Month: November 2008

 

Backbord was a winner for us today while Buffalo Bob, recommended each way, was 2^nd at 10/1 so an OK day overall.

There is quite a tricky little handicap hurdle up at Hexham tomorrow. Companero won 3 times over hurdles last season and got off the mark over fences recently at Carlisle. He is back over hurdles tomorrow. He should relish the ground which just can’t be soft enough for him.

Huka Lodge is another mudlark but he does seem high enough in the weights. Tighten Your Belt had some decent form when trained by Venetia Williams but has never won much beyond 2 miles. Two of his wins have come at Towcester though which is a very stiff track. The main threat to Companero may come from the mare Scarvagh Diamond. She is as game as they come and excels in heavy ground. Companero is the selection with Scarvagh Diamond the danger.

My selection in the 1.50 is Warwick is Joker’s Legacy, trained by Victor Dartnall. He won twice in bumpers last season and was only beaten a whisker in a 3^rd. He handles soft ground and looks a good prospect.

Chapoturgeon will no doubt be all the rage in the 2.20. He did fall last time though and it might be worth taking him on with Songe. He has some fair hurdles form last season, made an encouraging start over fences when 3^rd to Free World, and has AP McCoy in the saddle.

 

It was a fair day for horses from my list to follow on Sunday.

Tatenen confirmed his place at the head of the market for the Arkle with an impressive performance in the opener at Cheltenham. He stays 2 miles well and jumped with accuracy bar one fence which he got slightly wrong.

Aigle D’Or ran a cracker in the Greatwood Hurdle as he was giving lumps of weight to the winner, and the Alan King Pair of King’s Revenge and Squadron ran well in 3^rd and 4^th. This looks solid form.

Punchestowns absolutely dotted up for Barry Geraghty and he looks some prospect for chasing later. Mick Fitzpatrick is clearly very keen on him as well from his comments on TV.

Another horse with any amount of scope is Diamond Harry. Despite still showing signs of greenness he ran on strongly after the last to beat Howard Johnson’s Door Boy, who improved significantly from his win at Kelso last time. The pair look smart novices.

I was pleased to see Imperial Commander win the big race on Saturday as he is a horse that I have followed more or less since the start of his career. He really likes Cheltenham and there are more races to be won with him.

Over in Ireland Hardy Eustace was surely value at 14/1. The horse to take out of the race though is Sizing Europe who didn’t have the race run to suit. Jered is better on a sound surface.

At Cork on Sunday Robin Du Bois was the one that got away. I should have tipped him but allowed the “experts” to put me off!

At Fakenham tomorrow Laterly could be interesting in the 2.00. He is a three times winner on the flat including twice at 12 furlongs.

Another ex flat horse that I like is Backbord, trained by Lucy Wadham. In fact this horse won in listed company in Italy on the flat. He has not been very consistent over hurdles but when things go his way he is capable of winning.

Buffalo Bob has an each way chance in the 1.10 at Folkestone while if the heavens were to open I would fancy Chopneyev in the 2.40. He has won 7 times in his career, 4 on heavy ground and 3 on soft.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Sally Martin.

See you tomorrow.

 

At Leicester tomorrow I fancy Kalahari King for the 2.20. He won at Kelso and as horses from his stable normally improve for their first run. Trip and ground should suit.

Pterodactyl (thank heaven for the spell check) should go well in the 3.50 where The Hollinwell, a stable companion of Kalahari King would be an alternative at a bigger price.  Another to note for the future in this race is Circus of Dreams.  He is a half brother to Super Road Train and may want further in time.  He has run well in 3 bumpers.

 

 

Finding winners proved tricky this afternoon but there were a few mentioned in last night’s preview, including the big race winner Imperial Commander.

Tomorrow’s card looks the strongest of the 3 day Cheltenham meeting with the Greatwood Hurdle the highlight at 2.20 which seems a good place to start this evening.

The race has been won by some top class performers in recent years including Rooster Booster (pictured below) in 2002.

There are plenty with chances but I am going to put forward a short list of 7. Blue Bajan was a classy type on the flat and once ran Maraahel to a head at Chester. He won the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock in May and was an eyecatching 3^rd on his latest start behind Sentry Duty at Ascot. He hurdles well, has a good turn of foot and gets on very well with his jockey Graham Lee whose record aboard him reads 1113. The problem could be the ground as Blue Bajan is a real good ground horse and if the going is testing it will suit others better.

Much was expected of the ex South African flat horse Rippling Ring but he was most disappointing on his reappearance at Aintree last month. It seems he may have had a bit of a bug that day but I see that he wears blinkers for the first time tomorrow which just puts me off him.

Alan King has 2 runners who both come into the race in good form. Squadron ran 2^nd to the highly rated Crack Away Jack and then caused something of an upset when he won at Aintree. He is probably below top class but if this turns into a test of stamina he could be one to prosper. King’s Revenge was 2^nd behind Sentry Duty (Blue Bajan was 3^rd) at Ascot. Blue Bajan and King’s Revenge are closely matched on that form which makes the Alan King runner decent value as he is twice the odds of Blue Bajan at the moment. David Pipe is also double handed with Ashkazar and Mamlook. Very talented on the flat Ashkazar won Sandown’s Imperial Cup last season and just failed to collect at Cheltenham in the Fred Winter when beaten by Crack Away Jack. He has a good chance if reproducing that sort of form as does his stable companion Mamlook who has plenty of stamina as he showed when finishing 3^rd in the Cesarawitch. Aigle D’Or has winning form at Cheltenham, although he disappointed at The Festival. This is a very difficult one to call. I like the David Pipe pair but the stable has not really got going yet so I will give my selection to Aigle D’Or, a listed winner on the flat, from the in form Henderson yard.

Paul Nicholls had a miserable time of it today but can hit back with Tatenen in the Cheltenham 1.10. I am not sure that Straw Bear will be quite as good over fences as he was over hurdles and I’m So Lucky and Crescent Island could pose more of a threat to Tatenen.

I am going to put 4 horses forward for your consideration in the 2.55. No Panic put in a solid run when 3^rd to Hell’s Bay at Chepstow. My worry would be the ground as he seems best on a sound surface. Nicky Henderson saddles the top weight Punchestowns who won 2 of his 3 starts last season and has scope for improvement. Qlinton, a winner on the flat in France won over hurdles in heavy ground at Plumpton last season and was then only beaten a head by Ouzbeck. Balydub is an ex Irish points winner who won on his only start over hurdles for Hobbs at Newbury in soft ground. Given quite testing ground I would narrow this down to Qlinton and Ballydub.

The unbeaten Diamond Harry has shaped like a very good horse so far and he will be hard to beat in the 3.30. Howard Johnson’s Door Boy won at Kelso in a race where the 21nd and 3^rd have both won since and he could provide the biggest threat.

Lindeman, a relation of Denman’s is my fancy for the closing bumper at 4.00.

Otage de Brion could be very good over fences and I make him my best bet at Fontewell. He runs in the 12.55.

The big race in Ireland is the Grade 1 hurdle which is the Punchestown 2.15. The enigmatic Harchibald (pictured below) and former Champion Hurdler Hardy Eustace line up here but may have to give way to the younger pair Jered and Sizing Europe. With the benefit of a recent run my selection goes to Jered.

The pictures today are courtesy of the artist Lisa Miller. For more examples of her work see links.

Notebook – Next time out *** New feature ***

I am currently waiting for the following horses to reappear as all impressed me on their last run; Crack Away Jack, Lordsbridge, , Door Boy, Kicks for Free, Pettifour, Blue Bajan, Island Flyer, The Polomoche, Tartak and Snap Tie.

Winners so far – Merrydown (6/4)

Pakineo Des Pictons has been removed from the list.

Diary

The stables of messrs Nicholls, King and Henderson remain in fine fettle and are dominating the jumps racing at the moment. Nicky Henderson trained the winner of the conditional jockey’s handicap hurdle today with Andytown. The horse was always travelling well and won as he pleased eased down by Felix de Giles.

The same trio of trainers look likely to play a major role in the racing tomorrow. In the 12.50 at Cheltenham Paul Nicholls is represented by R De Rien Sivola who made an encouraging start to his UK career when running out a comfortable eight length winner at Chepstow last month. He steps up in class tomorrow but can’t be discounted. My idea of the main danger is Alan King’s Saticon, a winner on the flat in France who got off the mark over hurdles at the first time of asking at Kempton.

Paul Nicholls and Alan King are again in opposition in the 1.25, with Big Fella Thanks and West End Rocker. These two are closely matched on their run behind Wichita Lineman at Chepstow and it may well come down to which one puts in the better round of jumping. Both like soft conditions but I would make a guess that Big Fella Thanks may be better suited by a real test of stamina which we may get tomorrow and he gets the selection. My selection in the 2.00 is Halcon Generlardais (pictured below)

He has been such a reliable sort over the years. Since coming to this country he has only fallen once and only finished out of the first 4 once, and that was when he was 5^th in the Scottish National. Beat the Boys could be a danger. He won 4 of his 7 starts over fences last season, is a gutsy sort and stays well. At a bigger price Flintoff has an each way chance. He ran well in the Scottish and Irish Nationals last season and also in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock. Lastly, Paul Nicholls can never be ignored and his Opera Mundi must be respected as he goes particularly well fresh and enjoys soft ground.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup at 2.35 looks a very open race. Silverburn has been laid out for this valuable prize by Paul Nicholls, has been my long term fancy, and will surely get in the frame at least. He jumps very well and may have benefitted from a wind operation that he had over the summer. Whether 7/2 represents value odds is another matter altogether and you may take the view that Silverburn is a false price because of the “Nicholls factor.”

In search of better value let’s have a look at some of the other contenders. I would love to see old Mister McGoldrick prevail. He is a course and distance winner and ran really well at Aintree on his last outing but no horse over 9 has won the race in the last 16 years so the stats are against him, and also against the 10 year old Ashley Brook.

Turko has plenty to do at the weights, Ouzbeck may not get the good ground he probably needs and Don’t Push It has something to prove after disappointing last season. Three Mirrors has a poor record first time out and is best on a decent surface. Another that would not want the ground too testing is recent Ascot 2^nd Stan. This one has winning form at Cheltenham and in big fields, the stable are firing and he is no forlorn hope. Maljimar is a course winner and has a good record fresh so is another that could run well at a decent price. My two each way alternatives to Silverburn though are Imperial Commander and Bible Lord. The former won twice over course and distance last season, has an excellent record first time out and seems to act on most ground. Bible Lord looks a well handicapped horse and if putting in an error free round of jumping should go close.

In the 3.10 Pride of Dulcote ticks all the right boxes and may well give Paul Nicholls yet another winner. If you want to back him don’t let me put you off but once again I am worried about the value. My short list of others to consider consists of Sullumo, The Sliotar and Diablo. Diablo was beaten at Chepstow last time out but that was over 2.5 miles and I am hoping that this return to a longer trip will enable him to recapture the sort of form that saw him win his previous race, which was at Cheltenham. Sullumo lost nothing in defeat when 2^nd at Chepstow on November 5^th, he is lightly raced and acts on soft ground. The Sliotar is an out and out stayer and will be going novice chasing I would imagine sooner rather than later. It is interesting that his canny trainer runs him over hurdles here.

The 3.45 looks a tricky. Keki Buku comes into the race on the back of a decent win at Wincanton and before that he was runner up to the useful Diamond Harry at Uttoxeter. The Paul Nicholls runner Hivikos could also be interesting. He should have learned plenty from his 3^rd at Chepstow. Tony Martin has sent over Salute Him for this race. The 5 year old has not run since August when he travelled well for a long way when 11^th in the Ebor that was re-routed to Newbury. He seems best on good ground but any market support for this Irish raider would be interesting.

Cape Tribulation is my tip for the 12.30 at Uttoxeter. Trained by Malcolm Jefferson Cape Tribulation has impressed in bumpers and on the flat and could be an exciting hurdler.

I have a personal interest in the 3.20 at Uttoxeter as Paquet Cadeaux makes his first appearance in the black and white colours of the Elite Racing Club. A winner over fences in France he couldn’t be in better hands as he is trained by Alan King. I am hopeful of a big run but a little fearful of the tough, consistent mare Overbranch. Fingers crossed!

Sue Smith saddles two in the Wetherby 2.55, Daldini and Super Road Train. Daldini has dropped down the weights which might enable him to get competitive. Super Road Train stays well and there are worse outsiders.

Mr Crystal has had a good season on the flat and returns to hurdles in the 3.25 where he has an each way chance.

My best offering at Punchestown in Trafford Lad in the 1.50.

My thanks to Kate Tann for her excellent photo of Halcon Generlardais.

Next update tomorrow evening.

Paul Nicholls continues to dominate the jumps scene and looks set to enjoy further success at the Cheltenham Open meeting. The stable won the 1.50 last season with I’msingingtheblues and this term are represented by the grey American Trilogy who made such a good impression when winning at Aintree. David Pipe opposes with the much more experiences Leo’s Lucky Star, a winner of 4 races over hurdles, while Alan King runs the mare Over Sixty, who trounced a previous winner at Southwell last month. With Paul Nicholls in such great form American Trilogy is the selection.

The Enda Bolger pair of L’Ami and Garde Champetre are hard to oppose in the cross country chase at 3.00. The trainer specializes in these unique races and his Spot the Difference, now retired, won the last 4 renewals. L’Ami has loads of impressive form over fences. He was 2^nd in a Hennessey and gave Kauto Star a fright in an AON Chase. He jumps well, stays, has a touch of class and comes here on the back of a point to point success. Add to all that the fact that JT McNamara, his jockey, rode Spot the Difference for his wins and L’Ami clearly ticks an awful lot of boxes. Garde Champetre won this event at the Cheltenham Festival and looked to take a real liking for these obstacles. He is another win a touch of class as he once won over hurdles at Aintree taking the notable scalps of Monet’s Garden and Inglis Drever. Of the rest Hoo La Baloo and Puntal make the most appeal as likely to be in the first 5 or 6.

The two I like in the conditional jockey’s handicap hurdles at 3.35 are Andytown and Lordsbridge. Lordsbridge caught my eye when making late headway into 4th place over course and distance on his last start while Andytown looks to be on a favourable handicap mark.

Razor Royale was travelling nicely upsides the eventual winner when falling two out on his last run. He is worth another chance in the 4.05.

I have solid Silver in my notebook as a horse likely to come good at some stage this season. He is a half brother to a couple of useful hurdlers. He runs tomorrow in the 12.30at Newcastle but I am not going to tip him as I have a feeling he will need more of a test of stamina.

The 1.00 looks to be between Kealshore Boy, Lease Lend and Raysrock. When trained by George Moore Kealshore Boy won bumpers at Kelso and Newcastle before finishing 2^nd in a bumper at Aintree in a race where Lease End was 3^rd. He was then purchase by Howard Johnson to run in the colours of Graham and Andrea Wylie. After falling on his hurdles debut at Carlisle he had a few problems although he did win once over hurdles, in January at Newcastle. His visits to Tyneside have been productive so far and there is every chance that he will take to fences. With the added bonus of AP McCoy in the saddle he must be on any short list. Raysrock and Lease End finished 3^rd and 4^th respectively in a novice chase at Carlisle last month and lease End has run since, running a creditable second at Wetherby. It is difficult to split Raysrock and Lease End but if pushed for a selection I would narrowly favour Raysrock.

In the 1.30 River Shankhill, a leading mare in Irish point to points, will be a warm order , while in the 3.10 Orang Outan looks on a reasonable mark.

Today’s picture is by courtesy of the artist Margaret Barrett.

Bye for now

Well it was a much better day on the tipping front thanks to Duc de Regniere, Grizeback, Nunephar Collonges and Shalone. Nunephar Collonges jumped well I thought and stayed on strongly to suggest there is a decent staying chase within his grasp at some stage of the season. Grizbeck showed a determined effort to win his race and looks a decent recruit from the flat.

Andrew Balding’s lightly raced, but very talented Briareus got the better of I’msingingtheblues at Kempton where Penzance did well in third.

At Ludlow tomorrow I like the look of dual bumper winner Front of House in the 1.00. From the in form Nicky Henderson yard he will be ridden by AP McCoy.

In the 3.30 Midnight Haze might be worth a small each way interest. A former point to point winner in Wales he won a bumper at Worcester in June and makes his hurdles debut tomorrow.

At Taunton I am interested in Sangfroid in the 3.10. He was the outsider of the 5 runners when 2^nd at Wincanton at the end of last season in a race won by Font. He only won a little race at Catterick on the flat but he may well prove a better proposition over hurdles.

The main interest at Clonmel will be the return to action of the Grand National 3^rd Snowy Morning in the 2.25. I was going to tip Oscar Rebel in the 2.55 but I am not sure she will handle the heavy ground.

You might like to check out this web site.

http://www.racecaller.com

It is all free to use and there is €15k cash prize to be won in the Racecaller.com tipster game by end this year, prizes for top 10 finishers with first place taking €5k.
To be in with chance of winning you need to have placed 40 tips by end of the year which means you need to start placing a daily tip by this weekend (Nov 15) – thereby making sure someone doesn’t come in with a 100/1 on last day.

Bye for now.

 

Just a couple of runners that I didn’t mention last night but might be worth a second look, both at Kempton.

In the 2.15 Matuhi is not without a chance.  He dead heated with a nice horse of Philip Hobbs’ called Prince Taime last season.  As Matuhi comes from an unfashionable yard he may start at a reasonable price.  He is a tough sort and although this is a difficult contest he has an each way chance off what looks a reasonable handicap mark.

Van Galen had winning from in Irish point to points and also put up some fair efforts over hurdles last season when trained by Nicky Henderson.  He is with Kim Bailey now and makes his chase debut in handicap company in the 3.20.

Well there was not much to be said for my selections last night with some pretty disappointing performances. Oh well, as someone once famously said tomorrow is another day!

I will start tonight’s preview with a look at the Bangor 2.00, a handicap chase over an extended 3 miles which will be a test of stamina in heavy ground. The pair at the top of the weights, Nenuphar Collonges and Mr Strachan both stay well and are generally sound jumpers, albeit that the Alan King horse can be a little over cautious at his obstacles. He is 14 lbs well in on his chase mark compared to his hurdles rating and should go well. He has winning form on soft ground. Mr Strachan acts on heavy as well and these two would be my fancies for this race. Another to consider would be the grey Bob Bob Bobbin who won this race in 2006 and is not badly handicapped.

Alan King’s Black Jacari is likely to start favourite in the 2.35. He should win but on a cautionary note he has finished runner up on both his starts over hurdles so far and was favourite on both occasions.

In the 3.10 Grizebeck could be an interesting runner. He used to be trained by Roger Fisher but is now with Nicky Richards. Connections paid £75,000 to secure this 4 times winner on the flat and he has the right credentials to make a hurdler. On the flat he won the Pontefract Marathon over 2 miles 5 and a half furlongs so the 2 miles 1 over hurdles tomorrow may be a bit sharp for him. The ground should be really testing though so his stamina may well come into play. He does have winning form on the flat on soft ground.

Micheal Flips made a very favourable impression when winning on his hurdles debut at Stratford. This former Irish points winner reappears in the Kempton 12.20 tomorrow and he looks a horse to follow.

Recent Exeter winner Shalone runs for Alan King in the 1.05. He may have been a fortunate winner as his main rival fell at the last flight and in all probability Shalone would otherwise have had to settle for the runners up spot. He shoulders a penalty for that win and will need to improve to defy it, which of course he may well be able to do.

The 2.15 looks quite a competitive handicap hurdle. Middleton Dene had some good form last season but as a result is on a mark of 141. Connections have the option of fences but he is not over big so clearly they are seeing how competitive he will be off this mark over hurdles first. There might be a doubt about his ability to act of very testing ground. Ringaroses had something of a troubled passage before he was pulled up on his chasing debut at Ascot on the first of the month. He reverts to hurdles tomorrow. He was a progressive, if somewhat fragile hurdler and if none the worse for his last race he would come into the reckoning. I respect both these two but for my selection I am going for the course and distance winner Duc de Regniere. The stable are bang in form and won this race last season.

There is a small but quality field for the 2.50. I’msingingtheblues put in a slick round of jumping when winning on his debut over fences and if he can reproduce that sort of form will be hard to beat. The main danger may be Modicum, normally a sound jumper, who was an early faller on his last start at Ascot. Both I’singingtheblues and Modicum need decent ground.

Cruising River represents my list to follow in the 3.50. He may well be of interest later in the season but with the stable yet to really get going he is best watched for now.

My best offering at Fairyhouse is Smoking Aces in the 1.00. A bumper winner at Thurles he was 3^rd at Naas on his hurdles debut and that run should put him spot on.

Today’s pictures are courtesy of the artist Alison Wilson.

There are 3 jumps meetings scheduled for tomorrow although Lingfield is subject to an inspection.

Surprisingly Junior is still a maiden over hurdles despite finishing a close third in the Coral Cup last season. He was perhaps just a little disappointing when 5^th in the Persian War Hurdle at Chepstow on his seasonal reappearance and there is a slight question mark over him now. He stayed well on the flat so the extra distance tomorrow in the Exeter 1.40 should be OK for him. There might be a doubt about his ability to handle very testing ground as he won on good to firm on the flat. Any market support in this race for the David Pipe runner Another Display would be worth noting.

Oscar Gogo won a bumper at Kelso on his racecourse debut when trained by Howard Johnson and has shown bits of form over hurdles since without adding to his winning tally. He is with Liam Corcoran now and I am hopeful that this promising trainer will find a race for the 6 year old. As with Junior there might be a doubt about the suitability of very soft ground. He runs in the 2.10.

Nevada Royale won at Exeter over hurdles last season but had his problems after coming to Paul Nicholls with a big reputation from the point to point field. He has had a wind operation since his last run and may well start to fulfil his promise. It would be no big surprise if Nevada Royale turns out to be yet another Paul Nicholls world beater but if you want something to take him on in the 2.40 then Quickbeam might be worth a look. Trained by Venetia Williams, Quickbeam won 3 times over hurdles last season and the trip and ground should not present a problem.

In the 3.40 I fancy Sir Winston to step up on his moderate hurdles form now he tackles fences. He is certainly bred for the job being by Supreme Leader out of a Strong Gale mare.

Dancingwithbubbles looks nailed on to thrive in mares only novice hurdles. She won twice in bumpers last season and was then just caught on the line in a listed bumper at Sandown where she was shouldering a double penalty. She is my selection for the 4.10 where she makes her hurdles debut. Next best could be Liam Corcoran’s Romance Dance who was runner up to Dancingwithbubbles in a bumper at Folkestone.

In the opener at Sedgefield (12.50) I fancy Son of Flicka who chased home a decent horse of Howard Johnsons at Kelso last time, while the 3.50 could go to the highly rated Vivona Hill.

My selections at Lingfield are Mewstone (1.00), The Pious Prince (1.30) and Fidelis (each way in the 4.00).

Good luck