There was some informative jumps racing over the weekend at Aintree and Chepstow.
The Polomoche impressed me the first time I saw him in “in the flesh” when he narrowly got the better of Calgary Bay in a Ludlow bumper in May 2007. I wasn’t too surprised that he won off a mark of 130 over the weekend and there may be more to come from him over hurdles before he switches to fences. Hora, another from the Henderson yard kept her unbeaten record, defying a mark of 120 in the extended 3 mile handicap hurdle at Aintree. Formerly a winner on the flat for Sir Mark Prescott she stays very well. Felix de Giles gave her a good ride I thought and she is another worth following.
Paul Nicholls runners are winning a lot more than they are losing and Tatenen looked pretty good on his chase bow, although he may not have beaten a great deal. Striking Article jumped poorly and the others were never going to trouble the Nicholls runner. Nonetheless Tatenen is as good as anything we have seen thus far in the novice chase department.
Another French recruit American Trilogy won on his UK debut and looks yet another Nicholls star in making. One shock winner for the Nicholls yard was Hell’s Bay who was allowed to start at 16/1. There were a number in behind him that showed promise and that race should throw up a few winners over the coming weeks.
Not all the Nicholls runners were an unqualified success of course and Rippling Ring and Conflictofinterest were a couple, of fancied runners that failed to deliver. Better ground may see both of them in a better light however.
One more runner from the weekend that I must mention is Micheal Flips, a former Irish points winner who scored most impressively at Stratford. In fact Andy Turnell has his horses in great form and was responsible for a couple of winners highlighted in my weekend previews in Cheating Chance and High Jack.
The runners mentioned in my preview of Monday and Tuesday didn’t do too badly with Harlech Castle winning at Catterick and most of the others placed at good odds.
Basanti and Smarterthanuthink are a couple of runners that interest me in the Great Leighs 5.00 tomorrow. Basanti won a maiden at Bath last month and had earlier shown some promise over longer trips. Smarterthanuthink, a winner at Hamilton earlier in the year was runner up at Lingfield on his last start and is another that stays further than this 10 furlongs. Both have made the running in the past and there is a risk that they will take each other on or set things up for a fast finisher. Both have a reasonable each way chance though and I have a very slight preference for Basanti.
At Kempton in the 7.50 Tropical Paradise who won at Windsor in August makes some appeal. She was a beaten favourite at Doncaster last month but that was over an extra half a furlong and on soft ground. With the stable in very good form however Film Set might take some beating in this.
Dvinski, who runs in the 8.50 as done well for me in the past. In fact I tipped him on his last start when he won over course and distance. I would just worry that he might find his new handicap rating tricky to win from and I will give him a miss this time.
Nottingham have an inspection planned so the meeting is in some doubt. Hereford Boy is the only runner there from my list to follow. He goes in the 2.10. I thought he might win when blinkered first time at Lingfield last week and I fear that his chance may have gone for the time being.
At Punchestown I fancy Pandorama (1.45) and Forpadydeplasterer (3.15).
Today’s pictures are by kind permission of the artist Julie Whitwham.
Be lucky
ahorse 