Horses running from our main list to follow
Fakenham 1.20 – Shouldhavehadthat
Plumpton 2.30 – Cracking Cliche
Today’s trivia
The Lanzerote Hurdle was run at Kempton on Saturday. The race is named after a horse that won 8 times at the track.;
What’s in a name?
The great Arkle was named after a Scottish mountain
Horses running from our main list to follow
Warwick 2.30 – Blue Splash & Not Left Yet
Wetherby 1.35 – Cool Operator
Wetherby 2.10 – Regal Heights
Horses running from our “dark horses” list
Warwick 2.30 – High Chimes
Warwick 4.00 – Shoreacres
Wetherby 3.10 – Brook no Argument
Russellform Ramblings
It was a good day for the horses from our lists to follow today. Starting Point, Scarvagh Diamond and Bywell Beau all won at Kelso and we also had a couple of winners at Huntingdon. Polomoche may only have scrambled to victory on his hurdles debut but in doing so he overcame some indifferent hurdling, he kicked the second last out of the ground, and still managed to find plenty in the finish. He clearly has a god engine and is one to follow. The same can be said of The Old Pretender who won the bumper with ridiculous ease.
The big race over fences tomorrow is the Totesport Classic at Warwick. This will be a gruelling test in heavy ground. Blue Splash is a progressive sort that won a couple of novice chases last season and has already won over hurdles this term. Two of his wins have come on heavy and he clearly loves testing ground and looks a thorough stayer. On the negative side he does have a lot of weight. Not Left Yet is difficult to weight up and this might be an important consideration as the handicapper may have had the same problem! David Pipe may have this one well handicapped but the horse does not have winning form on the prevailing ground. High Chimes is my idea of the likely winner. He was staying on at the end over 3 miles last time at Haydock behind Cloudy Lane giving the impression that a longer trip would suit him.
Shoreacres ran well when a close up 3rd to Uffa Fox at Ascot last time. That was on fast ground but if he handles the conditions at Warwick he has an each way chance in the 4.00.
At Wetherby Brook no Argument should go well in the 3.10 while in the 2.10 it is worth noting that Regal Heights handles soft ground particularly well.
Nap of the day
Warwick 2.30 – High Chimes
Today’s trivia
5% of chase runners fell or unseated at Warwick last season.
Horses running from our main list to follow
Huntingdon 1.50 – The Polomoche
Kelso 12.40 – Starting Point & Berwick Law
Kelso 1.40 – Bywell Beau
Horses running from our “dark horses” list
Huntingdon 1.20 – Northern Quest
Huntingdon 3.50 – The Old Pretender
Kelso 1.10 – Scarvagh Diamond
Kelso 2.40 – Harry Wood & La Trussardiere
Horses running from our main list to follow
Hereford 1.00 – Super Nick
Hereford 1.30 – Crocodiles Rock
Hereford 2.00 – Cave Hill
Horses running from our “dark horses” list
Hereford 2.30 – Robin de Sherwodd
Russellform Ramblings
Super Nick was 2nd at Bangor on his last run and looks capable of landing a small race. He is up against a David Pipe odds on shot in the Hereford 1.00 however in Celestial Gold. Celestial Gold has not run for nearly 2 years but is a previous winner of both the Hennessy and the Paddy Power over fences. Anything like that sort of form tomorrow over hurdles would surely be good enough.
Crocodiles Rock was a very impressive winner at Aintree in October in a race where the 2nd and 4th have both won since.
Lastly, in the bumper at Catterick (3.50) there is a strong word for Katapult, apparently he is very highly regarded by connections.
Nap of the day
Hereford 1.30 – Crocodiles Rock
Today’s trivia
Jungle Jinks runs in the 2.20 at Catterick today. He is 13 now and not the force he was but in the past he gained a reputation as a Wetherby specialist winning there 5 times.
What’s in a name?
With some horses it is easy to see where their name comes from by their pedigree. No problem with Springvic (Catterick 2.50) as he is by Old Vic out of Spring Beauty. Simple as that!
Horses running from our main list to follow
Musselburgh 1.40 – Modicum & Smart Street
Musselburgh 3.40 – Scale Bank
Russellform Ramblings
Yes, it is the middle of the jumps season even though there are 3 flat meetings tomorrow!
Modicum looks sure to start favourite in the 1.40 as he has finished runner up to a couple of useful types in Hobbs Hill and Cedrus Libani on his last 2 starts. He has a very consistent record and will be very hard to beat. Good ground seems important to Modicum so if we get a lot of rain I would be inclined to side with Smart Street whose front running tactics might pay off round this sharp track.
Scale Bank created a very favourable impression when second in a bumper at Southwell last season and can win the last.
Nap of the day
Musselburgh 3.40 – Scale Bank
Horses running from our main list to follow
Leicester 3.20 – Manhattan Boy
Horses running from our “dark horses” list
Leicester 2.50 – Planet of Sound
Russellform Ramblings
Gentle John made all under an aggressive Richard Johnson ride to land our nap today.
For my nap tomorrow I am going for Cornerback who won a Wetherby bumper on her only start to date and should relish the heavy ground.
Today’s trivia
Michael Dickinson trained the first two home in the 1982 Hennessy Gold Cup, Bregawn and Captain John.
What’s in a name?
Len Lungo’s versatile performer Monolith has an appropriate name as his sire was Bigstone.
Horses running from our main list to follow
Ludlow 1.30 – Gentle John & Amir El Jabal
Horses running from our “dark horses” list
Ludlow 1.00 – Atomic Winner
Russellform Ramblings
There were a couple of winners for our list to follow over the weekend. Breedsbreeze carried on the relentless progress of the Nicholls stable by winning the Tolworth Hurdle while Cockatoo was a winner at Plumpton this afternoon.
I am hoping that Gentle John will be able to build on his second at Ascot last time out in the 1.30 at Ludlow tomorrow.
The French import Atomic Winner was a big disappointment at Sandown last time. Hopefully that run was too bad to be true and he can make amends in the 1.00 at Ludlow tomorrow.
Nap of the day
Ludlow 1.30 – Gentle John
Horses running from our main list to follow
Chepstow 1.20 – Carrick Oscar & Khasab
Sandown 2.05 – Pablo Du Charmil
Sandown 2.40 – Bredsbreeze & Calgary Bay
Sandown 3.10 – European Dream
Sandown 3.45 – Limited Edition
Wincanton 1.45 – Miss Mitch
Wincanton 2.20 – Mossville & Nakai
SUNDAY
Plumpton 2.55 – Cockatoo
Horses running from our “dark horses” list
Chepstow 3.35 – Big Fella Thanks
Sandown 1.30 – Mutual Friend
Sandown 2.05 – Master Minded
Sandown 2.40 – Quartano
Wincanton 12.40 – Nom de Guerre & Timpo
Russellform Ramblings
Carrick Oscar won a bumper at Towcester on his only start last season and now makes a belated reappearance in the opening handicap hurdle at Chepstow. The form of that bumper worked out well and he looks an interesting prospect. Khasab might be a safer bet on this occasion though. He has put in a couple of decent efforts this season including a 4th behind Niaid de Missalot at Haydock on his last run.
Irish points winner Big Fella Thanks is a chaser in the making but he may be good enough to win over hurdles. He makes his debut for Paul Nicholls in the Chepstow 3.35.
Master Minded is in the same ownership as Kauto Star. He has very good form in France but unseated on his UK debut at Exeter. He looks like one for the future. El Vaquero could be worth a small interest in the same race (Sandown 2.05). He was a useful sort a couple of years ago and if back to anything like his best form he would be entitled to run well.
Breedsbreeze may well be good enough to give Paul Nicholls another big race success in the Tolworth Hurdle, a race where he has an enviable record. He looks a bit short though and I am inclined to side with the well regarded Calgary Bay who got off the mark over hurdles last time out. Quartano makes his hurdles debut here having shown good form in bumpers.
I look Timpo and Nom de Guerre in the 12.40 at Wincanton.
Miss Mitch represents Robert Alner in the 1.45 at Wincanton. She was impressive when winning over course and distance in November and she can go in again.
Nap of the day
Miss Mitch – Wincanton 1.45
Horses running from our main list to follow
Lingfield 3.50 – Trucker’s Delight
Newcastle 12.30 – Tazbar & Marleybow
Newcastle 1.30 – Shouldhavehadthat
Newcastle 3.00 – Money Trix
Newcastle 3.30 – Brook no Argument and Berwick Law
Horses running from our “dark horses” list
Lingfield 1.20 – Chapturgeon
Lingfield 2.20 – Wind Instrument
Russellform Ramblings
Both tomorrow’s meetings are subject to inspection in the morning so I am not going to get too carried away with tonight’s literary gem! O’Maley gave us another winning nap today so let’s see if we can keep that run going.
If racing does go ahead there is a tasty clash to look forward to between Tazbar and Marleybow up at Newcastle. Both are potentially a bit special but at the odds I would slightly favour the latter with the stable in such fine form.
Money Trix makes his eagerly awaited comeback from injury. He is a horse of immense potential but obviously may need this race.
Wind Instrument ran well for a long time at Wincanton in November and has an each way chance in the 2.20 at Lingfield where I also fancy Aigle D’or of Nicky Henderson’s who has winning form on the flat in France.
Both Berwick Law and Brook no Argument have chances in the 3.30 at Newcastle. Lenny Lungo’s horses are running well at present so I will give a slight preference to Berwick Law.
Nap of the day
Newcastle 3.30 – Berwick Law
What’s in a name?
Jackson’s Pier runs in the 3.20 at Lingfield. He is out of a mare called Uhuru which is Swahili for freedom.
Horses running from our “dark horses” list
Fontwell 12.45 – Rathmulen
Russellform Ramblings
Not a bad day for the horses featured in last night’s preview with wins from Quws Law, AIR Force One and the nap Wild Cane Ridge who obliged with some aplomb at 4/1 to maintain his 100% record at Ayr. Lenny Lungo’s runners generally ran well with Villon in particular running a cracker after a very long layoff.
Nap of the day
Fontwell 1.15 – O’Maley
ahorse 