Shavansky Takes Us Off The Cold List

After a frustrating spell in which we found ourselves on the dreaded cold list, it was a huge relief when the old man of the yard Shavansky got us out of trouble at Kempton on Wednesday evening. What made the losing spell more frustrating was the fact that the horses were running well in defeat, with around ten seconds since our last winner, some losing out in agonising photos! With most of our string handicappers, narrow defeats mean you edge up the handicap and it can be a vicious circle, especially when your looking for that elusive winner.

However, Shavansky hadn't had much luck in recent starts and he was one of the few horses that slipped to a winning mark and he took full advantage dropped into a Class 4 apprentice handicap on his favoured polytrack. With a strong pace, Pat was able to get him nicely settled at the back of the field and as his rivals tired entering the home straight, he easily hit the front approaching the final furlong and was always doing enough to hold on over eleven furlongs, the furthest trip he's won over. The four pounds rise should enable him to get into the £43,000 London Mile Final that he won last year and that will be his next target.