Here are the next 10 of the horses that caught my eye during the 2009 turf season.
40 – Vocalised ran 4th to Sea The Stars on his debut as a 2 year old which marked him as a horse to follow for 2009. He had a tough programme in the spring but did well for this web site winning a 7f listed contest at the Curragh, the Group 3 Greenham Stakes at Newbury and the Group 3 Tetrarch Stakes at The Curragh. A tough sort and well worth a place in the top 40.
39 – Spirit of Dubai proved a most profitable horse to follow winning 2 of her 6 starts. A big filly she was 4th in the Lingfield Oaks Trial and also 4th in a Newbury maiden before breaking her duck in a Lingfield maiden. Her best performance came on her last run when she landed an 8 runner listed race at Ascot in September getting up on the line at 20/1.
38 – Chiberta King started his 2009 season in good style landing an extended 1m 3f handicap at Windsor. He defied a 6lbs rise in the weights a month later at Newmarket before running a very creditable second to Cosmic Sun in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot. A disappointing effort when not suited by the track at Goodwood was followed by a second in a 12f handicap at Ascot in August. On his penultimate start he was runner up to Royal Diamond at Ffos Las.
37 – Braveheart Move a progressive son of Cape Cross is not the easiest of rides but earned his place in this list by winning handicaps at Chester, Pontefract and Hamilton.
36 – Royal Diamond like Braveheart Move, is another multiple winner from the stable of Sir Mark Prescott and proved most progressive winning handicaps at Sandown, Yarmouth, Ffos Las and Wolverhampton. He got off the mark at Sandown on his third run of the season at 6/1 staying on powerfully to win by two and a half lengths. He was odds on when winning at both Yarmouth and Wolverhampton but came in at 5/1 at Ffos Las when given a patient ride by the talented Japanese pilot Kosei Miura beating Chiberta King by a length and a half.
35 – Opinion Poll was another successful handicapper that I followed during the season. He won twice from 4 starts at odds of 7/1 and 15/2. The first win came in a 0-100 12 furlong handicap at Haydock on heavy ground in May when he beat Distant Memories by a length and a half under Philip Robinson. His second success came at Ascot in October over the same trip with Frankie Dettori on board. He was an impressive winner on this occasion accounting for King’s Destiny by three and a half lengths.
34 – Libel Law was a very progressive colt who won a 10 furlong maiden at Windsor before putting up a decent effort in the Dee Stakes. Beaten a head next time at Leicesetr before delivering a fine effort to win a valuable ten furlong handicap at Haydock. Michael Jarvis’ colt was taking on vastly more experienced rivals but proved far too good for the likes of Nanton and Laterly under Frankie Dettori.
33 – Border Patrol extended broodmare’s 100% record for producing winners when losing his maiden tag at Newbury on his first outing of 2009. The son of Selkirk followed up with two wins in listed company before triumphing in the Group 3 Solonaway Stakes at The Curragh. He became the third horse owned by the Elite Racing Club to win at Group level, the others being Soviet Song and Eisteddfod.
32 – Fantasia won the Leslie Harrison Memorial Nell Gwynne Stakes at Newmarket by 7 lengths in April and a 10 runner listed race in September quickening smartly to beat Shamwari Lodge by 2 lengths ridden by Kieren Fallon.
31 – Patkai proved a high class performer winning the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot in April by 9 lengths. His best performance though was when runner up to Yeats in the Ascot Gold Cup.
My thanks to Kate Tann for the picture of Border Patrol as a yearling.
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