King Edward BC Stakes – Grade II
1 Mile Turf Stake Purse $175.000 Open 3 Year Olds And Up.

1st Hefner Mb Stables Bejarano R

Because of my association with third placed Decibel it is hard for me to describe this win without saying that the weight allowance for three year olds can sometimes make this game look farcical. Whilst this gelding no doubt has ability there was nothing at all in his form or works that said he should win this race easily other than the 5Lb’s he was receiving from superior older horses and a small tweak in his running style. But that is the game we have been playing for a few years now so lets try and find something that made this result more plausible than it seems. After being bought for $500 last year he ran a to then career best race when running on very well from a nasty draw to be fifth beaten just a length in the BC Juvenile Turf. This season he had been beaten in his four lead up races by his own age group but today he found himself with a good draw, a top jockey and that 5Lbs less on his back and viola we have a horse winning just its second career race. Apart from the weight allowance i think Mb Stables used a more aggressive instruction as he was much closer in transit than he usually is so we must respect not only the trainers ability to find the right instruction but also the foresight to keep these three’s ticking over until they can start to scalp the older horses.

2nd Never Met Me Mb Stables Colon L H

This three year old had shown improved form in the Dixie last time with the weight allowance and today found that same advantage to take up the same finish in this grade two. On that balance of form i thought he may beat his stable companion today but whatever his forward instruction was it involved him taking a probably unwanted lead and that was enough to see his stable companion home.

3rd Decibel Threshold Beschizza A

This horse is incredibly consistent at running the same pace in just about any race. That pace usually lands him near the front but today for some reason he settled off the average pace and that was his undoing as the front two controlled the pace from in front of him and he couldnt quicken. The weight allowance certainly didnt help his cause and its hard to see any situation now where this horse will win race number 6.

4th Scion Of Decima Fractious Gaffalione T

This horse ran an incredible race considering he was winning a cheap allowance by a nose in his last start. Form means very little at HRP though and Fractious upped him to the mile and saw him run an honest race inches behind a grade one winner. The weight allowance will be against him for the rest of the year but he should find something out there as he has only won two races to date.

SUMMARY

Its hard to place the winner against all the other three’s that will be defeating the older horses in the coming months but he has proved really tough and consistent in his campaign so far and with a bit of luck he could find himself a contender in the BC Mile come November.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES