WOOD ON FIRE

On April 8th, the horse finished second in a turf trial over 800m with a strong late surge, showing continued resilience. Six weeks ago, in a Happy Valley sprint race, performance was poor; a slow start saw it settle towards the back with a steady pace and no impressive acceleration. A subsequent barrier trial showed slight improvement. Another trial over 1200m at Happy Valley sees the horse carrying two pounds less this time. With seven wins from 64 starts at this distance, its times are comparable to rivals; it has the potential to track the leaders or set the pace and benefits from a good barrier draw. Trainer and jockey maintain a strong rapport, and even with a potentially weak finishing kick and unfavorable conditions, a smooth jump and commitment to tracking the pace could see improvement.