Placing horses is rarely an easy task. Some horses are more difficult to place when they have specific race patterns, like Ferro Nero. He’s a horse that needs galloping room to properly lengthen his stride and accelerate, and loves being on the outside of horses when making his run. He got all those things at Morphettville on Saturday.
Ferro Nero hasn’t travelled interstate before and at this time of year it would mean using a jockey that hadn’t ridden the horse before. However, he was ready for a step up in trip, with 2000m being perfect for his fifth time in this prep.
‘Basil’ as he is affectionately known, had been finishing his races off pretty well, despite mid-field finishes. The BM75 race in Adelaide was perfect on paper for him, as was the ride of Joe Bowditch.
Having his first ride for the stable, Joe rode Ferro Nero exceptionally. Although maybe hitting the front too early due to Basil’s acceleration in this class of field, he was able to hold on for a well deserved half length win. This continues the good success for the stable in the City of Churches, at a strong strike rate of 21% of starts.
He’s a horse Nigel has always had a high opinion of. He is a good looking horse, and has a turn of foot when on song. He can be a handful at times for handlers, and staff have to be wary of him in the box! But we must say, this preparation he has been the most settled and well-behaved of his career.
He will progress now to Ladbrokes Park Lakeside (Sandown) on Wednesday September 7 for a BM78 over 2100. He won over exactly the same course, distance and class on December 30 last year.
Thanks to Atkins Photography for the image.