For Country and Speed: Mr Neil Flies the Flag

In a high-quality race, the dark bay surged strongly on the inside and cemented his excellent form

Mr Neil is establishing himself as a speedster at the bend with important victories/ JUAN I. BOZZELLO

The speed at the bend continues to deliver remarkable shows, loudly calling on officials to start assigning seriously important races to it, joining a global trend where 1200 meters is a premier distance, as seen in the United States.

A notable group of contenders gathered this Sunday at the starting gates of the Clásico Día de la Bandera, the other graded race of the day at the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, where, as expected, closers found an ideal track for their showcase.

It was Mr Neil who claimed victory, highlighting the improvements he had been showing in previous outings and confirming his status as a talented horse — a sensation that grew since his return last December after a very long layoff.

With Kevin Banegas aboard and trained by Walter Suárez and María F. Alvarez, the son of Valid Stripes and Miss Space (Holt) raced always close to the inside rail, showing encouraging action while the filly Candy and Giant (Giant's Pleasure) set the pace with fractions of 23.86 and 46.12 seconds.

Once in the stretch, it quickly became clear that Mr Neil was dangerous on the inside, and as the meters passed, he grew stronger and showed on the track what was obvious on paper. He took command around 300 meters out and held firm to contain a 3/4-length bid from the veteran Despacito (Sabayón), finishing in 1:09.78.