Mull Of Killough

It is hard to escape the conclusion that Mull Of Killough was at least a little unlucky in just failing to catch Brae Hill in the Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday.

Drawn close to the stands side in stall 21 of 22 (he was the only horse of the first eight home to be drawn higher than 12), he raced in the second half of the field on the near side of the group. He was travelling nicely and just looking to pick up when a gap he was going for between Light From Mars and Field Of Dream closed on him. Shane Kelly had to pull him to the near side and the horse did pick up but had to check a little again to get around Don’t Call Me, by which time Brae Hill, Edinburgh Knight and Eton Forever had forged on in front. Mull Of Killough had to make his ground up right over on the near side with nothing to carry him up to the leader but, even so, he finished best of all and probably would have won in another two strides.

The time of the race was really good, over a second faster than standard, the only time that dipped below standard on the day, and over a second faster than the Spring Mile, run over the same course and distance earlier in the day. Brae Hill is a horse who goes well fresh, he was second in the race last year off the same handicap mark and, in bowling along in the front rank, he was able to run a much more efficient race than the runner-up.

Mull Of Killough is six, but he is relatively lightly raced for his age. This was just his second run for Jane Chapple-Hyam (he had won the first of them at Lingfield in January), he is in the form of his life now for his new trainer, and he can progress again from this. A 3lb rise is not harsh, this was a career-best, and he may be slightly better with a little bit of cut in the ground too.

31st March 2012

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