Aspetar

Aspetar was impressive in winning the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes over 1m 3f. Settled back in the field early on by Kieran Shoemark behind a relatively slow pace, he didn't have a lot of room at the top of the home straight. Fifth of the seven runners when they straightened up, he had to switch to the outside, around Bombyx, in order to deliver his challenge. But he picked up impressively when his rider asked him to, into a quickening pace. He hit the front just inside the furlong pole, and he went on to win by a cosy length in the end.

This was just Roger Charlton's horse's second run ever. Well backed on his debut at Windsor in April, he was impressive in winning there, coming clear of his rivals impressively, and he stepped up on that here. He may not want the ground to be too fast, his trainer said afterwards that he loved the easy ground on Friday, but he does hold an entry in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, so he does have that option if the ground does not come up too fast. Roger Charlton also mentioned the St Leger as a possible. Charlton trained his sire Al Kazeem who was a multiple Group 1 winner over a mile and two furlongs, and who was a Group 2 winner over a mile and a half. Aspetar is two for two, he has lots of scope for further progression, and he will be of interest wherever he goes next.

Goodwood, 25^th May 2018

Back