Raising The Roof!
Fri 22 Dec 2023
WINNER 112 OF 2023: CLARENDON HOUSE, trained by Robert Cowell and ridden by PJ McDonald: The feature £25,200 Class 2 'Build Your Acca With BetUK Handicap' over 5f at Southwell.
Winner on his first AW start one month ago, at Wolves, he was here up 4lbs and under top weight, trying the tapeta of Southwell for the first time also.
A good break, saw him travel strongly, just in behind the leader. Taking the lead 3f out without making any extra effort, PJ pushed him along to maintain his lead and he quickened clear 1f out. Eased towards the finish, he won comfortably, by 2 and a 1/2 lengths and BREAKING THE TRACK RECORD!
"That's a smart performance!" Watch the full race replay here: https://www.attheraces.com/racecard/Southwell/21-December-2023/1610
Here's what PJ said in his post race interview, with Simon Mapletoft:
Timeform awarded him a career best rating of t119 and reported: "Is going right to the top as an all-weather sprinter and followed up even more impressively, travelling all over a useful field and matching it with a devastating finishing burst, smashing the course record in the process and he's going to be hard to beat wherever else he goes this winter; close up, travelled strongly, led 3f out, pushed along over 1f out, quickened clear, impressive; one to follow, with a first win beyond handicap company looking imminent."
Syndicate manager Tim says: "What a fantastic start he has had to his AW season, with back to back Class 2 feature sprint wins, so many congratulations to his owners and to Robert for his performance. There was a lot of superlatives after the race from the Sky Sports Racing team in the studio and at the track. They rang me straight after and as you may have heard in their broadcast, I mentioned the Listed Hever Stakes over course and distance and a potential trip to Meydan could be on the cards for him for a Group 2 - covered in the subsequent Racing Post story, below."
Read the Racing Post story, here: https://www.racingpost.com/news/reports/hes-put-in-a-monster-performance-clarendon-house-breaks-course-record-to-set-up-potential-meydan-trip-a38fF1K5RkGS/
That's two track records this year for us, after Batal Dubai broke the 6f record at Chelmsford in October!