Diligently Secures Handicap Debut

After a spell of misfortune earlier in the season, it was a pleasure to see Diligently bounce back to winning ways on Monday (18^th August) with a hard-fought success in a competitive handicap at Windsor. Ridden confidently by Hector Crouch over the six furlongs, this win marks his first in handicap company – a milestone we are delighted to celebrate alongside his owner, Jason Goddard.

Breaking well from the stalls and quickly into action, the three-year-old was soon into stride and settled nicely on the rail, tracking just off the pace behind the early leaders. As the race began to unfold, he was switched left to find a clear run, making smooth headway approaching the final furlong. Closing stages turned into a thrilling three-way tussle to the post, but the colt showed real determination to hold on by a shoulder at the line.

This success comes as a welcome change of luck following his troubled run at Chester last time out, where he was badly hampered on the rail and consequently eased up and out of the race. It’s great to see him return to the track with this commanding performance, proving his ability to dig deep when needed, and adding to his earlier success in a valuable sales race at two, to now break-through in handicap company.