Sarde

Kim Bailey will be cursing this weather as his yard had been in flying form before this freeze set in and Sarde was another winner for him at Newbury last Saturday in an amateur riders’ handicap chase over an extended three and a quarter miles. Sarde ultimately won with something in hand despite appearing to come on and off the bridle after leaving the back straight.

Held up in the last pair early on, he was very untidy at the second fence but other than that jumped superbly, making ground at most of his fences. He was hampered on the turn into the home straight first time as he went for a gap up the inside of Marty's Mission and got cut off, which didn't help. In the end he had so much in hand that it didn't matter, although he was helped by the fact that Marty's Mission was hampered when Mzuri Bay fell in front of him at the last fence on the first circuit. Sarde’s accurate fencing took him up to the middle of the field down the straight on the first circuit, with particularly quick jumps at the water and the first three down the back. The horse seemed to come off the bridle going down the side of the course but was nursed into contention in the early part of the straight and, having been switched to the outside coming to the third last, ran on well from after the second last to run down Carrickmines, leaving the impression there was more in the tank.

His rider was never too worried and the Lost World gelding stayed on well over this marathon trip, the furthest over which he has ever raced. The six-year-old is really starting to come into his own over fences, having won his penultimate start of last season and returning this term with a win at Market Rasen before this. He has been raised 7lb for this win, but that is not harsh, and he has the scope for further improvement.

27th November 2010

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