Short Squeeze

Short Squeeze came up short over middle distances earlier this season, but he looks like a hugely improved performer over a mile of late and, after a much-improved performance at Sandown on his previous run, he took another step forward when bolting up in the Class 2 three-year-old handicap at York on Friday.

He was keen off a fairly generous early gallop, he tanked his way forward between horses going out of the back straight, and he was still taking a strong tug around the home turn, but he travelled well from the top of the home straight. Rider Martin Dwyer brought him across to the near side in behind the front wave of horses three furlongs out, he cruised upsides the leaders two furlongs out and, as soon as Dwyer shook him up and asked him to go and win his race, the manner in which he picked up was impressive, especially given how keen he had been for the first half of the race.

This looked like a deep race beforehand, and Hugo Palmer's horse beat his rivals pointless in a fast time, comparatively significantly quicker than the time in which the Group 3 Strensall Stakes was run over a similar trip earlier on the day.

Short Squeeze has been raised 12lb for this, but he is a rapidly-improving horse now, he had absolutely tons in hand, and the runner-up in turn had quite a bit in hand of the rest. This was just his ninth race, it has taken a little while for everything to come together for him and he still has to learn to settle, but he could be even better when he does. This mile trip is probably his optimum, although he has to be worth a try at seven furlongs now given how strongly he travels. That said, he would be of interest if he took his chance in the Cambridgeshire, given the scope he has to be significantly better even than his new handicap mark, and the fact that he should be able to settle well behind the fast pace that they inevitably go in the Cambridgeshire. Best odds of 16/1 would be big if you knew that he was on track for the race.

The ground was on the easy side here, but he had won at Sandown on fast ground on his previous run, and he could be even better back on slightly quicker ground. He is exciting.

23rd August 2013

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