Clarentine: on a steep upward curve.
Clarentine continued her affinity for all-weather surfaces when registering a second career victory on Saturday evening, thumping a field of useful handicappers over a mile at Chelmsford.
Having got off the mark at Lingfield last month with a smooth success under Adam Kirby, Clarentine was sent off second favourite to follow up off a 2lb higher mark. And she made that rise look paltry in the hands of champion jockey-elect Silvestre de Sousa, landing the spoils by three lengths from Boarding Party, with the same margin back to hot favourite Fine View in third.
The manner of her victory was most impressive, Clarentine having broken smartly and tracked the leaders before putting matters to bed in a matter of strides rounding the home turn. De Sousa only had to keep her up to her work in the closing stages and she crossed the line in the style of a thoroughly progressive three-year-old.
Another rise in the weights now beckons, and this one is likely to be substantially more than 2lb, but now we have found the optimum conditions for this horse – a mile on the all-weather – there is no reason why she cannot continue to progress throughout the winter, and a tilt at better quality opposition lies in store.
Congratulations to Mr Goulandris, Valerie and all the team at Bluehills – Clarentine has an excellent page and we are pleased she has been able to add more substance to it.