Shwaiman

Shwaiman ran a cracker to get as close as he did in the Chester Cup on Wednesday. Drawn effectively in stall 16 of the 17 runners (he was drawn 18, but the two reserve, who didn't get into the race were drawn inside him) in a race in which those drawn low have a massive advantage, he was slowly away and settled towards the rear of the well-stretched-out field, and towards the outside. Ridden along three furlongs out, he did start to make ground as they started around the home turn, but he was desperately wide, he was five or six horse-widths off the inside rail as he tried to make his ground, and that made things very difficult for him. He did begin to get tired a furlong and a half from home, as his exertions started to tell, and Communicator came from behind him to run on to take third place behind Suegioo and Angel Gabrial, but Shwaiman stuck to his task well, staying on under just a hands-and-heels ride to get up for sixth place, about seven lengths behind the winner.

This was a fine run from James Fanshawe's horse. Fanshawe is not noted as a trainer who has his horses primed for Chester's May meeting - indeed, this was just his third runner at Chester in the last five years - like other trainers do, and it is reasonable to expect that Shwaiman will come on for this run, his second of the season and just the 10th of his life. Second to Camborne - who won a Group 3 race a week later on his only subsequent run to date - in the Mallard Handicap at Doncaster last September as a three-year-old off a mark of 94, his current mark of 97 is a mark that could under-estimate him now as a four-year-old. He is a stayer, he stays two miles well, and it is interesting that his trainer thought enough of him to enter him in the Ascot Gold Cup. That may be aiming a little high, but he would be interesting if he lined up in the Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting. He goes well at Doncaster, he ran that big race in the Mallard Handicap there last September and he has recorded his only win there, and he will be of particular interest if and when he returns to Town Moor.

7th May 2014

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