The exciting prospect that is Rory And Me continues his education at Ripon on Sunday, in the £15,000, one mile, and six furlongs handicap, at 3.50.pm. Rory And Me has all the right credentials to make up in to a high class dual purpose performer, he made a pleasing seasonal debut over the same course and distance 23 days ago, when staying on in to third, beaten just over a length.That race should have done him the world of good, with it being his first run in over nine months, and following wind surgery.He runs from the same mark of 74, and P J McDonald retains the ride.
Good luck to the connections, Richard Howard & Ben Howard.
Rory And Me is a very exciting prospect who has still got a lot of strengthening up, and maturing to do.He made his debut in a Market Rasen bumper in May of last year, exceeding expectations by winning, and in the process beating the Nicky Henderson trained Corrany by four lengths, that horse is now a 130 rated hurdler. He was slightly disappointing next time at Southwell, but still finished third. Then it was back to Market Rasen, where under a penalty he reminded us of what he is capable of, by doing what he did on his debut.
Rather than go straight over hurdles, it was decided that in order to gain further experience he would have an Autumn campaign on the flat. Giving 10lb of weight for age to classically bred three year old's was never going to be easy, but he finished a very respectable third of five on his flat debut at Pontefract in September. It was nine days later at Ripon that we saw what he is capable of as a flat horse, when staying on over 12 furlongs to be only touched off by a neck, giving 12 pounds to the Ralph Beckett trained Isabella Brant. He had one more run back at Pontefract in October, when finishing down the field in very soft ground which he didn't appear to enjoy, the winner of that race was Lady Scatterley who had been a length and a half behind him at Ripon previously.
On receiving the time he needs to further strengthen, and mature, Rory And Me should progress into a high class dual purpose horse.