Cruising River went on my list to follow as I hoped that first season trainer Jamie Snowden might get a tune out of him.
That has not happened so far, in fact the stable are yet to hit any sort of form. The horse is well handicapped though and has won at this time of year before. He runs in the Folkestone 3.20 tomorrow.
Selections for tomorrow.
No Panic (Fakenham 2.50)
Sprosser e.w (Fakenham 3.50)
Zaarito (Punchestown 2.25)
The valuable Pierse Hurdle takes centre-stage at Leopardstown today and is invariably an intriguing betting puzzle.
The two I fancy are the Tony Martin runners Psycho and Robin Du Bois the recent Cork winner.
Psycho was given an awful lot to do by Paul Carberry when 2nd in the County Hurdle last season and a repeat of that sort of form will see him go close here. He gets the selection just in front of his stable companion.
It looks like Ayr’s jumps meeting has a good chance of going ahead tomorrow. The Howard Johnson trained Companero will start favourite in the novices’ chase at 2.00 where his main rivals will be Quws Law and Great Approach who were first and second over course and distance in November. These are 3 potentially decent horses and are all on my list to follow. Quws Law has shown a liking for the track and his jumping and resolution mean that he is probably over priced at 8/1.
The lightly raced Money Order has been off the track for a long time but has gone well fresh before and is my selection in the 2.30. Middleton Dene has an each way chance in this at a big price.
In the 3.00 the progressive Gypsy George should find this easier than the Welsh National where he was pulled up and he can get back to winning ways. In this race it is worth noting that Chopneyev has a good record when racing in very testing conditions.
Open de L’Isle represents my list to follow in the 3.30 where he has an each way chance at odds of 14/1.
Over at Punchestown Zaarito looks the one they have to beat in the 2.25
The following runners from my list to follow are entered at Wetherby.
Overbranch (12.30); No Panic (1.00); Door Boy and The Old Pretender (1.35); Cadoudalas (3.10)
Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Jane Dunn (see links)
There seems some chance that racing may go ahead at Kelso tomorrow. There are two runners from my list to follow entered at the Borders track.
Cornerback runs in the 1.10 where Annie’s Answer looks the big danger. The well bred Cornerback is not without a chance and should come on for her run at Huntingdon. I am not sure that the odds of 11/4 in the RP look value though.
Knockara Beau represents my list in the 2.40. He has not yet been able to transfer his bumper form into performances over timber. I haven’t lost faith in him though and getting weight from Moscow Catch he may well be able to get off the mark over obstacles here.
Snow in the Suburbs
Every branch big with it,
Bent every twig with it;
Every fork like a white web-foot;
Every street and pavement mute:
Some flakes have lost their way, and grope back upward,
when Meeting those meandering down they turn and descend again.
The palings are glued together like a wall,
And there is no waft of wind with the fleecy fall.
A sparrow enters the tree,
Whereon immediately
A snow-lump thrice his own slight size
Descends on him and showers his head and eyes,
And overturns him, And near inurns him,
And lights on a nether twig, when its brush
Starts off a volley of other lodging lumps with a rush.
The steps are a blanched slope,
Up which, with feeble hope,
A black cat comes, wide-eyed and thin;
And we take him in.
Thomas Hardy
There are two runners from my list to follow in action at Plumpton tomorrow.
In the 12.55 Have You Seen Me is an interesting hurdling debutant having won a bumper at Stratford last season in good style.
Sangfroid runs in the 2.55. He has looked as though he might want a bit further than this 2 miles but he is not without a chance at around 12/1.
United came back from a lengthy lay off with a determined win in a handicap hurdle at Haydock before Christmas and now looks to follow up in the 1.00 at Sandown tomorrow. She has recorded most of her wins on soft or heavy ground which she is unlikely to encounter tomorrow but she won on good ground at Haydock and also won on a sound surface on the flat in Germany. Provided the bounce factor doesn’t affect her United should go well. Accordello was 5th behind United at Haydock beaten over 23 lengths. She is better off at the weights tomorrow but not enough to make up the difference on a literal interpretation of the form. Her trainer Keith Reveley had a nice winner with Rambling Minster the other day and Acordello should run well at a decent price. United looks the likely winner though.
Another trainer in good form is Venetia Williams. She saddles Stow in the 1.35. Formerly a fair handicapper on the flat for Hughie Morrison he won on his hurdles bow at Hereford and should not be too far away tomorrow.
There are two runners from my list to follow in the Tolworth Hurdle at 2.40, Mahonia and Somersby. Although Mahonia was beaten at Cheltenham on his last start it was Ruby Walshs’ firs t ride back after having his spleen removed and that may have been a factor. I fancy Mahonia to go well on a track that should suit and he is my selection. Henrietta Knight has her horses in better form now after a lean spell and her Somersby could be the main threat to Mahonia although he will not really be seen to best effect until tackling fences.
In the 3.50 Chivalry and Howle Hill could run well at big prices but for my selection I am going with the relatively unexposed Prince Taime.
At Wincanton in the 1.20 Sangfroid and Buffalo Bob represent my list to follow. Neither appeals as a betting proposition. Sangfroid looks to me as though he needs further, while Buffalo Bob comes into the race on the back of a disappointing run and is another that looks in need of a longer trip.
Maasini’s Maguire gave the impression that he didn’t quite get the trip when beaten by Breedsbreeze over Christmas. He goes over a shorter distance in the 1.55 and looks the one to be on.
My short list for the 2.55 consists of Fairoak Lad, Lead On and Money Order. The latter has only been beaten once in 5 starts and although he has been off the track for a long while he has gone well fresh in the past. He looks interesting at around 10/1 with the main concern being the form of the stable. It will be interesting to see if either of the Hobbs runners attracts support in the betting. I don’t think that the fact that Richard Jonson partners Fairoak Lad necessarily means that Lead On is the stable’s second string. Using a good conditional jockey would seem to make sense on the top weight Lead On.
The Old Pretender has plenty of ability and I would normally be keen on his chances in the 4.00. However the stable have endured a quiet time of late that that would put me off a bit. Wind Instrument did win for the yard the other day though so perhaps they are about to come into some form. The Old Pretender is likely to be best on soft ground.
Today’s picture is by kind permission of the artist Margaret Barrett.
Bye for now.
The last couple of day’s previews have yielded winners at 6/1, 7/1 and 11/4. If Folkestone passes an inspection tomorrow there will be 3 runners from my list to follow in action.
The best chance looks to be Bluegun who is due to make his chase debut in the 2.35. A former point to point winner over 3 miles he also won over hurdles at Uttoxeter last season and looks a promising recruit to the chasing ranks. His best form so far has been shown with plenty of give in the ground so that may be a slight concern.
The other two runners from my list are Midnight Haze (1.35) and Kingston Lane (2.05). Both have each way chances although the latter faces a worthy favourite in Aux Le Bahnn.
ahorse 