It’s Champions Day at Newmarket tomorrow with the highlights being the Champion Stakes, The Dewhurst and the big handicap, the Cesarewitch. With the first Cheltenham meeting of the new jumps season as well there is plenty to get stuck into in tonight’s preview.
Starting with the Champion Stakes at 3.10 New Approach will be seeking to add to his Group 1 successes this season in the Epsom Derby and Irish Champion Stakes. He is the class act in the race but don’t forget that favourites have a poor record in this. Traffic Guard put up a career best effort when second to New Approach in the Irish Champion Stakes and on the strength of that run he cannot be ignored. Russian Cross came good in the summer winning at Saint-Cloud in impressive style before defeating the useful River Proud in a Group 2 at Deauville. He may have been a little unlucky when second in a Group 2 at Longchamp most recently and he cannot be ignored in a race where 3 year olds have a good record. Pipedreamer won the Cambridgeshire last season and has made a successful transition into Group company this year. He has posted some extremely creditable efforts in Group ones and notched an overdue Group 2 win at York in July. Twice Over beat Raven’s Pass at Newmarket at the start of the season and after that ran well in good company until winning at Maisons-Lafitte in July. He disappointed on his most recent start at Deauville but is certainly one for the short list. My idea of the first three would be New Approach, Russian Cross and Pipedreamer.
The Cesarewitch (3.50) will take some sorting out given the field of 34. I quite like following national hunt trainers in this race and Mamlook, Liberate, Souffleur and Gee Dee Nen all make some appeal. Gee Dee Nen has handicap wins over 2 miles at Haydock and Ascot to his credit this season, getting up to beat Bogside Theatre, who he meets again tomorrow, at Ascot. Mamlook and Liberate were 2nd and 3rd in the Ascot Stakes over 2.5 miles in June and both are well drawn. Souffleur, a winner 4 times over hurdles last jumps season was second at Musselburgh in March over 1 mile 6 furlongs but subsequent efforts have been disappointing. A return to his best form would put him in with a chance tomorrow. Of the rest I need to mention the Irish challengers Arc Bleu trained by the very shrewd Tony Martin with Johnny Murtagh riding. Arc Bleu won the Northumberland Plate in June with a number of tomorrow’s rivals behind him. Bogside Theatre was 3rd and Gee Dee Nen 5th.
My top 4 would be Gee Dee Nen, Mamlook, Liberate and Arc Bleu.
Earlier on the Newmarket card Royal Confidence, Stimulation and Utmost Respect are the trio from our list to follow in the 2.05. The filly Royal Confidence scored a belated first win of the season at Doncaster in a listed race last month. She seems to act on any going and 7 furlongs looks her ideal trip. Stimulation won the Free Handicap over course and distance in April and has performed pretty consistently since. He went on his travels for his last start finishing 3rd in a Group 2 in Turkey. Utmost Respect who is yet to win over 7 furlongs needs soft ground. Stimulation ran recent Longchamp winner Paco Boy close at Goodwood and 7 furlongs is ideal for him. He gets my selection.
The 2.35 has been won by some top Irish raiders in recent years including New Approach, Teofilo and Rock of Gibraltar. This time around Rip Van Winkle is the main Irish hope and probably sets the standard. Finjaan won the Molecomb stakes at Goodwood but drifted alarmingly before the Middle Park Stakes and finished last. Ouqba has been busy. He was 4th in the Champagne Stakes when not quite seeing out the trip in soft ground and he has since won at Salisbury. Rip Van Winkle looks like starting at rather cramped odds so I think I will go with the Richard Hannon trained Soul City, winner of a valuable sales race over in Ireland on his last start..
Dar Re Me has been a model of consistency and is yet to finish out of the first 3 in her 9 race career. Provided she retains her form after some hard arces thsis eason she would be my idea of the winner of the 5.00.
Speed Gifted and Sagara represent my list to follow in the 5.35. Despite finishing 3rd in the Arc last season Sagara still only has one win to her credit and I see that Frankie Dettori has opted to ride the other Godolphin runner. The trip should suit Speed Gifted and he would be my each way choice.
In Austarlia Mad Rush runs in the Caulfield Cup. A winner of the Old Newton Cup at Haydock Mad Rush is yet to finish out of the first 3 but faces a stiff task against both a strong local contingent and an unfavourable draw.
The jumps season really gets going at Cheltenham tomorrow with the big stables starting to run some of their better horses.
Donald McCain has started the jumps campaign well and he saddles It’s a Discovery in the 2.20. This tough, consistent mare won bumpers at Carlisle and Hexham last season and went on to score at Towcester in a novice hurdle. She chipped a bone after that but has apparently had a successful operation since. Lordsbridge won handicaps at Huntingdon and Exeter last season but has gone up a fair bit in the weights as a result. Pacha D’Oudairies represents champion trainer Paul Nicholls in this. This bay gelding was a winner at Taunton in February and subsequently ran well in better company at Aintree and Ayr. It’s a Discovery and Lordsbridge have each way chances.
The 2.50 could be between Tatenen and Oh Crick. Tatenen finished runner up in a Grade 1 hurdle at Chepstow last Christmas and went on to finish 4th in a strong novice hurdle at Cheltenham. He is very highly rated at home and looks an exciting prospect over fences. Oh Crick was a progressive sort for Alan King last season winning 4 times over hurdles. He has experience of fences as he won a beginners chase in May at Hereford. With doubts over the participation of Tatenen Oh Crick gets my selection.
Alan King’s Ouzbeck had been progressing nicely over fences winning 3 times in the summer before unseating his rider on his last start. He has never won with an “s” in the going description. Private Be had a fairly torrid time of it last season but he had looked a decent chaser when accounting for Bob Hall at Aintree in April 2007. A return to that sort of form would put him in with a shout. Bible Lord is an interesting runner. I think he underachieved to some extent last season but he has ability and should land a decent prize or two before the season is out. He has trip and ground to his liking tomorrow but may just need the race. Whatever happens tomorrow though he is one to keep tabs on. Another to consider is Daldini who ran consistently last season and comes here with the benefit of a recent outing.
In the 4.00 Diablo represents my list to follow. He won at Perth recently and I was going to give him as my selection until I noticed that the stable jockey Paddy Brennan is on the other Twiston-Davies runner Strong Rebel so I will shift my allegiance to him.
In the conditional jockey’s handicap hurdle at 4.35 my two against the field would be King’s Revenge and Supreme Duke. King’s Revenge was unfortunate last season as he went up the weights without winning. He was placed a number of times in decent handicap hurdles though. One would imagine that he will go novice chasing sooner rather than later. The lightly raced Supreme Duke won a novice hurdle at Sandown in March beating a nice Paul Nicholls horse and looks to be on the upgrade.
Big Fella Thanks is in the same ownership as Denman and is very highly rated by his connections. He will be expected to make a winning start to the season in the 5.10.
I don’t have any strong views on the bumper at 5.45 but According to Dick won his only Irish point to point and could be OK. Valdas Queen, an impressive winner of a Newbury bumper last season and Romance Dance, the mount of Timmy Murphy are the other two I would suggest.
There is a good card up at Kelso tomorrow. The 2.40 features some promising types including Dolessthanme, Pakineo Des Pictons and Son of Flicka. Dolessthanme won both his bumpers last season and the form of his second win worked out well as the runner up went on to win at Aintree. Decent ground is likely to suit him best. Pakineo Des Pictons won a bumper at Hexham on his only start so far and his trainer reports that he has since done well physically. Son of Flicka is another with solid bumper form having won once and finished runner up on his other two starts. If pushed to choose one it would be Dolessthanme.
In the 3.15 I fancy Kalahari King. He was 4th in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham and went on to win at Punchestown. He certainly appeals as the type to do well over fences and makes his chasing debut tomorrow.
Orang Outan, a course and distance winners goes in the 3.45. He runs well, fresh and has an each way chance although I wouldn’t put a monkey on him!
In the 4.15 Door Boy and Merrydown make most appeal. Door Boy is a winning Irish point-to-pointer who also finished 2nd in a Punchestown bumper. Howard Johnson paid a lot of money to secure this one for Andrea and Graham Wylie and he looks an interesting prospect for novice hurdles this season. Merrydown ran twice in bumpers last season, winning at Musselburgh before finishing 3rd at Market Rasen. He looks a stayer so this 22 furlong trip over hurdles should suit him.
Today’s pictures are courtesy of the artist Lisa Miller (see links)
I will try to update the site with some late thoughts on Saturday’s racing tomorrow morning at around 11.00.
ahorse 