HAPPYDEARHAPPYDEER

On May 22nd, the horse performed well in a dirt trial over 1200m (Dirt Trial 1200m: 8-5-3), driving strongly on the straight to finish third. Five weeks ago, he ran creditably over a mile on dirt, settling well and tracking the leaders with little weight carried, finishing only two and a half lengths behind. A recent trial showed slight improvement. In a prior dirt 1600m outing, he lost all four races, suffering from time gaps in the field and poor draw, with a somewhat lacking finishing kick; the jockey-trainer combination was not ideal. In this race, his early speed is sufficient to take the lead and challenge for position, suggesting he must be kept in check.