Race To Watch / Timeform / 11 June 2009 / Leave a comment

There's plenty to take from this handicap which was staged late on the first day of the Derby meeting, say Timeform.

The form of this competitive three-year-old handicap looks strong and the race should throw up plenty of winners. The first two, Cloudy Start and Shamwari Lodge, put up improved performances, the second doing notably well as the only one to get involved from off the pace and some in behind who didn't shine so brightly this time are still worth taking forward.

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The winner, Cloudy Start, was disappointing in a handicap at Newbury on his reappearance, but on this occasion he delivered on the earlier promise he had shown in maidens last year. He did, however, have things go his way which rather limits his potential beyond this. Henry Cecil's colt was always handy in a race which few got into and he was all out as he asserted inside the last. He had looked awkward on his previous outing but was far more straightforward here.

The runner-up, Shamwari Lodge, should win more handicaps, and looks just as effective at six or seven furlongs. She had beaten some unexposed rivals at Newmarket on her first start this year and was arguably the moral winner here. She had to come from a markedly worse position than Cloudy Start, and was last off the bridle before showing a fine turn of foot as she ate into his lead. There is likely to be more to come from Richard Hannon's filly.

Time Medicean, Parisian Pyramid and Tartan Gunna filled the next three positions, all running up to their bests and giving the form of the race a very solid look. There may, however, be better to come from the eighth and ninth placed horses. William Jarvis's Archie Rice, whose stable was suffering from a virus in the early part of the year, was eighth and shaped much better than on his reappearance. He got going all too late in the end but was full of running at the line, shaping as though an extra furlong may bring about even more improvement.

The ninth horse was William Haggas's All About You. With the stable in fine form and Johnny Murtagh booked to ride it was understandable that the colt went off joint-favourite, but he never looked happy on the track and was soon poorly positioned. He did make some late headway however, finishing well enough to suggest that he can prove this form all wrong next time out.