Bapak Chinta

Bapak Chinta stepped up on his Hamilton maiden win to run out a gallant winner of the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes on Thursday. Weak in the market beforehand, presumably because the easy ground was not expected to suit, he hit the front just outside the two-furlong pole and kept on really well all the way to the line.

This was just the second run of Kevin Ryan’s colt’s life. When he won that Hamilton maiden on his racecourse debut last month, he beat Frederick Engels into second place, and that colt subsequently won a conditions race by six lengths before coming out and landing the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

It is interesting that his trainer mentioned the Nunthorpe Stakes at York next month as a possible target for Bapak Chinta now. Not many juveniles take on their elders in the Nunthorpe, but the ones that do enjoy a healthy weight concession, 22lb from three-year-olds and 24lb from older horses. Kevin Ryan has never won the Nunthorpe, but he has had two runners-up in the race in the last four renewals, and it would be significant if he decided to allow Bapak Chinta take his chance. He should continue to progress, and he should be even better on better ground.

17th June 2011

© The Sunday Times 19th June 2011

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