Herculean

25th-Sept-2010

Herculean has a lot in his favour here, and is worth backing at 9/2. William Haggas’s gelding is a most progressive individual, having raced just three times in his life. He impressed on his latest start, at Ffos Las at the end of last month, when he travelled well behind his rivals, moved up stylishly and then moved on nicely to win well. It was only a four-horse race, but it was a good race, and Herculean did it easily. He handled the easy ground well, and he stayed on well at the end, leaving the impression that this step up to a mile and six furlongs should be no problem to him. The handicapper raised him 7lb for that, but it would be disappointing if he wasn’t progressive enough to take that hike in his stride. Also, three-year-olds do well in this race, having won three of the last six renewals, and Haggas won it with Alnaja in 2003.

Kansai Spirit is a ready-made favourite, he was all the rage before and after he beat Red Cadeaux in the Old Borough Cup last time over this course and distance, but he got a 6lb hike for that, he is unproven on soft ground, and he is not as obviously progressive at Herculean.

Rangefinder will like the ground, but he is always a fashionable and popular horse on easy ground, and he is just getting a little exposed now. Sunny Game is very interesting, but he has a lot of imponderables to overcome in terms of the trip and the ground, and odds of 5/1 are not sufficiently high to compensate for the unknowns.

HERCULEAN WON (ADV 9/2, SP 11/2)

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