Month: January 2007

The horses from our list to follow acquitted themselves quite well this afternoon.  Sir Boreus Hawk, who is a really imposing individual, did very well to win the bumper under a penalty.  He looks a horse to follow in the longer term and it would be no surprise to see him running on the flat at some stage.  The runner up, Gun ‘n Butter showed promise too I thought.  Annie’s Choice was 4^th at Newcastle and will be interesting in mares only company while Cloudy Lane would probably have won had it not been for a bad blunder at the last.

  

I said last night that the massive Corrib Lad wouldn’t like the Musselburgh track.  He probably didn’t, as his trainer said after the race, but he was still too resolute for his 4 rivals in the Kilmany Cup.  He can win again on a galloping track.  Credit must go top Keith Mercer who gave the horse a positive ride that played to his strengths of jumping and galloping.

  

I will look at the weekend meeting in alphabetical order starting with Chepstow.

  Dom D’orgeval makes his chase debut in the 1.20 and also has his first run for David Pipe. He had some good form in handicap hurdles lasts season and looks the sort to make a chaser. You could argue that the trip might be on the short side but the very testing conditions are likely bring stamina into play.  

In the 1.55 Tom George’s Turtle Soup is of interest as he likes very soft ground.

  

I am quite keen on the chances of former Irish points winner Closed Shop in the 3.00.  He is also a bumper winner and made a sound hurdles debut when 2^nd at Wincanton.

  

Scarvagh Diamond, a former bumper winner, was 2^nd on her hurdles debut at Kelso and is entitled to go close in the 1.10 at Haydock.

  

From the same stable as Scarvagh Diamond, Harmony Brig won well on his chase debut at Ayr, but then was disappointing at Ascot. He is worth another chance in the 1.45.

  

Grey gelding Huka Lodge (picture below), trained by Kate Walton, is my each way tip in the 2.20.  He goes in the soft and is a course and distance winner.

 

 

  

Roman Ark likes soft ground and carried 11 stone 12 to victory last time out at Market Rasen.  He has gone up 7 lbs for that but he should still go well in the 3.25.  Main danger looks to be another Kate Walton runner, Jimmy Bond (pictured below) a lightly raced type who loves the mud and won last time out at Wetherby.   

 

 

 

 

 

  

The Tolworth Hurdle, a Grade 1, is the big race at Sandown at 2.40.  There are 3 horses from our list to follow.  Astarador has won his two starts over hurdles by wide margins but obviously steps up in class today.  He has done nothing wrong so far and he has very strong bumper form to his credit.  He was 7^th in the Aintree Championship bumper with Wichita Lineman 8^th and Alfie Flits, who has since won a listed race on the flat, in 4^th.  You can’t rule Astarador out.  Perce Rock is an unexposed type.  He handles heavy ground, was 4^th in the Cheltenham Festival bumper and has AP McCoy in the plate.

  

Silverburn represents Paul Nicholls who has won this race twice in the last 4 seasons with Noland and Thisthatandtother.  Silverburn is a full brother to Denman and won last time out at Newbury in soft ground.  De Soto was runner up to Missed That in the 2005 Cheltenham bumper and after a long lay off has come back to win twice over hurdles, most impressively last time at Kempton when he had Blythe Knight, the Lincoln winner in second.  I think De Soto is the big threat to our 3 list horses.  This is a competitive heat but I am going to give Silverburn my selection.

  

The 3.45 looks a handicap chase worth watching.  Mort de Rire represents our list to follow.  He is a good jumper and should be fit after an outing over an inadequate trip last month.  He has an each way chance.  Dangers abound.  Preacher Boy was 3^rd in the Hennessey and runs off the same mark, Nadover won well in the soft at Chepstow over Christmas, Harris Bay has already won twice this season for Henrietta Knight while Latimer Place is a winner of 2 of his last 3 starts.  If you are looking for a real outsider you could always try the grey Grattan Lodge.  He usually does his winning at Carlisle – not that he has done any winning anywhere for some while!  I thought he ran quite well for a long way behind Silver Knight at Wetherby last month though and he could have an each way squeak.

  

The big race at Plumpton on Sunday is the Sussex National at 3.25.  The very lightly raced Geveem has won on heavy, is a course winner and stays well.  He is my sporting suggestion.

  

I have not had time to preview the Irish meetings at Cork and Naas over the weekend.  Sorry about that.

  

Have a good weekend and see you Sunday.

 

Continue reading “Diary: January 6 & 7 2007” →

A day of mixed fortunes for Russellform with Grecian Groom coming in at 33/1 for our list to follow although he was just about untipable on recent form.

  Two other listers, Karello Bay and Urban Tiger were 3^rd in their respective events.  When I penned last night’s column I hadn’t noticed that Urban Tiger had changed stables.  Karello Bay was beaten by Benetwood who I had talked about in my preview.  The form of that race might be worth following as the 2^nd horse, Psychomodo, is well regarded by his trainer Brendan Powell.

 

 

I was pleased to see Sha Bihan win for the Elite Club, of which I am a member, at Fontwell.  Wayne Hutchinson was the rider.

  

St Pirran was a decent type in his younger days when with Paul Nicholls but hasn’t won since taking the Grand Annual at Cheltenham nearly 3 years ago.  He is 12 now and runs in a selling hurdle tomorrow, the 2.10 at Musselburgh.  A bit sad really as he was a very good chaser when at his best.

  

Len Lungo runs the giant Corrib Lad in the 3.10 at the Scottish track. You wouldn’t think that this sharp course would play to his strengths.

  

Our list horse in the bumper at 3.40 is Sir Boreus Hawk.  Alan Swinbank’s geldng is having his 4^th run in bumpers and is getting a solid grounding before going over hurdles.  He carries a penalty for an earlier win at Hexham and that might just make him vulnerable to something with a lighter weight.  The flat bred Gun’s‘n Butter is one danger.  He was second in his only start in a point to point in Northern Ireland.  Mr Guppy, named after a character in Bleak House is another one for the short list.

  

We have a list runner in the 1.00 at Newcastle.  Annie’s Answer is trained by permit holder Jane Makin.  Twice a winner in bumpers at Uttoxeter she is also a point to point winner.  She could go well here.

  

Course and Distance winner Cloudy Lane is our list horse in the 1.30 and I would expect a big run from him.

  

The 2.00 looks to be between Regal Heights and King Revo.  The market might be the best indicator. 

  

Have a good day

 

Continue reading “Diary: January 5 2005” →

One selection for today and one winner thanks to the veteran Kerry Lads. Lucinda Russell’s 12 year old pulled clear along with Sharp Jack and had a fair lead over the last but he was running on empty up the run in when the other 3 finishers almost caught him.  Another great old timer, Jungle Jinks had looked beaten 2 out but stayed on again when many would have thrown in the towel to get within a length of the exhausted winner.  Gutsy stuff from the two old timers who are proper racehorses.

  

Nicky Henderson’s mare Karello Bay had some nice bumper form last season culminating with a neck win over Wyldello at Sandown.  She must have a good chance of making a winning start to her hurdles career in the 12.40 at Fontwell.  The other one I like in this race is Benetwood , a bumper winner at this track who made a promising hurdles bow when 2^nd at Sandown.  Benetwood is related to the high class chaser Monsieur Le Cure who fell fatally in the 1996 Gold Cup.

  

I have an Elite Racing Club runner in the 1.40.  Sha Bihan is a bit of an unknown quantity really as he has been difficult to get fit but he was a winner over hurdles at Angers in France.  Fingers crossed for this one but at least trainer Alan King is in sparkling form.

  

The booking of Tony McCoy for Swift Sailor in the 3.10 caught my eye. He is a course winner which I always think counts for something around here.  Swift Sailor showed a liking for this type of tight track on the flat as he was 2^nd in the Chester Cup.

  

Urban Tiger represents our list to follow in the 1.00 at Lingfield but he has been disappointing so far this season and he looks the stable second string.

  

Another really disappointing “lister” is Grecian Groom who runs in the 1.30.  He seems unlikely to be suited by the prevailing ground conditions.

  

Bye for now

 

Continue reading “Diary: January 4 2007” →

The heavy ground is leading to horses being withdrawn at the moment and 2 of the 3 horses mentioned last night were no runners at Ayr.  The 3rd, Supreme Copper ran quite well at Folkestone and hopefully will be up to winning before the end of the season, most probably in a handicap.

  

Should racing get the go ahead at Wetherby tomorrow the going is unlikely to be bottomless and the handicap chase at 3.05 will be far from “pheasant.”

  

The 3 elder statesmen in the race, 12 year olds Kerry Lads and Jungle Jinks and Devil’s Run one year their junior are used to slogs in the mud around here.  Kerry Lad’s and Devil’s Run have won the last two runnings of this race while Jungle Jinks is a 5 time winner around here.  Kerry Lad’s and Jungle Jinks were 2^nd and 3^rd behind Tim Easterby’s giant grey Silver Knight here last time they met and they are quite closely handicapped. Lucinda Russell’s horses seem to be running OK at present and I will give Kerry Lads my selection.

  

Were you on Tioga Gold, the 125/1 winner at Southwell today?  His only previous win was in a seller at Southwell in December 2001 so he was hardly the form pick!

  

Keep smiling

 

Continue reading “Diary: January 3 2007” →

An enjoyable days racing to start the New Year I thought.  There were wins for 3 of our list horses, My Way de Solzen, Blue Splash and Mister Quasimodo.  I was also pleased to see Himalayan Trail give me a winning “outside” tip at 11/2.

  

The 4 runner handicap chase at Cheltenham was a thoroughly enjoyable contest with all of them in with a shout at the second last.  Cornish Rebel won in the end despite wandering all over the place after the last. The Bajan Bandit has been a super horse for Lenny Lungo and ran gamely in second while Fork Lightning was close up in 3^rd despite jumping violently left at most of the fences.

  

There are two jumps meetings on Tuesday.

  

Ayr 1.40 The Whisperer was upped in class last time out but is back in the sort of sphere where he can gain his second success of the season.  Rose Davidson has the ride.

  

Len Lungo’s horses are running well at present so I am hoping that his Monolith, one of my Elite Racing Club horses, can give a good account in the 3.15.  He has been raised 5 lbs for his win at Cheltenham and has top weight.  He is rather a small horse so top weight is not ideal and he may have ground that is a bit softer than ideal. He will give of his best though – he always does.

  

Supreme Copper represents our list to follow in the 1.30 at Folkestone.  He looks the sort that might need handicaps in order to get his head in front.

  

Bye for now.

 

Continue reading “Diary: January 2 2007” →