All Weather round-up: Lingfield eyecatchers and James Fanshawe sprinter to follow
Richard Mann's latest All Weather Weekly column puts the microscope on an improving horse from the James Fanshawe stable and notes a couple of Lingfield eyecatchers.
Fanshawe sprinter on the upgrade
When trainer James Fanshawe took Show Me A Sunset into his care last year, it immediately struck me that this was a horse who could prove to be a useful performer.
Show Me A Sunset first came onto the radar when debuting at Newcastle in the spring of 2019, attracting significant market support before posting a limp effort that was clearly a long way below expectations.
The fact he didn’t make the track again that year hinted that all was not right with him after that introductory effort and it wasn’t until September 2020 when he finally reappeared. Still sporting The Cool Silk Partnership colours, Show Me A Sunset was again strong in the betting for a six-furlong novice stakes at Kempton, though he was now saddled by Fanshawe.
This performance was much more in keeping with market expectations but having pulled hard throughout, he didn’t look the most genuine under pressure and eventually went down by a head. It was exactly the same when the son of Showcasing dropped back to five furlongs at Wolverhampton the following month and two modest efforts thereafter suggested he might not be one with which to persevere.
Still, Fanshawe has made a long and decorated training career out of bringing his horses along steadily, eking out improvement race by race, and his charge finally broke through when beating the 81-rated Raasel at Chelmsford on Friday night.
Having once again travelled smoothly into the race, Show Me A Sunset this time produced a strong finishing effort to win snugly and hint that he could still have a bright future.
The application of a first-time a tongue-tie had clearly helped his cause, as did the 7lb claim of promising young jockey Benoit De La Sayette, but I’m inclined to think that Fanshawe is finally starting to get to the bottom of a clearly-talented sprinter who has always promised to be a smart operator.
I’ll be fascinated to see where Show Me A Sunset turns up next, with the strong belief that he remains on the right side of the handicapper.
Lingfield pair catch the eye
Last Friday was one of the more interesting days of the week in terms of All Weather racing, and Lingfield’s afternoon action is worth reflecting upon.
Inevitable Outcome was a huge eyecatcher when only narrowly touched off in the seven-furlong handicap. Having travelled like much the best horse in the race, the four-year-old just couldn’t master long-time leader Fred who displayed all the tenacity associated with Mark Johnston’s horses to get back up on the line.
It was a bitter pill for connections and supporters of Inevitable Outcome to swallow, especially after she had bumped into handicap snip Album on her previous start over six furlongs at Wolverhampton.
Prior to that, Inevitable Outcome had won easily over that same course and distance and I really do think sprinting is her game. To me eye, she just didn’t stay the seven furlongs well enough at Lingfield and the form of that previous run behind Album was given a timely boost when the latter bolted up at Chelmsford last week.
Another name worth adding to your My Stable trackers is Clay, having also filled the runner-up spot on that same card at Lingfield.
Richard Hannon’s colt produced his best effort to date when only finding one too strong in the final furlong and I do think that he worth marking up for that run. Having initially been green, he was keen enough as he tried to make every yard of the running and it was to his credit that he was still going strong when turning for home.
As we know, trying to make all over 1m2f around Lingfield can be fiendishly difficult but despite being headed inside the final furlong, Clay didn’t wilt and ran all the way to the line.
A son of former St Leger hero Sixties Icon, he should get further in time and can continue to progress with racing.
Clay goes again at Lingfield this Friday and while he could find impressive debut winner Tamborrada a tough nut to crack, I’m fairly sure the Hannon charge will at least give that one a race.
Slow pace no help to Pirate King
Looking further ahead, Pirate King is usually one to always have in mind in 1m4f handicaps at Lingfield.
However, a muddling, four-runner race didn’t play to his strengths over that same course and distance on Sunday and taking on just the four rivals over the same course and distance this coming Saturday has the potential to catch him out again.
There is no doubting that Charlie Fellowes’ charge is a smart performer around Lingfield, nor that he remains in excellent heart, but I don’t think a truly-run race is guaranteed here and betting under such circumstances is fraught with danger.
On Wednesday, there is a Class 2 handicap scheduled at Kempton and looking at the initial entries, this race might attract a bigger field.
Old favourite Via Serendipity chased home the progressive Fox Duty Free at Lingfield last time and seems sure to run his race again, while the likes of Mission Boy and Born To Be Alive have been in good heart of late.
With the winter weather unrelenting, this might well prove to be the racing highlight of the week until Meydan returns on Thursday.
Roll on the Craven.