In a run full of promise Seize the Time won first time up at Beverley leading her trainer to state “I’m sure she’s is a filly with a future with more improvement to come.”
The winning margin for the daughter of Siyouni was a length as she vanquished some more experienced rivals in the five-furlong Novice event. A big crowd gathered to enjoy the sunshine at the East Yorkshire venue, and no doubt would have been impressed with what they witnessed from the two-year-old filly as she was guided to success under a positive ride from Clifford Lee.
Drawn up against the far rail in stall one, the Phoenix Thoroughbreds owned runner jumped well to be just behind the early pace set by previous winner and betting market rival Dream Kart. Running perhaps a bit exuberantly she looked at home surrounded by horses as the field approached the closing stages. As they arrived at the cutaway in the rail, Lee seized his opportunity and asked his partner for a finish, skipping up the inside of their rivals. It took a few seconds for the filly to quicken, but she did so with some aplomb winning with her ears pricked as she crossed the line.
“My instructions were to jump and try to get a box seat,” Explained Lee after the race. “That is what we did, and if that didn’t go to plan, I was to ride her to get a finish and run a good race.
“She works really well at home, and she’s got a nice turn of foot if you ask her. Today she was just a bit green, but gladly the rail was just on my right for her to follow. She’s a nice filly, we’ll have to wait and see how the form works out but first time up you can’t really ask for more than she did.”
There was also some cautious optimism from the filly’s trainer Karl Burke as he assessed the run while watching back a replay.
“I’m very happy with that, she’s a filly that can only improve for the day out, but she took everything very well, very professional. I was impressed with her in the paddock more than I thought I would be. She’s one of those horses that grows a little bit for the occasion. She was a little bit green when she hit the front so had to be ridden out, but she looks a filly with a future with more improvement to come. She’s in the Lowther (at York) so we’ll just wait to see how she comes out of this before talking to the team and making any decisions about her next target.”
Well-bred, Seize The Time was purchased from the Goffs Orby Sale in October and is a sibling to black-type winner Ghaamer, while her family tree also contains Group One success story Shadayid.