Darasim has plenty of punch

13 April 2012

The main event on day three of Glorious Goodwood goes by the name of the Lady O Goodwood Cup, but it might as well be called Hamlet without the Prince.

Tomorrow's slog across the Sussex Downs won't be the same without the late lamented Persian Punch bidding to fend off all-comers from his customary place at the head of the pack, but Darasim is a formidable Goodwood battler in his own right and can strike another blow for Mark Johnston in this £100,000 contest.

The case for Darasim is straightforward enough and rests on the twin planks that he seems as good as ever ever at the age of six and that he really comes to life once faced with the twists and turns of a stamina test at Goodwood.

Cast your mind back to this meeting in 2002, when he stayed on relentlessly under a a determined drive from Kevin Darley to win the Glorious Rated Stakes in emphatic fashion.

And think back also to this time last year, when he took on a big field in the Prestige Handicap and gradually galloped them into submission under a typically aggressive ride from the under-rated Joe Fanning. Granted, tomorrow's race is a Group 2 contest as opposed to a handicap, but Darasim has shown on numerous occasions that he can cut the mustard at this level.

His first run this season, which came in the Ascot race in which Persian Punch suffered his fatal heart attack, can be safely excused on account of the fact that very few of a big field coped with ground which was like treacle after prolonged rain.

A decisive success in Group 3 company at Baden-Baden in May proved that he was right back on track, and a battling third behind Papineau and Westerner in the Gold Cup at Ascot last month was just about the best performance of what has been a long and honourable career.

Winning Goodwood Cups was never meant to be easy, and even without Persian Punch there is a battlehardened cast assembled tomorrow.

Anak Pekan has thrived in handicap company under the skilful care of Michael Jarvis this season, while Misternando and Royal Rebel tend to give themselves a lot to do by racing lazily for a long way but are both very tough customers when it comes down to a battle.

Silver Gilt is a progressive young stayer with time on his side, while the quietly progressive Romany Prince has a great deal more than just sentiment on his side as he bids to carry the Persian Punch colours to what would be a hugely emotional victory for trainer David Elsworth and owner Jeff Smith.

Romany Prince finished first past the post in his most recent race at Sandown - the same event that Persian Punch won prior to his victory in last year's Cup - only to lose the prize at a subsequent Jockey Club inquiry.

However, in what looks a very tricky race the percentage call is to side with Darasim and that man Fanning.

He isn't the sort of horse to win hearts in the way that the gallant Persian Punch did over so many seasons of honest toil. In fact, he's prone to race lazily and can sometimes even give the impression that he doesn't really enjoy his racing that much.

However, winning hearts doesn't really matter that much when the money is down.

Winning races does matter, and Darasim has proved rather good at that during this great meeting in recent years.

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Darasim has plenty of punch

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