Ursa runners roundup!
Start of the Week Blog: Five Runners, Plenty to Build On
Since our last update, we’ve had five runners hit the track, and it’s been a week full of promise, effort, and plenty to take away.
We kicked off with Chasingouttheblues at Ayr and Suitably Surprised at Sedgefield. Chasingouttheblues has had a fantastic season overall, and while he found himself outpaced this time, he stayed on strongly to finish a respectable sixth. A gritty run that once again showed his heart and consistency.
Suitably Surprised (or ‘Susie’ at home) made her seasonal debut for our England yard. As was shared with owners beforehand, she was expected to need the run. Fresh and keen in the early stages, she showed her trademark determination. It’s only a matter of time before she returns to the solid form we saw from her last year.
On Saturday, Agathon lined up at Nottingham. A bit of an unknown going in, but trainer Rebecca was confident there was ability waiting to shine through—and she wasn’t wrong. As they turned for home, Agathon surged to the front and looked the winner, only to be reeled in late on by stronger closers. He held on gamely for a promising third, repaying some of the patience shown with him. A drop back in trip could be the key to unlocking his winning run.
Monday saw the Battenberg silks head north to Hexham with Heritier and Final Edgar. With over 20 owners in attendance
Heritier began well and looked in good shape early on. Unfortunately, a mistake at the water jump knocked his momentum. Although he recovered well, the drying ground and shorter trip didn’t play to his strengths, and he ultimately weakened out of contention. A summer break may be on the cards, but rest assured—when the rain returns, so will Heritier.
Final Edgar came into the race with plenty of expectation after a strong last run. Travelling well and sitting in a good position, Jonny pressed the button two fences out, but the leaders had too much for him this time. A below-par effort on the day, but as his handicap mark continues to come down, we remain confident he’ll bounce back—there’s definitely a well-handicapped horse in there.
The runners continues this week, as we look ahead to Wednesday, when owners will be heading to Beverley for Bay Dream Believer, while Ashington takes on the famous Cheltenham hill.
Stay tuned for our pre-race analysis and best of luck to all involved this week!
