Postponed

Postponed put up a nice performance to finish second in the Group 3 10-furlong Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown on Friday. Quickly into his stride, he won the early battle for the lead in the face of competition from both Western Hymn and Ayrad, and he settled into a nice even rhythm for Adam Kirby in front down the back straight. Travelling well into the home straight, he came under pressure on the approach to the two-furlong pole as Western Hymn loomed up on his outside. His rival went about a neck up as they approached the furlong pole, but there was a lot to like about the manner in which Postponed battled back on the far side. He ran all the way to the line, going down by just three parts of a length in the end.

This was a fine effort from Luca Cumani's horse. They had watered the ground extensively on the Friday at Sandown, presumably with one eye on the National Hunt card on Saturday. The times on the day suggest that the ground was good to soft at best, despite the official description of good, and that was not ideal for Postponed. He is a good-moving horse and all his progress last season was on fast ground. Also, he is a 12-furlong horse, so this 10-furlong trip would have been sharp enough for him.

He was seriously progressive last season. Third behind Cannock Chase in the Tercenterary Stakes at Royal Ascot, he won a listed race at Hamilton in July and he stepped forward again to run out an impressive winner of the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August. That race is often a good stepping stone to the St Leger, but Luca Cumani was fairly unequivocal immediately after the race that he would not go for the Leger, the unmistakeable sense being that he was too good for the Leger.

He could be a really exciting middle-distance horse now this season. He is in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, and the Brigadier Gerard Stakes is an option, but he should be seen to best effect back over a mile and a half. He goes well at Ascot, so the Hardwicke Stakes and Royal Ascot and possibly the King George afterwards are obvious targets for him.

24th April 2015

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