Al Khan Leaves It Late
When people think of claimers they think of weak races which lack any quality. This can be true of some but there are some high end claimers and when you have 4 horses rated 85+ then it goes to show just how well Al Khan had to perform to secure victory in the Sunbets.co.uk Claiming race at Lingfield.
Throughout the turf season Al Khan provided some quality performances, unfortunately they were surrounded by a few disappointments too. Now at the age of 7 he has his own ways of doing things which means that he provides a thrilling finish when you can get the tactics right. Always known as a bit of a monkey, there is only one way to ride Al Khan and that is with plenty of patience, delivering him late preventing him from thinking twice about the job in hand. This can lead to a last gasp win or narrow defeats but either way it is great fun to watch.
It had been a good season for Al Khan and he finished the turf with a couple of very good performances. Owner Jimmy Chua and Kevin decided that they would send him to the HIT sale at Tattersalls in October. There was plenty of interest in him but the bids never exceeded the £15,000 reserve so Al Khan came back to Hambleton Lodge. Kevin knew that he could pick up race throughout the winter so was not too worried about keeping Al Khan. He showed what people missed out just a coupe of weeks later on the final day of the season with a close 3rd at Doncaster, in a very competitive 0-105 handicap.
When the claimer at Lingfield came along it looked a good opportunity, the winner would receive just shy of £3,000 plus if someone wanted to claim then Al Khan would cost the £15,000 that was asked at the sale. It certainly didn’t look an easy task at hand with Jan Van Hoof (87) Zaeem (88) and Exchequer (92) all rated above him, making it a competitive race. That being said Al Khan brought the best form to the table and with Lewis Edmunds booked for the ride he also had the added advantage of 7lb coming of the weight. With all things factored in the punters made Al Khan favourite, sending him off at 9/4f.
Lewis put the brakes on immediately after the stalls opened, keen to drop Al Khan in. Exchequer quickly took the lead and set a strong gallop. This was ideal for Al Khan and the strong pace meant he was sat in the final trio, aiming to do his work late on. The leader was not hanging about and through the early stages he edged into a 1 1/2 length lead. Lewis got his mount settled and the pair travelled smoothly at the rear of the field.
With only 7f to run the field quickly took the back straight and moved towards the second half of the race. Exchequer was taking no prisoners and poured it on in front with the pace never letting up. Al Khan was always going well but he gave the leader a good head start and was going to have to show a great turn on foot to challenge. Passing the 3f marker the field began to head towards the home bend and surprisingly Jan Van Hoof began to struggle, one of the biggest dangers in the field. Lewis was riding with a lot of confidence and was still happy to sit and wait.
Rounding the bend the lead stretched, the pace didn’t cease and this had a domino affect on the rest of the field. One by one they got to work to try and close the gap on the leader but any efforts were to no avail as Exchequer continued to power forward in front. Al Khan was now second to last but still travelling well and Lewis was yet to move. As they swung around the bend he angled Al Khan out, shuffling wide ready to make a clear run in the home straight. Despite travelling strongly there was a lot of ground to make up and it would take a big effort from the 7 year old.
Straightening up for home and the leader kicked again stretching his lead to a good 3-4 lengths. This looked like the race winning move as none of the field were making any impression. Al Khan had moved into the straight still on the bridle and now Lewis got into his drive but the pair were well off the pace. As soon as the button was pressed Al Khan began to cut through the field, flying down the outside. As he picked off his rivals one by one he ate into the lead but with just the final furlong to run it seemed a little too late. Exchequer had made his run, kicked clear and was not stopping in front.
Al Khan moved up through the field and quickly took second place. Now in full flight he was motoring home but the lead still seemed to be an unassailable advantage. Lewis was asking for everything and Al Khan was delivering, showing his electric turn of foot. Deep inside the final furlong and the gap was closing rapidly but it still didn’t look likely to overturn the result. In the final 100 yards the leader just began to get tired, the first sign of weakness in the whole race. With one last flourish Al Khan came steaming down his outside. With a sniff of victory Lewis and Khan gave it everything and picked up the leader in the dying strides. As the pair flashed past the winning post it looked very close, a photo looked sure to be called. Then the still image popped up and it became clear that Al Khan had done enough, nicking the win on the line.
In these races it is always important for the better horses to come to the forefront and they did this time. Al Khan showed a great turn of foot to pick up the runner up and he is in good form at the minute. Praise also has to go to Lewis who rode the horse with immense confidence and he again excelled. This type of ride is very difficult, especially when Al Khan will pull up in front. Lewis showed plenty of patience and judged the race perfectly before showing good strength in the saddle. Mr Jimmy Chua’s decision to keep Al Khan was rewarded straight away and as there was no claim he will remain at Hambleton Lodge. The all-weather will offer plenty of opportunities and he will certainly give connections plenty of fun over the winter.