Month: November 2009

The big race of the day tomorrow is at Exeter where nine runners line up for the Haldon Gold Cup at 3.00. Paul Nicholls is double handed with Twist Magic and I’msingingtheblues. In the last 10 years 4 horses have carried 11 stone 10 to victory but I am not convinced that Twist Magic is quite in the same class as those previous winners. He is also less reliable and has fallen twice in his last 4 starts. I’singingtheblues won three times last season but may be better on a flat track and would not want the ground to turn too soft.

Ashley Brook won the race last year beating Mahogany Blaze. There does not seem to be any particular reason why the runner up should reverse the form. Ashley Brook hasn’t done much to recommend him since his won last season and at the age of 11 is not going to be getting any better. Cornas fell on his last outing and may be best watched. My two against the field would be Planet of Sound and Oh Crick. The former has never been out of the first 4 in 14 starts. When 3^rd at Cheltenham in March he had Cornus and I’singingtheblues behind him. Oh Crick won at both the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals last season and displays a good attitude in his races. There may be a little improvement in him and he is marginally preferred to the Hobbs runner.

In the 2.00 Red Harbour and Qroktou seem to be the ones to concentrate. Qroktou ran well in bumpers last season and in the absence of Ruby Walsh on the Nicholls runner I will burden him with my selection.

Paul Nicholls should have a winner in the 2.30 courtesy of Royal Charm. Runner up in a listed hurdle in France he was also second in his only start in the UK at Sandown. Highly rated by connections he will be expected to oblige.

Jonjo O’Neill runs Forty Five in the 3.30. The 7 year old is making his chase debut which is interesting as, despite a rise in the weights following 3 wins over hurdles last season he still looked quite well handicapped over the smaller obstacles. In the 4.00 I am hoping that Borero will give us a run for our money.

On the flat at Catterick Dandy Nicholls saddles Northern Bolt in the 2.40. Although the horse is on a 16 run losing sequence the stable have won the race twice in the last 5 years and you have to respect the Nicholls team in this sort of race. With Godolphin in such a rich vein of form Bab Al Salam might be able to regain winning thread in the 3.50.

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

The feature handicap chase at Carlisle this afternoon turned into a stamina test and Silver By Nature, relishing the conditions was a comfortable winner. It will be interesting to follow his progress although no doubt the handicapper will have his say after such an emphatic win. Some of the horses behind should benefit from the run and the likes of Mr Strachan, Merigo, Rate of Knots and Jass should figure prominently around the northern circuit as the season unfolds. Tot ‘o Whisky continues to look out of sorts however. Over in France Border Patrol ran a sound race to finish runner up in the Group 3 Prix Perth at Saint-cloud.

There are 3 meetings tomorrow and I will try to find a winner at each. Bouggler is potentially a pattern class hurdler and put in an excellent performance at the end of last season to beat Copper Bleu at Aintree. He looks the one to beat in the 2.30 at Kempton.

Gary Moore does well with his dual purpose horses. He runs Coin of the Realm, a winner at Epsom on the flat, in the Plumpton 1.10. He should be up to winning this before moving on to handicap company.

My selection at Wolverhampton is the lightly raced Kazbow in the 3.50 with William Buick riding for Luca Cumani. In only his second run in handicap company he has scope for improvement and can go one better than his effort when runner up over course and distance last month.

Today’s picture is by courtesy of the artist Katy Sodeau.