth horses all went on to win their subsequent races, he should come on again for this, given that it was only his fourth ever start. He will be interesting wherever he goes next, and he could be one for the November Handicap.

25th September 2010

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