Seaplane

Seaplane did well to keep on as well as he did to finish second in the seven-furlong maiden at Ascot last Friday. Racing for just the second time in his life, and for the first time since he made his racecourse debut at Leicester at the end of May, he was keener than ideal early on. He tacked over from his wide draw across in front of his rivals to race close to the stands rail in front, and he led the field at a fast pace. It looked like his early exertions would take their toll, but he still travelled well inside the two-furlong marker as all his rivals came under pressure. In the end, Calla Laguna got racing room and got out after him, and just wore him down, but Seaplane kept on admirably to finish second, with the first two nicely clear of their rivals.

The Coles' horse improved for the step up from six furlongs to seven, and he is bred to appreciate further. A son of Golden Horn, he is a half-brother to Sumo Sam, who won the Lillie Langtry Stakes and the Park Hill Stakes last year on soft ground, and his dam is a half-sister to Stay Alert, a high-class middle-distance mare who finished fourth in the Prix Vermeille on Sunday. Seaplane holds an entry in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy at Doncaster next month and, while that might be aiming a little high at this stage of his life, it does provide an indication of the regard in which he is held at home. He will be of interest wherever he goes next, he could go up to a mile and we know that he can operate on soft ground.

Ascot, 6^th September 2024