A future star appears at Newcastle
November 1st, 2018 | Marten's Current Racing Diary
Hi there!
We know from past evidence, notably in the case of Enable, that we should not underestimate Newcastle two-year-old maiden race form and I expect by next spring we may be looking back at the race this evening won by Roger Charlton’s Headman.
Those who were quick off the mark could have got an early price of 4/1 about the son of Kingman, although that didn’t last long. I cannot recall seeing a horse move in one swoop from 4/1 to 7/4 before, but that is what happened late yesterday afternoon before the price contracted even further to a shade of odds on.
The confidence was significant, because the colt was up against horses from the yards of Roger Varian, John Gosden and Saeed Bin Suroor. John Gosden’s Repaupo had run a head second to Turjomaan, a winner of his next race, while Open Sea had shaped well on his two starts. It says something for the quality of the race that Pontefract winner Our Rodney was the outside of the field.
Settling in at the rear of the field for Kieran Shoemark, the colt was never out of first gear and moved effortlessly through the race to stride away and win by three and three-quarter lengths from Repaupo, with Open Sea seven lengths back in third.
Time alone will tell how good the form is, but the market strength was extraordinary and I will be very surprised if a Guineas trial is not pencilled in for him next spring.
Bye for now
Marten
