Country Park
Country Park was running a big race in the two-mile-five-and-a-half-furlong maiden hurdle at Ascot on Friday when he came down at the second last flight. Held up early on by Jonjo O'Neill along the inside, he travelled into his race well up the side of the track. Seventh along the inside as they started to round the home turn, he moved into third place when they straightened up, and it appeared as if he was travelling better than leader Tommy The Tank, and warm favourite Belliano in second place. He just got the second last flight wrong, he was between strides and he just couldn't get his landing gear sorted on time. Belliano - who had finished second behind subsequent impressive Challow Hurdle winner The New Lion in a maiden hurdle at Chepstow in October on his previous run - went on to win the race, he probably won with more in hand than the winning margin, and he may have won anyway, we will never know for sure. But Country Park appeared to be travelling better than him at the time, he traded at 2.0 in-running, and, while he had to prove his stamina at the trip, he would have gone close at worst.
It was another step forward by the O'Neills' horse, racing over the longest trip by some way over which he had ever raced under Rules. Winner of his only point-to-point for Colin Bowe, he put up the best performance of his career before this when he finished a good second to the progressive Ace Of Spades at Cheltenham's November meeting over the minimum trip. He probably would have out-run that performance here had he not come down, and, out of a half-sister to Wicklow Brave, he will be of interest again now over two and a half miles, or maybe even further.
Ascot, 20th December 2024
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