Today was something of a mixed bag with a sprinkling of winning tips and a few disappointments. One point to note from this early part of the jumps season is the form of Howard Johnson’s stable. The handler from Crook up in County Durham is certainly firing in the winners. His expensive purchase from Ireland On Raglan Road made a winning debut for at Hexham this afternoon while Drever Route got the better of a couple of classy recruits from the flat in the novice hurdle.
There is plenty to look forward to this weekend which is one of the best in the racing calendar, with top-class action at Newmarket and in France at Longchamp.
I am going to begin at Newmarket with the Cambridgeshire (3.50) which is as competitive as ever. So let’s have a look at some of the contenders. The weights are headed by a Group 3 winner, Smoky Oakey. Mark Tompkins’ 4 year old won the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May beating last season’s Cambridgeshire winner Pipedreamer at level weights in the process. He is no stranger to big handicap wins either as he won the Lincoln at the start of the season. He has claims but the two things that put me off are his preference for soft ground and his weight. He has gone up 15 lbs in the handicap since winning the Lincoln and I think that there are better handicapped runners in the field.
Docofthebay was runner up to Pipedreamer in 2007 but is now 9 lbs higher in the weights. He has been running well enough this season, has a good record in big fields and has a fair turn of foot at the end of his races. Once again though the weight factor puts me off. Mutajarred comes from a stable in excellent form but needs the heavens to open between now and the race as he is best in a swamp!
Don’t Panic is rather caught between handicaps and pattern races. He won the Spring Mile at Doncaster at the start of the season and has since been running in listed and Group races. He is another that may not find the ground to his liking though.
Lang Shining could be interesting. He looked set for a bright future when taking the Newbury Spring Cup in April but failed to build on that in subsequent runs until coming back to form on his latest start when 2nd to Ask the Butler at Sandown. He is a bit hard to weigh up as his form has been rather in and out but on his best form he certainly has a chance here over what could well be his optimum trip.
Premio Loco is well in at the weights and comes here looking for a hat trick having recorded a couple of wins at Kempton on the all weather. These wins were over a mile but the way he won indicates that the extra furlong will not be a problem. Dream Lodge went up 8 lbs for winning a 4 runner conditions event and that, combined with the fact he will not want the ground too firm make him an unlikely winner. Swop is a lightly raced 5 year old that has only run 5 times in his career. He has never finished out of the first 3, most recently finishing 3rd behind Ask the Butler and Lang Shining at Sandown. With Richard Hughes on board he comes here with every chance.
Of the remainder Yaddree, Prince Kalamoun and Virtual tick most of the right boxes. Yaddree and Prince Kalamoun in particular will like the ground if it stays on the quick side. For my selection will side with Premio Loco.
I thought that Tiger Eye ran as though she would come on for the race when she was 4th at Yarmouth. She runs in the 2.10 and has an each way chance at around 10/1.
I tipped Mafaaz when he won on his debut at Kempton and I will stick with him tomorrow in the 2.45.
Spacious won both her races as a two year old and has done nothing wrong this season. She was runner up to Natagora in the 1,000 Guineas and she was then 4th in the Coronation Stakes before being dropped in class to get off the mark for the season at Doncaster. I am hopeful that she can run well in the 3.15. Festoso was 3rd to Natagora in the Cheveley Park in 2007 and was then off the track for 11 months before overcoming a tardy start to finish 3rd in a listed race at Doncaster. She deserves her place in this line up and is certainly not without a chance.
I have been following trainer William Haggas with some success of late and his Dream Date makes some appeal in the 4.25 having shown enough in 3 runs to suggest he is up to winning a nursery.
There are plenty of British runners at Longchamp. Just to run through a few of them John Gosden is represented in the 12.45 and 1.15 with Centennial and Dar Re Mi respectively. Centennial has won two group races this season, while Dar Rte Mi has been running with admirable consistency and was runner up to the brilliant Zarkava in the Prix Vermeille last month. Dar Re Mi looks to have a good chance of landing the spoils in her race.
Richard Fahey has our old friend Utmost Respect in the 2.20 but the ground may not be soft enough for this one. Richard Hannon’s Paco Boy might be the one most likely to bring the prize back across the Channel. The 1,000 winner Natagora will be one of the French hopes in this.
The all conquering Yeats will be going for a 6th career Group 1 win in the 2.55 while our old friend Blythe Knight takes his chance in the 3.30, a race he finished 3rd in last season.
Back home at Kempton Park there are 2 runners from my list to follow in the 3.10. The in form Knot in Wood has been enjoying his visits to Scotland this season winning twice at Hamilton and running 4th in the prestigious Ayr Gold Cup. He is not well drawn tomorrow but I would still expect a decent run from him. Aahayson won a listed race in March and his handicap mark suffered as a result. He has been dropped a few pounds now though and may well be able to get competitive here. The one they both have to beat though is Ebraam who has a proven record on the all weather.
Empowered is a half brother to Derby winner Authorized. He has only run once when he was a little disappointing and could only finish 4th in a maiden at Leicester. That was back on the 3rd April so it does seem as though the horse has had problems. He runs in the 4.20 at Kempton where any market support for him would be interesting.
The consistent Moheeb represents our list to follow in the 2.25 at Redcar which is an ultra competitive handicap. He has an each way chance. For lovers of completely pointless statistics there are two former winners of the Carlisle Bell Handicap in the race: Osteopathic Remedy and Hartshead.
I will be back tomorrow evening for a look at the Longchamp Arc card as well as some interesting racing from the UK jumps meetings.
Today’s pictures are by kind permission of the artist Ruth Buchanan. See links for more examples of this artist’s work.
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