WELCOME to our Eyecatchers column! Every week, form expert James Flaherty pinpoints horses primed to strike in the next few weeks, if not days. Remember, you can add James's weekly updates to your ATR Tracker.
MOONFALL BIGGEST EYECATCHER OF CHESTER MAY FESTIVAL
ARCTIC THUNDER
4.45 Chester, 6 May
Arctic Thunder is back down to his last winning mark after a prolonged losing run but shaped much better than the bare result here. He ran well without winning a few times last season and his turn may not be too far away.
He settled off the pace but didn’t get a clear run until it was far too late. I liked how he finished the race though, making eye-catching late headway once he finally saw daylight in the final furlong. I’m not sure this track really played to his strengths either.
His hold up style means he could always be a victim of hard luck, but I think a more strongly run race should help him. A little help from the handicapper would obviously make things easier, but I think he can win off his current mark of 85.
BLUE PRINCE
8.00 Kempton, 6 May
Blue Prince has plummeted in the ratings over the past year, but this effort represented a return to form in what was his first run since last October. Having been as high as 93 at one time, his third here came off a mark of just 79.
The winner made all despite setting an even pace and the third tracked the winner, but Blue Prince came from much further back. He had to wait for a clear run momentarily in the straight too and wasn’t asked for maximum effort until the final furlong. He was the quickest in the field for each of the final three individual furlongs.
Blue Prince is entitled to improve in terms of fitness and with any progress could prove difficult to beat next time. He may not be as good as he was a couple of years ago, but I think he is better than his current mark.
DUBAI BLING
1.30 Chester, 7 May
The first two home in this sprint handicap were clearly superior to the others, but I feel that the best horse may have finished second. Roman Dragon just got first run on Dubai Bling from a better position and that proved decisive given the narrow margin between the pair at the line.
Dubai Bling had to wait for a clear run early in the straight, but powered home once he got daylight, clocking the quickest closing sectional in the process. He went through the line as strongly as one might expect from a horse that stays six furlongs.
His winning form in the UK is over further, but the pace he showed around this sharp five furlongs opens other options for connections. I think a stiffer test over five furlongs or six furlongs would see further improvement.
MOONFALL
3.40 Chester, 7 May
Moonfall was probably the biggest eyecatcher of the entire Boodles May Festival at Chester in my opinion. Plenty went wrong for him during the race, some of it was of his own making and more was just down to bad luck.
He was keen early on, showing freshness on his first start since July last year. Ryan took him back to get him settled, but that meant he had work to do and a wall of horses in front of him as the race developed. He had to switch behind horses outside the furlong pole, losing any chance in the process.
Moonfall flew home once in the clear, making up significant ground late on and was only beaten two lengths. It was hugely promising on just his fifth career start. I am convinced he is better than his current rating of 90.
CHAMPONIE
4.45 Chester, 8 May
Schrodinger’s Cat was a little unlucky here, but further down the field I thought Champonie was the one to take out of the race. The three-year-old filly was having just her third start, her first in a handicap and was trying the minimum trip for the first time.
I think it’s fair to say she found the five furlongs sharp enough as she was doing all her best work late on. However, she was also hindered by traffic problems and had to switch in the straight to get a clear run, before finishing better than anything. She was even quicker than the eventual second for the final sectional.
This was her first start on turf too and I think she might prefer slightly softer ground than what she encountered here. I would be surprised if she doesn’t finish the season higher than her current mark of 85.
MOSCOW POWER
4.00 Ascot, 8 May
Moscow Power was no match for the first two in this sprint handicap, but there are several reasons to mark up his effort. The race didn’t go to plan from the very start, as he appeared to stumble or lose his footing in his hind legs soon after leaving the stalls.
From his draw in stall 6, his jockey decided to take him to the stands side, crossing behind the entire field. Despite this, he made an early move to get in contention with two furlongs left to run. However, it was the quickest part of the race where he made his ground (clocked a 10.99 second furlong). He paid the price relative to the first two in the closing stages but still stayed on better than most.
A more efficient ride might have seen him finish closer, but the first, second and fourth were all drawn in a double-digit stall. He did very well in the circumstances to finish third and, as this was his first handicap, there should be plenty of improvement to come.
