Al Kazeem

14th-May-2011

I wanted to back Dominant wherever he showed up next after his unlucky-looking run at Sandown last time, when he was pretty badly hampered two furlongs out before being extricated and finishing well to take second place behind Chain Lightning. However, he was flagged up by plenty as an unlucky loser after that, and he is far too short here in my book off a 6lb higher mark. He couldn’t have been any shorter if he had enjoyed a clear passage and won the race. I think, bizarrely, there is a chance that he would even be a longer price today if that had been the case.

Because he is so short, I am backing two against him. Al Kazeem is one. He shaped as if he would come on for the run when he kept on well to finish second behind the useful Cai Shen over this course and distance last month. All three of his runs have been at Newbury, and he was impressive in landing his maiden over a mile of this course last October (Carlton House actually won the second division of his maiden in a similar time). He stayed the trip well on his debut this season, he should come on for that run, and Roger Charlton’s horses are going well. The handicapper left him on his mark of 95 after that, which was fair, and he is worth backing at 13/2.

AL KAZEEM WON (ADV 13/2, SP 9/2)

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