Square Viviani will get the heavy ground he requires to bring out the best in him, when he makes his belated seasonal debut on Sunday in the 0-100 handicap chase, over three miles at Uttoxeter. He had his season curtailed due to lock-down in March of last year, just as he was in the form of his life. He is the winner of two of his last three starts, both under Billy Garritty, who retains the ride, but he still looks well handicapped off 100, as when he arrived from France back in 2018, he was rated 117. This will be his first run in 13 months, so he is quite entitled to need it.
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Good luck to the connections, Ryder Sugden.
SQUARE VIVIANI. 31 March 2011. Satri-Idria Owner-Ryder Sugden.
Square Viviani appears to stay forever, and wallows in heavy ground, but looking at his pedigree, it suggests that a flat career could have been a distinct possibility.He is by the Group 1 placed, high class French performer Satri, whose best form was over seven furlongs, to a mile.His dam is an unraced daughter of Kings Lake, from the family of Nijinsky.
Square Viviani has to date ran in 32 chases, and 15 hurdles races, winning on seven occasions, but he has only raced out of Oakwood Stables 13 times, since arriving in 2018. He made his debut as a three year old at Auteuil, in April 2014, when trained by F-M Cottin, he was placed in two of his first five hurdles attempts, before winning on his chase debut at Fontainbleau, in November 2014, in a three year old's only race.In total he raced for the F-M Cottin yard on 25 occasions, winning four times over fences, and recording a best Racing Post Rating of 135.
Square Viviani was on the move after his win at Pau in January 2016,staying in France,and joining the yard of D. Windriff, where he would race just five times over the next 13 months, with his best effort coming when finishing third in the Prix Karcimont Handicap Chase at Auteuil, in March 2016.His next port of call was a return to the Cottin yard, where he raced a further four times,but all was not well, as he failed to get competitive on any occasion. He joined Micky in January 2018, and made his British debut at Catterick in March, over two miles, he wasn't always fluent, and trailed in last of the four. At Wetherby in March, he was third, beaten 19 lengths, over two miles and five furlongs, and three more efforts after gave little evidence of future success.After he ran at Carlisle in November 2018, jockey Alain Cawley reported that the horse had breathing problems, and he was given wind surgery.He raced twice in February 2019, on ground that was too fast, and when conditions were more to his liking in March at Hexham, from an all time low mark of just 92, he was all set to finish second, with daylight back to the third horse, when he took a very heavy fall at the last.
After his Summer break, he returned at Hexham in November, finally getting the heavy ground he needs, and this time he made no mistake, coming home by 18 lengths with Billy Garritty in the saddle.He didn't jump well on his return to the track in December, and was eventually pulled up, but he showed his well being in January at Market Rasen, when winning by five lengths.
Square Viviani is best over three miles on heavy ground, and is still eligible to run in 0-100 grade, he looks a surefire winner again when he gets his conditions.