Trend Horse – Grigorovitch (5yo, Liam McAteer) – Needs a rapid return

Make no mistake, Grigorovitch is moderate but give him a run within a week of his last outing and he’s hard to stop. 3 run in such conditions have resulted in 2 wins and a second. An 88-rated animal who won 4 handicaps at the minimum trip for Ian Semple in England, he looks best on a fast surface. He tends to need his first run of the season, so his 3 ¼l sixth to Fit The Cove on the first day of the flat season over a 6f trip that stretches his stamina was encouraging.
McAteer is hardly the most prolific trainer around but give him a half-decent older sprinter and he knows what to do. 3 of his best horses in recent years have been Majestic Times, his half-brother Distant Times and Point Calimere, all of whom started their careers in England and improved significantly when transferring to the Meath yard. Majestic Times was rated 82 at his peak in England and now aspires to a mark of 105 here while Distant Times improved 23lbs to a mark of 83 since his first Irish run.
Grigorovitch’s trainer has a poor record with 2yos (1/54 in the last 5 years, a strikerate of 2%) and 3yos (2/80, 3 %) and is without a win in 117 attempts in races beyond a mile in the same period. But his record with older sprinters is a different ball game – 7 wins from 46 runners for a strikerate of 15% and a level stakes profit of over €26. He should be able to find a race for Grigorovitch.