Lui Rei – the much accomplished and experienced handicapper
When it comes to racing the most significant and influential handicaps a name that cannot be neglected is that of Robert Cowell’s six-year-old under charge, Lui Rei. Through various achievements during the career, the Italian bay gelding has earned it for
himself to be counted as one of the best handicappers the horse racing industry has ever had.
His presence at the Glorious Goodwood is awaited each season and the anticipation was alike this season too. It was being expected that he would give a hard time to Nahrain on the fifth day of the meeting.
However he ended third in the Blue Square Bet Stewards’ Cup (Heritage Handicap) on 4th August, 2012 at Goodwood over six furlongs. That is a truly drastic improvement from the twenty-fifth position in the field of twenty-seven in the 2011 edition
of the race.
Even the third position that he brought back for the connections was pretty impressive as he was only ¾ of a length apart from the runner-up of the race, Imperial Guest. The race was won by, Hawkeyethenoo.
The current season has given the Robert Cowell trained more than one reason to celebrate and to look back at the exceptionally successful season.
The six-year-old bay gelding won the Betfred The Bonus King Bingo Stakes (Handicap) on 5th May, 2012 at Goodwood over five furlongs. With Adam Kirby onboard, Lui Rei chased the leaders and progressed remarkably two furlongs out. He stayed on strong
inside the final furlong and defeated the runner-up, Judge ‘n Jury, by 1 ½ lengths.
He then landed the Investec Out Of The Ordinary Handicap on 2nd June, 2012 at the Epsom race course over six furlongs. This time he was riding with jockey, Jim Crowley, and the two left the runner-up, Sacrosanctus, adrift by 1 ¼ lengths.
The Az Ag Antezzate Srl bred has also suffered through some miserable defeats during the very same season. Finishing seventeenth in the Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) on 23rd June, 2012 at the Royal Ascot over six furlongs was just one of
such losses.
Adjustment to different venues, track conditions, distances and jockeys has made the six-year-old resilient and progressive through five seasons that he has raced in. There is more to come during the current season and how will he tackle that will unfold
gradually.
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