The Diarmida – Grade II
1 3/8 Mile Inner Turf Stake Purse $200.000 Open 4 Year Olds And Up.

1st Spankersville The Sidley Stud Ortiz I Jr

Well, this one has certainly found his groove and we often see that as horses move from four to five. There was plenty of evidence that he was good as a three- and four-year-old but his two efforts this year are a step up on those campaigns. Again, in his last three runs we see how interchangeable tactics can be and the running style of a horse does not mean much as he went from deep closer on the dirt to stalker on the turf and back to deep closer again today. We don’t see closers have success so much in the recent incarnation of the race engine but rather than a stuttering late run that we have seen recently this horse got into top gear and flew home showing us an impressive turn of foot. The BC Turf will certainly be on his radar now.

2nd Great Bonkers Aer Stables Dettori L

I just don’t know where to put this one in my pile of great horses at HRP. After being claimed last July, he showed almost supernatural improvement culminating in a BC Mile win and then proved that he was equally good on dirt by taking the Clark Handicap, at that point he looked like he was going to have a choice of championships to take this year but then he went to the Pegasus World Cup and ran a terrible last place from a wide draw. That prompted his trainer to bring him back to turf, and I must admit as he took up a good in race position, I thought he was going to stride back to his best. However, that finishing brilliance just wasn’t there which just goes to show how fickle this new engine is and how tough it is to compare apples to oranges. I am sure he will be back with big wins, but it wasn’t today.

3rd Giannis Riggins Racing Corbett G W

This trainer is quietly building their stable back up and looks to have spent their money very wisely with this one. Having only his fifth start and first in a stakes race he ran a brilliant race to be a really strong third. If he builds from this, he may turn out to be a season star.

4th Fire Marshall Bill Nakamura Stables Vazquez R A

As usual the wide gate gave the horse and maybe the trainer but certainly the race engine two plans, A or B. He chose A and did really well for a long way. In the end the inevitable happened because he wasn’t able to get clear of his field and the AI managed to catch and pass him. A good effort though

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES