Sirius Prospect

Dean Ivory’s Sirius Prospect put up a nice performance to win a Class 2 handicap at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting on Friday over six and a half furlongs. He missed the break from stall three, over on the far side, but they went plenty quick enough up front, which probably suited the hold-up horses. That said, he travelled well out in the centre and picked up nicely before coming over towards the near side once he had got to the front over a furlong out. He stayed on well all the way to the line and never looked like being caught through the last furlong. Lutine Bell travelled well behind him, and he picked up well too, but it never really looked like he was going to catch the winner.

There was good money for Sirius Prospect through the afternoon and on course just before the off, which is significant since he was the only three-year-old in the race. The son of Gone West had won well at Windsor on his penultimate outing, smoothly coming through to take up the running at half way before going on to score by a comfortable length. His next run probably came too quickly for him, just five days after the Windsor victory, and things didn’t pan out well for him there. He was again slowly away from a high draw, and so was initially a long way away from where the action was down the near side, and he probably made his ground too quickly to come and be front rank by half way, so it wasn't hugely surprising that he weakened out of it.

This run proved that he is still going the right way, and in fact he still has scope for further progression, given that this was just his eighth run. This was a decent race, Kanaf had won a good race at Ascot before going close in two competitive big-field sprint handicaps on his previous two starts, both Below Zero and Noble Citizen had won and run well in big races on their recent starts, and Sirius Prospect was comfortably on top through the final furlong. A strongly-run six furlongs like this is probably his optimum, but he does stay seven furlongs and the way he travels suggests he shouldn’t have a problem with six furlongs in this higher grade. It is hard to suggest possible plans for the horse at this stage, it seems as if Dean Ivory is in no rush with him, and he could well turn out to be an even better horse next year at four.

9th September 2011

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