Magic Hurricane

It was a little disappointing that Magic Hurricane could not win the Old Newton Cup at Haydock on Saturday, given how well he travelled into the race, but there was still lots of encouragement to be gleaned from the performance.

Always travelling well in mid-division, James Fanshawe's horse was the only horse still on the bridle as he moved up towards the far side of leader Dashing Star at the two-furlong pole, at which point he traded at 1.59 in-running. He quickly came under pressure however and, while he did hit the front, he didn't pull away from his rivals, despite the impression that he gave that he would. Pallasator and De Rigueur quickly joined him and passed him on the near side and, while he picked up and raced with that pair all the way to the line, it never looked like he was going to get past them again.

In Magic Hurricane's defence, this was just his seventh ever race. He could have lacked the experience that would have stood to him in an Old Newton Cup. It may have been his inexperience that caused him to look a little starry-eyed once he hit the front. This experience should stand to him, however. He should improve for it, possibly quite significantly.

The handicapper raised him just 1lb for this, and that is very fair. It leaves him on a mark of 96, which is a mark that should be well within his range. There could still be one of these big middle-distance handicaps in him. He had been impressive in winning at Kempton on his penultimate run before Saturday, and over Saturday's course and distance in June on his final run before Saturday, so there is every reason to expect that he can regain that thread. He will be of interest wherever he goes next. A mile and a half is probably his optimum trip for now, and he handles easy ground as well as fast ground and Polytrack.

5th July 2014

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