Wolverhampton – 19th January 2019 - Betway Live Casino Handicap

Wolverhampton – 19th January 2019 – Betway Live Casino Handicap

First run back after a break for The Way You Dance and a bumper crowd of owners made their way to Wolverhampton for the race. Phil and Sarah arrived on their way home from a week in Yorkshire and were joined by Tony, Lawrence, Anita & Ray, Alan & Clarissa, Gerald & Susie, Chris & Sophie with their daughters and Louise & Darren with their baby.

Having suffered a knock in his last run, the main aim was to have a run and get The Way You Dance back from the race fit and well. He was fit enough to win, but we knew that he would definitely improve for the race and would be sharper next time. Shane Kelly was making his BG Racing debut in the saddle and in it became clear when he spoke to Neil, that there was unlikely to be much pace in the race. Neil suggested that a falsely run race would not suit and that The Way You Dance should sit alongside the leader to force a stronger pace if necessary and that if all else failed we should not be afraid to lead.

TWYD made his way down to the start nicely and seemed pretty calm going into the stalls. In the race, he broke well from stall 8 and settled on the outside of leader Ifftiraaq on the first turn. Down the back for the first time, the leader started to lug away from the rail and Shane switched The Way You Dance to the inside in 2nd. This meant that completing the first circuit TWYD was effectively left in front as Ifftiraaq who was still technically leading was so wide that he was effectively running in a different race and one which did not last long as he blew the next bend as well and was pulled up going down the back for the second time.

The Way You Dance started to wind up the pace as he headed into the long turn for home and for a while he had one or two off the bridle and struggling to pick him up, but as they turned into the home straight it became clear that he was tiring quickly and he was overtaken by horses on his outside dropping to 5th in the straight and finishing very slowly.

I quickly went to meet him off the course to see whether it was just tiredness, rather than any problem that had caused him to slow and I was delighted to hear that Shane sounded so positive that this was the case. He reported that TWYD had really impressed him and had felt like a good horse in the race where he had tanked along and shown plenty of speed. Shane felt that he would have seen out the trip well if he had been fitter, but also reported that he had shown enough speed that he would not have been afraid to drop back a couple of furlongs with him either. He would also have preferred to have followed a lead if he could, but he had nothing but praise for TWYD’s attitude and how well he had gone for most of the race.

We were left feeling that this was a perfectly reasonable run as long he came out of the race OK and the following day confirmed that this was the case.