Cape Of Approval

They finished in a heap in the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes at The Curragh on Saturday – there were just two and a quarter lengths separating the first 10 home – and there were one or two promising runs just in behind the first few. Cristoforo Colombo was one, he will be of interest now back up in trip with this run under his belt - but an even bigger eye-catcher was Cape Of Approval, and he is a very interesting horse now for the autumn.

Mentioned here after he won at Cork in June, the Tommy Stack-trained horse was drawn widest of all on what was his first run back from a three-month break. The ground would have been faster than ideal, they did not have as much rain as was originally anticipated at The Curragh over the weekend, but he ran a really encouraging race in finishing a close-up sixth. He travelled well without any cover down the centre, but the front few just got away from him a little a furlong and a half out, and he got a little messed around when Balmont Mast pulled out in front of him. Even after that, however, he kept on all the way to the line, closing late on under just a hands and heels ride from Billy Lee once his winning chance had gone.

He should be better for this first run back after a break and he will be of major interest now back on his favoured easy ground. He improved on soft ground through the first part of the season over both five and six furlongs, he beat Maarek in the Listed Midsummer Sprint at Cork, and he could still be better than we have seen so far. He is a strong traveller so he should prove best in a strongly-run race, and perhaps the Group 2 sprint at Ascot on Champions Day could be the race for him. There is every chance he will have his ground then, and it is interesting that connections think enough of him to have given him an entry in that race. He is an exciting sprinter and he is probably still under-rated.

14th September 2013

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