Optimism is the Name of the Game

Numeral winning at Kempton in November 2011

Victory awaits Numeral on his return to Lingfield which could be as early as 18 February. That will give Lingfield time to extend the winners enclosure – all those of the Flying Fox Syndicate who turned up last Saturday would have crammed it full had Numeral made the first three.

OK so Numeral ‘only’ finished fourth in the Bet at Blue Square Handicap, breaking his winning sequence. But look where we’ve come from and consider where we could be going with the horse.

Numeral has overcome injury, loss of form, loss of faith even – remember how he went to the Sales and struggled to find a buyer. Richard Hannon kept the faith and though the decision to bring him back into the Highclere fold looked, for a time, debatable, Numeral has become one of those horses which underlines Highclere’s reputation and rewards syndicate members.

After his last victory at Lingfield Numeral was elevated to a rating of 86, effectively excluding him from handicaps on the sand during much of December and January.

When he returned at Lingfield he’d had 59 days off, in winter; horses must reacclimatize – like the hibernating bears in a David Attenborough epic. Saying that, Numeral came out fresh and keen at Lingfield. Next time he may be that bit sharper, the difference between victory and defeat.

Kieran O’Neill wanted to say that Numeral would win next time but that’s not what aspiring jockeys who have just lost their allowance (he’d ridden his first winner as a fully-fledged jockey the race preceding) and are minding their Ps and Qs are obliged to do – certainly not those brought up by Richard Hannon.

Kieran was always on the case on Saturday. Joe Fanning attempted one of his trademark race dictatorships on Amitola but our man was always on his tail. In the last furlong Numeral couldn’t find that extra stride to put pressure on Amitola.

But he ran almost to the pound with the winner Amitola compared with when he had beaten David Barron’s horse on their previous meeting.

But in this, the highest grade he had so far attempted, Numeral improved on previous performances. One wouldn’t blame the handicapper for putting him up another pound for his effort. Numeral may well improve again, now his enforced hibernation is over.