Heart Over Head

I’m not sure it’s wise to admit to falling in love with a horse, but this is what happened to me (blush, blush) when I made my one and only visit to Sandown last year.

I have a weakness in my taste for horses, bays with white faces get me every time. COLONY Newbury 3.20 is one of those. Besides the combination of colours, he is beautifully proportioned and had plenty of scope for improvement, and I did ask connections if I could take the horse home with me!

The race he ran in at Sandown was his racecourse debut, a maiden over seven furlongs and to be honest his performance didn’t set the world alight. He finished 9th. of 14, beaten just over five lengths, but was making gentle progress in the final couple of furlongs. He was blowing quite hard after the race suggesting that he probably just needed the run.

He was stepped up to a mile for his only other run as a 2-y-o, at Bath, he started the 15/8 favourite and won in rather workman-like fashion.

His seasonal re-appearance was back at Sandown, in what looked like a very hot handicap over ten furlongs, at the end of April. Even though he looked to be the second choice for the yard based on jockey bookings, Ryan Moore chose stable-mate Conduit, there was quite a bit of support for him in the market. The race resulted in a smooth victory for Colony, held up at the back, smooth headway on the outside to win going away. It was the performance of a horse with a future.

He has been raised 8lbs. for that win and as I say I hope, rather than think, that he is going to win today.

Colin