Expect a ‘Perfect Brew’ in the Sir Howard
The road to the Triple Crown continues on Sunday, March 13, with the running of the $1.2-m Sir Howard Stakes — a non-winners of two event for colts and geldings over six furlongs (1,200m).
A field of nine runners is entered and below is the analysis.
1. GOLIATH THE GREAT: (3 gr c by Midnight Hawk – Luminous Trieste) – Made a winning start to his career on February 13. Then Goliath The Great, racing over five furlongs round, won by 1 ¾ lengths in a time of 1:02.1. Goliath The Great should benefit from that effort and, with normal improvement expected, this grey colt will be there when it matters most. Note Goliath The Great races with the visor off.
2. PHOENIX RISEN: (3 ch c by Traditional – Impetus) – Finished second behind Power Ranking over the straight on March 2. Phoenix Risen is well-prepared for this race and given his speed, plus with the March 2 pipe opener he should play a prominent role in the outcome.
3. PERFECT BREW: (3 b c by Bern Identity – Moonlight Brew) – Perfect Brew finished second behind Golden Wattle in the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes over one-mile (1,600m) on Boxing Day of 2021, and racing for the first occasion this season, Perfect Brew after a break of 76 days might need the run to get into top gear. Yet he comes into the Sir Howard as one of the better two year olds of last year. Perfect Brew has been active at exercise with a noticeable 1:07.3 clocking on March 7, at 5 ½ furlongs.
4. NOMOREDEALS: (3 ch c by Soul Warrior – Thornhill Miss) – Will find these difficult to handle.
5. AWESOME RICH: (3 b c by Northern Giant – Awesome Camille) – His three runs at this level were not up to scratch. Awesome Rich faces no easier task on Sunday and so he cannot be seen as a serious contender.
6. POWER: (3 ch c by Bal A Bali – Swift Fox) – Based on past form, Power cannot be recommended for a winning run.
7. TEKAPUNT: (3 b c by Northern Giant – Just A Flutter) – Tekapunt was well back in the one-mile Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes last December. Then he finished fifth, beaten by Perfect Brew (second), who Tekapunt again faces on the same terms. Tekapunt will have to show vast gains to win the Sir Howard.
8. BLUE VINYL: (3 ch c by Bern Identity – Blufield) – Got off the mark on his third start in a six-furlong call on March 2. Blue Vinyl won by three lengths in a time of 1:15.1 for the distance but repeating by Blue Vinyl is going to be a tall order.
9. SHADOWFAX: (3 b c by Legal Process – Aretha) – Showed little in his two runs at the non-winners of two-level. Shadowfax will have to demonstrate significant improvement to have a say.
