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Emiyn can speed up

We may be spending a lot of time talking about our new 0-20mph metric, but it is hard to get away from how crucial the first few seconds of a race can be.

Given the uniquely sharp nature of the track at Chester, you won’t be surprised to see me highlight an example of this from there last week, writes Page Fuller.

The Chester Cup is one of the highlights of the summer season at the racecourse, and Zoffee left the disappointment of his close second last year behind him when landing the spoils at the second attempt. Emiyn, however, was an unlucky second in the end, only missing out by three quarters of a length. He fell asleep in the stalls and was noticeably slowly away taking 3.45 seconds to reach 20mph, the slowest of the field. It is hard to say it cost him the race categorically, but when you saw him swinging four horses wide around the second bend, you would have been worried about the extra energy he was wasting to get back into the handy position that he ended up in.

He hasn’t been the most consistent over the years, but one thing he has proved is his love for a turning track over extended distances.

The handicapper may have raised him to a career-high mark, but I still think he’s one to keep on side if he can sharpen up his gate speed.