Borice An Interesting Prospect After Galway Plate Win
As an eight-year-old, it may be a stretch to call Borice a prospect. However, the horse we have seen in 2019 has made some huge improvements and is starting to look like a real contender. After running in a big handicap in January, Borice was put away with a summer campaign in mind. He came back to win two novice hurdles with ease, and those were nice prep runs for the Galway Plate, a race he won in very good style.
The Plate is one of the most competitive races in Ireland across the entire year. To win it you need to be a very well handicapped horse. When it comes to Borice, his main running has all been done in France. He only moved to trainer Gordon Elliott in November 2018 but even that short space of time he has improved dramatically.
Notching up three wins from five starts for the Irish trainer, Borice is steadily becoming a solid chaser. Especially when you consider that he beat out Black Corton and jockey Bryony Frost for the Galway win. All three back-to-back wins have come in the summer months but there is still plenty to be excited about here.
Galway Plate winner Borice & @luke_dempsey led in by part owner Simon Munir @gelliott_racing @Galway_Races pic.twitter.com/FDudpF6RSu
— Irishracing.com Live (@IrishRacing365) July 31, 2019
Elliott may save him for a winter campaign across the jumps season, and that could see him take on some big handicap races at the various festivals. He won the Galway Plate off 136, which means he should go into the new season in the low or mid 140s, a mark that will get him into the majority of the top races.
Borice runs most of his races between distances of two and a half miles and three miles, but there is form in the book from France over 3m3f and 3m6f. Clearly has demonstrated plenty of stamina to get those trips. All of this points to him having a number of options ahead of him.
He will likely be campaigned across both the UK and Ireland, and has already travelled across the sea to run in two races for Elliott this summer. It looks as though he can have a good season and we may see him eventually end up at the Cheltenham or Aintree Grand National meetings. There will be a number of options for him at both of those festivals off his current mark and at a variety of different distances.