Jet Away

Jet Away was a really impressive winner of a conditions race over the extended mile and a quarter at York on Friday. Held up last of the six runners off what was just a steady gallop, he travelled supremely well throughout, cruised into contention early in the home straight and came away readily to win nicely.

The form of the race has to be slightly suspect, Treasury Devil and Le Drakkar were having their first runs since the spring, and Dangerous Midge is still working his way back having missed most of the season, but Rasmy at least appeared to run his race from the front. Jet Away pulled nine lengths clear of Marcus Tregoning’s horse, and he could hardly have been any more impressive in so doing. The time was actually good for what appeared to be a slowly-run race, just 0.11 seconds per furlong slower than standard, and 1.76 seconds faster than the Class 4 handicap won by Shamdarley over the same trip later on the card. Sir Henry Cecil’s horse is obviously in top form, and he was free enough through the early stages of this contest, so he should do even better in a faster-run race.

The son of Cape Cross has long looked like he could be up to Group class. He easily beat Sri Putra off level weights at Lingfield on his first run of the season, and that horse is a solid Group 1/Group 2 yardstick on his day. He was too fresh on his second start of the season, stepped up to a mile and a half at Goodwood, when beaten by Passion For Gold (who had been behind him in that Lingfield race), and he didn’t run his race in a listed event at Sandown at the start of July. He was off for two and a half months after that before returning in another conditions race at Newbury three weeks ago, when he was probably unlucky to bump into a horse of Dubai Prince’s calibre. That horse now runs in the Champion Stakes on Saturday, and he has a real chance of going well in it.

Jet Away finished comfortably ahead of Penitent there - who has won since - and he may well have finished closer to Dubai Prince had the race been over 10 furlongs rather than nine, he was coming back at the winner close home having been readily passed a quarter of a mile out.

The son of Cape Cross is relatively fresh for this stage of the season, having had just the five races, and he would be of interest were he to run again this season. It may just be that he is an improving horse, he is a big animal, he is still only four, and it looks like he will be kept in training next season. He could make up into a more than useful Group performer next summer. He clearly goes well fresh too, so he may be a betting proposition if he contests a decent prize first time out.

7th October 2011

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