Kaylif Aramis

Kaylif Aramis had run really well on his previous run at Ascot on Ladbroke Hurdle day, when he travelled strongly over three miles on heavy ground before not quite getting home, and the drop back to two and a half miles suited him well at Ffos Las on Saturday.

Sam Twiston-Davies settled him right up the inside, three horses back on the rail, and once more he travelled strongly the whole way, though on this occasion he didn’t over-race, he settled well even off the very steady pace. His jumping was quick and accurate but there was nowhere for him to go at the end of the back straight, he had to sit in behind horses until a gap developed as they began the turn out of the far side.

It was soon apparent that he and The Bear Trap were going best of all at the top of the home straight. He just got held up in beginning his challenge after the third last, his rider had to switch behind the favourite and wait briefly for a gap again, but when the split came he cruised up to join the leaders and quickened to the front between the last two flights. He didn’t jump the last as fluently as The Bear Trap but he found plenty and, racing on the favoured near side, kept on well to win by a head.

The Bear Trap is obviously a talented horse as well, and there was a lot to like about the way Kaylif Aramis picked up and took two lengths out of him between the last two flights. The Twiston-Davies horse gave the impression at Ascot that he was a well-handicapped horse on this mark of 112, and a 7lb rise for this still leaves him attractively handicapped. The superiority of the front two was apparent, and it probably would have been even more pronounced had the early pace been stronger. Kaylif Aramis as a full-brother to Kayf Aramis, winner of a Pertemps Final and rated as high as 149 at his peak. Kaylif Aramis is only six, this was just his fourth run over hurdles, and he still has lots of scope for progression.

2nd February 2013

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