Sir Billy Wright
Sir Billy Wright ran really well for a long way in the Ayr Bronze Cup on Friday. David Evans’ horse raced from stall 25 and raced towards the near side throughout, probably on the worst of the ground. He travelled well for Clifford Lee to the two-furlong pole, and shaped as if he was going to be involved in the finish, but it really was a disadvantage to race on the near side at Ayr all week, and his exertions just took their toll. His run was just beginning to flatten out when he was bumped slightly, and that seemed to knock all the remaining energy out of him. He just kept on to finish ninth.
The High Chaparral gelding is five years old, he is not unexposed as a sprinter, but this effort can probably be marked up a fair bit on the bare figures, and he may be under-rated now. The handicapper left him on his mark of 85, and that is fair, 2lb lower than his peak for a horse who is in top form now. That gives him a chance in another big handicap.
He holds an entry in the six-furlong handicap at Haydock on Saturday, a race in which other Bronze Cup horses Duke Cosimo - who also did really well from a high draw - and Englishman also hold entries. Sir Billy Wright will be interesting if he takes his chance in that. It will be interesting to see how the market interprets the Bronze Cup, if the Bronze Cup runners all stand their ground.
17th September 2016
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