Here are the next 10 of the horses that caught my eye during the 2009 turf season.
30 Kite Wood was trained by Michael Jarvis as a juvenile but purchased by Godolphin for his 3 year old career after winning the Group 3 Autumn Stakes at Ascot. He looked a very live Derby candidate going into the new season but could only finish 5th in the Dante and was allowed to start a 28/1 outsider at Epson where he finished 9th.
He was dropped in class for the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket, run as a Group 3 for the first time, and won at 2/1 in a course record; albeit at a rarely run distance of 13 furlongs. After that win at HQ he won again at Group 3 level taking Newbury’s Geoffrey Freer Stakes which marked him down as a St Leger contender. He started favourite for the oldest classic at Doncaster but was beaten into second place by his stable companion Mastery, nonetheless recording his best performance as a 3 year old.
29 Palavicini, a big Giant’s Causeway colt trained by John Dunlop won two of his 8 starts running well in defeat on several other occasions. He was beaten a head by Your Old Pal in a listed race at Newmarket on his second start of the season and went one better next time out back at Newmarket beating Father Time in a listed race over 10 furlongs. His second success of the season came in the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at York over 9 furlongs. He also ran well on his final outing when just over 2.5 lengths third in the Darley Stakes at Newmarket.
28 Rainbow View was hailed as a one of the outstanding 2 year old fillies of modern times after winning 4 times as a juvenile culminating in Meon Valley Stud Fillies Mile at Ascot. Further glory in the 1,000 Guineas and beyond looked a formality but things didn’t work out that way as the new season unfolded. She started odds on for the Guineas but was never going that well and finished 5th. Her trainer John Gosden attributed her disappointing performance to the quick ground but doubts had started to creep in. Sent of at 3/1 for the Oaks she was not disgraced in 4th after having to be snatched up 2 furlongs from home in a rough race. She ran well in the Coronation Stakes, finishing 3rd despite again not getting a clear run and racing on ground that was probably not ideal. She was not beaten far when 4th in the Falmouth Stakes and continued to run well without reward when chasing home Midday in Goodwood’s Nassau Stakes.
Although clearly not able to match the dizzy heights predicted for her at the start of the season I am sure no one would have begrudged her that elusive victory when she won a Group 1 at The Curragh over a mile on the easier ground that had been crying out for on earlier occasions. She ran creditably enough on her next start when runner up in a Group 1 at Woodbine in Canada and she ended her campaign finishing 5th of 8 in the Breeder’s Cup Ladies Classic on dirt at Santa Anita.
27 Pipedreamer is not quite up to Group 1 class but can be relied upon to perform consistently in good company. He ran 4 times winning once; at Group 2 level over 10 furlongs at Longchamps in October. He put up a couple of very respectable efforts in defeat, namely when just caught on the line by Tartan Bearer in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown and when 4th to Twice Over in the Champion Stakes.
26 Daraahem gets into my roll of honour by winning one of the season’s most prestigious handicaps. In fact he had the perfect record for the season winning on his only start when 7/1 in the Chester Cup ridden by Richard Hills for his father, It was a shame that injury then curtailed his season.
25 Charm School was a leading fancy for the Lincoln Handicap but could only finish 8th in a race won by his stable companion Expresso Star. Beaten on his next 3 starts his temperament was called into question by some but he stuck on well enough on only his second start on the all weather to land a decent handicap at Kempton in the September at 6/1. Not for the first time he made late progress without quite threatening the leaders when 5th in a Newbury Heritage Handicap but then finished down the field in the Cambridgeshire. He had always threatened to land a big handicap and finally managed it on the very last day of the season, fittingly back at Doncaster in the November Handicap. He weaved through the field with a strong late run under Jimmy Fortune to win at 17/2.
24 Darley Sun was one of the most impressive winners of a big handicap when running on strongly to take the Cesarewitch by 5 lengths. A progressive sort who improved steadily throughout the season with form figures of 01412121 that speak for themselves. The first win came at Nottingham off a mark of 69 when he beat Penang Princess at odds of 16/1. A second to King of Wands at Salisbury was sandwiched between handicap victories at Haydock and Ascot. He finished the season with a flourish. He only went down by a neck in the Doncaster Cup when he was just reeled in by Askar Tau and as a result he was very well backed for the Ces which he won in some style.
23 Expresso Star won the first big handicap of the season, the Lincoln at Doncaster, showing a decent turn of foot to justify favouritism. Like many winners of the race before him he was then tried in Group company without success although he was only beaten less than a length in the Group 3 Huxley Stakes at Chester’s May meeting.
22 Palace Moon earns his place in the top 30 with a couple of wins. The first in a 20 runner handicap at Doncaster by 5 lengths and the second a 10 runner listed event at Newmarket. Best at 6 furlongs he is a half brother to Sakhee’s Secret.
21 Zacinto missed the start of the season through injury but made a successful return in a listed event at Goodwood in August. Upped in class he was then runner up in both the Celebration Mile at Goodwood behind Delegator and then behind Rip Van Winkle in the Queen Elizabeth ll at Ascot. He reportedly suffered a setback in October and ran as though something was amiss when a tailed off last in the Breeder’s Cup Mile at Santa Anita.
The photo of Kite Wood is courtesy of British 2 Year Old Racing.
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