Ulck Du Lin

Ulck Du Lin produced a really impressive display to win the concluding two-mile handicap chase at Newbury on Hennessy day on Saturday. Incredibly well backed beforehand, from 9/2 in the morning and from 7/2 into 2/1 on course, despite Darly Jacob replacing Ruby Walsh in the saddle and putting up 1lb overweight, he travelled and jumped well and looked the most likely winner from a long way out. He came clear on the run-in and clocked a really fast time, second best only to the strongly-run Hennessy on a high class day of racing.

This was only his third run over fences, just his second in Britain, and while he didn’t jump quite as well as he had at Stratford on his previous run, where he was superb bar one mistake five from home, his jumping was more than adequate here. He looked much happier over this two-mile-one-furlong trip than he was over nearly two and three quarter miles at Stratford when he travelled strongly before tying up from the home turn.

The way he cruised all the way to the second last, pricked his ears having got to the front and picked up again having got in a bit tight to the final fence suggests he had a lot in hand here, possibly a fair bit more than the 10lb by which he has been raised for this. He is only four, he can progress again, and he is exciting.

1st December 2012

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