High Jinx

High Jinx took another step up the ladder when winning the Class 2 one-and-a-half-mile handicap at Newmarket on Saturday.

He did really well to win actually, he came from off the pace on a day and at a meeting where it appeared to be a huge advantage to race handily. He was held up right out the back early on, though he did make progress after a couple of furlongs as Ryan Moore looked keen to track Frankie Dettori on Anatolian. He was close enough with half a mile to run, but he did just need shaking along a little a half a mile from home as the Godolphin horse travelled kindly to his right. Anatolian moved to the front two furlongs out, and High Jinx immediately went after him, gradually wearing him down with half a furlong to run and then sticking his neck out to repel the rallying Anatolian close to the line.

James Fanshawe’s colt remains hugely progressive, but he needed every yard of this mile-and-a-half trip to get past Anatolian, the pair of them drawing nicely clear of the bang in-form trio of High Office, Mulaqen and Ithoughtitwasover. The form looks rock solid, and the front two were well on top. The 8lb rise with which High Jinx has been rewarded is well merited, as is the 7lb that the runner-up has received. While they should both be capable of progressing further off their new respective marks, marginal preference is for the winner as the one to take out of the race.

This was just High Jinx’s sixth ever run, his third at a mile and a half, and he could progress again now when he is stepped up again in trip. He could be an Ebor horse now or even a Northumberland Plate horse. Given the way he ran here, and his pedigree – he is related to a couple of multiple jumps winners in France – he should stay a mile and six well, he could well stay two miles, and he would have to be of serious interest for the Newcastle race if he is allowed to take up his entry. He has just the right type of lightly-raced profile for that race (four-year-olds have won eight of the 17 renewals since 1995). On the negative side, connections had reportedly been waiting for some ease in the ground before running him again after an encouraging seasonal reappearance, so there may be the proviso with him that he does need some cut in the ground.

9th June 2012

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