British 2yo Racing - 2011 Race Result :- 128 : Thu, May 26th - Sandown Park 6:30, 5f Listed (1), "National Stakes"

BRITISH 2yo RACING - 2011 Season Race Result

Race 128 : Thu, May 26th
Sandown Park 6:30, 5f Listed (1), "National Stakes"

2011 Season Home
2011 Results

[Est] is the B2yoR Rating. Green indicates a 55+ level,
Cream between 30 & 54, Pink less than 30.
Wnr = previous/LATER 2yo Winner. Letter is Race Type.
Hf = Position at Halfway. Green indicates making places to the finish.

GOING	TIME	RcPc	VP
GGS	62.55 [Compare]	1	None

	Horse	SP	[EST]	Run	Wnr	Trainer	Dw	Hf	Run Notes
1	Pyman's Theory	12	62	4	m	T. G. Dascombe	4	1	Drift 10/1, BOk P-1 Dv, Resp Erl & Prg, Ld+0.5f, 1L+ Clr Hf Sttld, Eff-2f, ko, 3Clr-1f, PO-0.5f+, Po Lt
2	Bannock	2.5	65	4	d/L	M. Johnston	2	5	B2 ins, LdgPr Erl RL, H-2 +0.5f Drop Bhd, Ngl+2f, Blckd-2f, SEff-1f+ RL, ko-1f when Clear from -5L, PO Lt
3	Magic City	0.91	50	4	m	R. Hannon	7	3	B1 Hld Immed, QFre Erl & Hdd Hld, FFH for 1.5f, H-2 +0.5f, TvOk-2f+, Eff-2f HgR TTR, Po-1, po Lt
4	Sixx	14	41	2	m	R. Hannon	3	6	B-1 PNgl Resp, H-2 +0.5f, XB+1f, SwcL+2f Cent, DvHf TTR, Prg-2f+, Eff-2f Cent, Po, HgL-1f+, SUnbal-1f, po, Fd ins-0.5f
5	Powerful Wind	66	35	4	m/V	R. Harris	1	4	BOk RL, QFre+0.5f Hld & Unbal, FFH for 1.5f, Eff-2f, Po, Clear 2nd-1f+, po-1f, Fd-0.5f+
6	Foxtrot India	9	10	3	m	P. Winkworth	6	2	Supp 16/1, B-1 PDv, Resp Erl & Prg, 2nd+1f 2Wd SFre & Hld, Eff-2f ModResp, Whip ins-2f NoResp, Fd-1f+
WD	Miss Lahar	25			M	M. R. Channon	5		WD AP =, Refuse Stalls, Offered first and held others up for 2mins then offered last and pulling away hooded.

SUMMARY

GGF Going with watering and 5mm applied previous day. Going Stick at 8.3 Reading on Tuesday (CHECK Update). Showers forecast before and during racing. Stiff, changeable Breeze as mostly a Headwind but partly from the right. Strong Shower before the first race with this the second on the card. Going changed to GGS before this race.

Hannon on his website two days before the race about Magic City = "Magic City should have won at Windsor last week, and, hopefully, Hughesie can put things right here. He showed what a good two-year-old he is when winning in exceptional time at Newbury, and, though he was then beaten by a good filly in Miss Work of Art at Ascot, the ground was very firm there and he came back with sore shins. Hughesie changed the tactics at Windsor and Magic City, who was dropped out, met trouble in behind and could never reel in Mark Johnston's front-running Bannock, but on 3lb better terms the jockey, who got plenty of flak on the chat lines for getting beaten on the odds-on favourite on the Thames-side course, hopes to be able to reverse the form. It remains to be seen whether Magic City will jump and run or be held up again, but Hughesie has no doubt that he is a decent youngster. He said: 'Even allowing for the sore shins, Magic City was a bit disappointing at Ascot, but running from the front you are always there to be shot at, so I held him up at Windsor to try and teach him to settle. Jim Crowley (Foxtrot India) watched me like a hawk in the race, and, while I did manage to get Magic City relaxed in behind, Joe Fanning (Bannock) kicked for home early and we could not quite peg him back and were beaten a neck.I still maintain that is the way to ride Magic City. He needs to be more professional, and we had to risk sacrifying the Windsor race in order to teach him to switch off. It was the same with Zebedee last year - we got him beat by running him from the front in the Norfolk, but we held him up after that and Ascot was his only defeat in seven races, so we must have been doing something right. Magic City could well do a Zebedee this season - he is that good, and, hopefully, we can get back on track here."
and about Sixx "However, stablemate Sixx is no slouch either, and the boss added: 'We did not expect him to beat Right Result at Salisbury as that one is pretty sharp and Sixx is still a bit weak, but he did everything right and is obviously useful.'"

Tom Dascombe on a small message service 5 hours before the race = "Pyman's Theory - on form she's right there with them and ran very well last time given her bad draw..."

Although the 'we need to hold horses up get the best out of them' discussion around Magic City is getting pretty tedious this race an interesting example to think around the area. Pyman's Theory had looked good at LEIC and settled in 2nd behind a leader pressing on and then produced a real kick to go clear. At YORK LTO she made a sloppy break and had to do some work to sit midfield in a race where Vocational took off to set a stiff pace. The kick she was able to produce only closed her up to the leaders from midfield before she seemed to stall a bit and hang left. That was in a race where the first three through halfway finished in the first three (an example to place before people who get so uptight about holding up). So she finished 5th but in a tough race which seems some of the best 5f form around to date.

Here she made an ok break but then didn't pick up as readily as the jockey wanted so Kingscote hassled her into getting going. As she made her effort to go forward ALL the other jockeys on the males were (trying) holding them up and trying to drop back and get some cover. Which was enough to make this race entirely different for PT compared to YORK where she was always struggling to be comfortably into the race. Here, she was allowed to set her own pace in front and the only horse in the race to run settled AND not give away some of the ground and momentum they had gained. Kingscote would vie for being the best jockey at front-running on these types and Dascombe gives him the horses (usually) fit enough to see the race out in earlier season (before the form level dissapates..). Which meant when she made her kick at 2F out she was gone up the rail (like Bannock had been at WDSR when beating Magic City). The kick she showed at LEIC was there and used to jump her clear and set a target for the others to chase.

Now, Mark Johnston is known for front-runners and always insists that he does not give instructions to jockeys to make the running. He wants horses to run balanced pace races without lots of stopping and starting. Because he believes, correctly, that decelerating and accelerating 500kg of horse is wasteful of motive energy and inefficient. So, he says to his jockeys get the horse running balanced and in whatever position that leaves you. In a world where so many people want to be held up your horses will end up doing a lot of leading (it is also a major factor in what people perceive as Johnston horses battling on very well when challenged. They have been running controlled, efficient races so can respond when challenged..). Bannock has led in his 3 previous races and an easy lead and kick won him a Conditions race LTO. Here he broke second best near the rail and had a free 1L over 4 of the others. Instead of leeting Bannock run prominently up the rail Dettori hauled him back to be 3R on the rail and 4L back at halfway behind a usable pace. Cementhead stuff. When the jockey wanted to make his effort at 2F out he was blocked in on the rail. When he got clear he showed the strong kick he has to pull clear of the stallers and close up to PT. Put him 2nd on the rail at 2F at 0.5L behind PT and let them both show us their kick and what a race we might have had. Instead, connections prattling on about being 'unlucky' or whatever when they made their own problems.

The last wide margin winner Hannon had of the Newbury 5f maiden in mid-April never won again and well beaten in this race (Cav Okay). Magic City has a couple of things in his favour over that horse in that he ran away from a good group behind (Cav Okay beat moderate and unready ones) and he is a bigger, more scopey, horse. He looked Group class comfortably FTO when allowed to lead and break a good field up and finished the race off strongly. Three efforts at holding him up (in the lead at ASCT but held and not allowed to use his natural stride) have produced three defeats and on none of the three occasions has he looked to have real 2F out kick. You would expect Bannock to beat him for a kick for example. Ran too freely here but perhaps settled and travelling ok to 2F out. But, when asked for his effort started hanging right and just an ordinary effort. Please let him settle in front and set a target for the others. If they can catch him then fair enough but at least you got the best out of him. He hasn't looked the same horse in three runs since his debut.

Sixx held back early wide and then dropped back to the rail .Then switched left towards halfway to get a clear run on the outside. A lot of moving around to try to get back to a leader running a perfectly efficient race. Okish effort but than stalling and getting unbalanced.

Powerful Wind presumably a tearaway naturally and a wild Breeze at the 2yo sale in March perhaps the reason for him attracting 'No Bid'. But a good size and showed what he could do LTO when running settled (in the lead, note) and then making his 2F effort. But, as was the fashion the jockey determined to hold him back here and got into a fight that got the horse unbalanced. Still able to make a solid effort in the last 2F until fading. But more fuel for the Hold Up of Settle in Front argument.

Peter Winkworth back with a long SP FTO win with Foxtrot India in a race that has already produced three other winners at good to solid levels. But, just a medium size and overpowered by Bannock and MCity LTO. Also a niggle that the Winksowrth FTO winners tend to be very wound up and fit for debut and they struggle in subsequent runs. The pair that have won again at 2yo after debut have done so in September perhaps after having time to go 'over the top' then build up again.