British 2yo Racing - 2006 Season Race Report

BRITISH 2YO RACING - 2006 Season Race Report

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020: Kempton AW, April 15th : 5f (4) Maiden

RACE SUMMARY

.A tight race in the pre-race profile and just an average pace to the race and a sprint in the straight saw the first five finish quite close to each other and only the eased Chip Leader well back. However, the paddock review for the race showed an interesting group with good potential amongst the four newcomers.


	Beckenham's Secret	Suhayl Star	Monkey Glas	Riverside Dancer	Dear One	Chip Leader
[Estimate] Post Race
Pre-race Profile	57	55	55	55	50	57

The group could be split by size between the two with previous runs and the four newcomers. Beckenham's Secret & Chip Leader were the smallest and both 'early 2yos' in comparison to the others. Beckenham's Secret was the smallest in the whole group and has very little scope to develop. In effect his readiness, previous experience and advantage of a leading position when the sprint started in the straight allowed him to beat better physical types. For example, he probably won't be in the first three of this group of six by actual ability by season end. Note the use of the phrase 'actual ability' rather than 'official rating' because we have to consider what the handicapper will do. If two or three of the placed runners win next time out and compete well in better races then what rating in Beckenham's Secret going to get? The official handicapper tends to read form entirely literally so with a Class 4 win from subsequent winners he is going to get rated into the high 80s at some point. He looks the type that could make the first four in a race like the Lily Agnes at Chester with a good draw and then will struggle in handicaps later in the season (perhaps winning one when his OR rating starts to drop in later season along with his relative 'hard trained' status).

Suhayl Star was the best type in the group and fitted well with the expectation that the trainer chooses a better, development, type for these early Kempton maidens. Mostly positives in physical review, good size and build, muscular on his quarters, likeable 'diamond' geometry in front, enough length to improve for 6f+ and a good, rangy mover. He looked inexperienced in the race and in particular on the bend into the straight where he was a little awkward and ran widest. The longish straight allowed him to get going and he did well to close on the leaders and passing better placed runners. A very good debut given his mental readiness and that he probably isn't a 5f type. He seems likely to develop to rate high 80s and probably into the 90s by official ratings and likely to be tried in better races.

Monkey Glas' trainer does not target debut winners and they come along with his better runners (the 25/1 FTO winner he had three days ago was an 'accident' in a moderate race time). Which made this runner a surprise in paddock review where he was the fittest and a mature type. He looked like a 'FTO win attempt' because he appeared to be the precocious, sprint 2yo in the mould of Shank On Fourteen or Clare Hills. Buzzed up on debut and with a variety of 'aids' to try to keep him calm - brought to parade last, dropped in close behind other runners, taken to a closed box for saddling, etc. In the context of his appearance before the race his position as favourite and backed was not a surprise in this group. He ran well enough in the race without having the quickening ability to reel in the leaders. He looks a natural, sprint 2yo who should improve for this and prove very difficult to beat in a northern maiden next time. Ought to rate in the 80s at least.

Riverside Dancer also looked a solid type with a good size and neatly made and a likeable, rangy, mover. She is narrower than a classic 5f runner and with more range of movement, she's bigger and a different physical type than her full brother Savitsky (low 70s rated 6f maiden winner in 2003). She made another solid debut in a race where the potential shown was better than the actual performance. She lost some ground at the stalls but got into the race and made some progress when the sprint started in the straight. Ought to be better for 6f and her size and readiness will help her to compete well through to mid season. Likely to rate around 80.

In the profile for the race the question of what the stoutly bred Dear One was doing running in this race over 5f in mid-April. She was the least fit in the group and vied with Monkey Glas for being the most buzzed up and likely to boil over. Perhaps she was here to race to give her something to think about and to mature her mentally. Whatever the reason she looked another solid type - well grown, in proportion, deep in front and carried herself well. She's leggy and less powerful behind and not a 5f type but performed perfectly well in the race given her fitness and lack of suitability for a faster ground 5f. Her wilfulness showed up in the race where she just about settled for her jockey early on although got a little unbalanced when having to be pulled off the back of the winner. She showed some response in the final sprint and although beaten by some more obvious sprinters wasn't left behind and still going on at the finish. Given her relatively lack of fitness a good debut and solid promise for her to rate 70+ when over a 6f+.

Which leaves Chip Leader who was the second smallest in the group although much more heavily built than the 'now' Beckenham's Secret. Unlike that runner he didn't look 'ready' he still seemed more at the 'small, mentally immature & podgy' end of scale and a below average mover. For the second time in a week he travelled ok in the race while it was just an average pace but soon went backwards when the pace increased and again was eased. The trainer's runners tend to show most of their ability by the second outing and he's shown very little. The early start he's made and the fact that he's got the muscle to improve with training increase his chances of winning somewhere but he needs to grow up and improve his movement. The trainer usually gets a win of some sort with this type either by dropping them to a weakish all-weather race or by sheer persistence in nurseries and auction races after mid-season. However, getting up to low to mid 60s rating with that time to develop looks to be his mark on what we have see.

PICTURES

Beckenham's Secret : [1] [2]

Chip Leader : [1]

Monkey Glas : [1] [2]

Suhayl Star : [1] [2] [3] [4]

Dear One : [1] [2]

Riverside Dancer : [1] [2] [3]