Judgethemoment

16-Jun-2009

I quite like Judgethemoment here. Jane Chapple-Hyam's colt looks like a significantly improved performer this year at the age of four. He produced a career-best performance on his last run when he stayed on really well to land a handicap over two miles on fast ground at this track last month, despite having to be switched towards the inside after being denied a run on the near side. Significantly, one of his best runs last year was when he finished sixth to Patkai in the Queen's Vase, at this meeting. He has only run at Ascot twice and he has run really well both times. Ascot is an idiosyncratic track these days at which it pays to pay particular attention to horses who like the course, and this fellow obviously does.

The handicapper has raised him just 3lb for that win, and that is more than fair. He has never been over two and a half miles before, but he stayed the two miles well in the Queen's Vase last year, and he was going on at the finish at Ascot last time. He races like he will at least get the trip, and there is a better than 50-50 chance that he will improve for it. Jane Chapple-Hyam's horses are in really good form, and Richard Hughes, who rode him for the first time last time, takes the ride again, which is another positive. He is more progressive than most of his rivals, four-year-olds have won this race six times in the last 10 years, he loves fast ground, he loves the track, and everything looks set for a big run.

JUDGETHEMOMENT WON (ADV 9/1, SP 13/2)

Back