Mobaasher

Mobaasher looked good back over hurdles when taking a competitive-looking three-mile-one-furlong handicap hurdle at Warwick on Saturday. He was always travelling well on the rail for Aidan Coleman, held up out the back of the 14-runner field. The pair gradually made smooth headway when the field made their way down the back straight for the second time and Mobaasher was sat in about fifth place at the third last, the last hurdle before the home turn. Having travelled really well to get up to the leaders, he did come off the bridle before the straight, but there was a lot to like about the way he picked up in the heavy ground. He was soon alongside Alfie Spinner who had looked to be travelling much better than him before the second last, took command from there and was probably worth more than the short winning margin suggests. He just ran down the last flight having pricked his ears and had to be driven out to maintain his advantage on the run in.

Although a 7lb rise for this winning performance may seem steep, Mobaasher’s new mark of 149 is still well below his hurdles mark of two seasons ago, when he was a 157-rated horse. That mark was earned after some really good efforts in the three-mile hurdle division, he finished second to Duc De Regniere and to Pettifour before going on to finish third in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle won by Punchestowns.

A novice chasing campaign didn’t really work out last season, but this was a more than pleasing performance back over the smaller obstacles. He could still be on an attractive mark given he was a World Hurdle horse two seasons ago. The Pertemps Final is probably his most likely destination now and, given that he has won and run well at Cheltenham before (he was fourth in the 2008 Pertemps Final), he could have a role to play there off a mark that may still under-rate his talent.

15th January 2011

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