Potential record-setter Aisling Oscar will put history on the line at Newcastle on Saturday.
The five-year-old has racked up an extraordinary sequence of victories since joining trainer Adrian Keatley. Having only been with the yard since November, he has won eight handicaps in succession.
A ninth would set a modern record for successive handicap triumphs. He returns to Newcastle this weekend, at which he has secured most of the wins during an already extraordinary run.
Unpacking Aisling Oscar’s sensational run
After finishing last of 16 on his final start in Ireland, nobody could have expected this almost incomparable sequence.
Aisling Oscar was bought for 3,200gns in September, with it confirmed he would join Keatley in October. His form figures upon joining the yard read: 905087400900. Since then, they read 311111111.
That third on debut showed shoots of promise, but nothing indicating what was to subsequently follow. However, Aisling Oscar struck over 7f at Newcastle just two days later to begin the run.
Perhaps most unusually, that victory was his most dominant and yet still only arrived by 1 3/4 lengths. In total, only two of his eight successes have been earned by more than one length.
The ball just keeps on rolling though, with the horse no 29lb higher in the handicap than when joining Keatley.
“You have to be confident” – Keatley on chances of number nine
Speaking to At The Races, Keatley eschewed any doubts about whether his chance could break the record.
“You have to be confident. He’s winning, he looks like he’s winning well.
“We’ve seen he’s gone up to 75. He’s well enough and he’s not telling us that he doesn’t want to run. We are ready to run him when we are ready to run.
“He doesn’t have to be ridden in one certain way, he seems to be enjoying his racing.”
As for whether there have been any changes to his regime to get a ninth win over the line, Keatley insists that all the yard have to do is prepare him as they have done all winter.
“Why would we change what we are doing? He seems to be winning well, he seems to like the all-weather and seems to like seven furlongs or a mile so we’ll just keep doing what we are doing and see how long it lasts.”
The race is the fourth of seven on Newcastle’s evening card on Saturday.