LOCKDOWN, THE Strikewhileitshot colt who chased BOB THE BUILDER and I DREAM AGAIN into the stretch run of the 2000 Guineas before being wiped out against the rail a half-furlong out by eventual winner, SENSATIONAL SOUL, should use class and finishing speed to beat sprinters in Saturday’s Ronron Trophy at six furlongs.
Taking on the best colts in the land, a little over five weeks after debuting April 27, LOCKDOWN ran a cracker at 71-1 in the Guineas, chasing speedy ANOTHER ONE down the backstretch before being relegated third by BOB THE BUILDER and I DREAM AGAIN, who emerged the most improved runner by returning to win the St Leger and Jamaica Derby.
LOCKDOWN won his follow-up race at nine furlongs and 25 yards on June 21, two weeks after the Guineas, but must have been feeling the effects of too many outings in a short span when asked to run 10 furlongs in the July 6 St Leger, a total 44 furlongs and 25 yards in 10 weeks after debuting late April.
Prominent for five furlongs before fading in the St Leger, LOCKDOWN was given a decent break, skipping the August 6 Jamaica Derby in favour of a non-winners-of-three event at seven furlongs on August 16, but ran smack into a foreigner, ROCKET FIRE SEB, who ran him off his legs and won by almost 10 lengths.
Returning among his peers for the September 7 Winston Griffiths Classic at nine and a half furlongs, LOCKDOWN left the gate flying from post-position 11, clearing rivals at the clubhouse turn, to press the pace being set by WOMAN IN LOVE down the backstretch and halfway the stretch run before weakening.
The speedsters LOCKDOWN faces at six furlongs will be unrelenting, but to their demise. MIGHTY GULLY beat MISS MONEYPENNY by a short head in a battle royal at five and a half furlongs on September 13. Neither will want to let go of the other in a rematch, which should result in a collapsed pace.
Among the closers should be bred-to-sprint STRONG MIND, who finally had his confidence renewed with a win at five and a half furlongs after a ridiculous and futile classic campaign on the route course. However, STRONG MIND could be too far behind the speed to get first run on LOCKDOWN.
The best Strikewhileitshot offspring since Gary Subratie’s Sentient, LOCKDOWN’s only worry could be a penchant for the rail, both horse and rider, which could be a humbug with speedsters tiring in the stretch run.
