Blue Lakota Continues To Impress

From struggling to beat a rival to not finishing outside the first three. Blue Lakota has really found his feet since switching to the all-weather and looks to be a 3yo who can continue to improve. Having jumped up the handicap he won once more, off a new high mark when making all in the 6f Weekly £5 Free Bet With BetUK Handicap at Southwell.
Two runner up spots were then followed by two convincing wins. This run of form saw his handicap mark rise from 55 to 71 but it seemed asa though there was still room to manoeuvre. That was confirmed last time out when the 3yo just couldn’t find a clear run. Cantering over rivals, Blue Lakota was locked up behind a wall of horses. When he finally got some daylight he flew home but the race was done and he had to settle for third. Despite the frustration there was a an upside that he would still be racing off the same mark next time.
Eight runners were lining up for the contest but it was probably the strongest field that Blue Lakota had faced. Mason Paetel was in the saddle, taking off a valuable 7lbs and immediately rode beyond his limited racing experience. Blue Lakota, drawn in stall one, was quickly away and to the fore immediately. Seeing this daylight he gave his young rider a difficult task, racing a touch keen as they raced towards the bend.
Having gone through the first couple of furlongs, Blue Lakota took the field into the left handed band. Mason had to work to keep his mount on the right lead, as the 3yo just edged away from the rail. He kept Blue Lakota under restraint at the front as they rounded the bend and raced towards the business end.
Blue Lakota entered the straight with a lead of 3/4 length. He travelled well as his rivals began to come under pressure and Mason allowed the gelding to edge onto the middle of the track. Winding up from the front, Mason kicked for home entering the final 2f. The pair had a target on their backs but Blue Lakota was holding his rivals at bay as they lined up to have a go. The lead had been cut between the 2f and 1f markers but Mason had been the least active of the jockeys. This showed as they raced inside the final furlong with Blue Lakota finding plenty for pressure. As he continued to sprint clear, pulling one rival along with him, the gelding put distance to the others. Striding out to the line he secured the win with a comfy 3/4 length advantage.
Blue Lakota has really thrived over the winter and he won with a bit more in hand than the margin suggests. He was keen on this occasion but Mason did a great job on board and the 3yo had plenty in the tank when asked. The handicapper will have another say following this but a small rise may not stop the winning form just yet.