Month: August 2010

Hamloola ran well on her belated reappearance at Kempton and may have been caught out by her lack of a recent outing. She should be able to make amends in the 4.30 at Yarmouth.

At a bigger price Aquarian Spirit could go close in the 4.00.

 

Selections for Monday;

Carlisle 7.00 High Office

Kempton 5.20 Fareej

Windsor 6.15 Liberty Cap

Starting at Sandown tomorrow the listed race at 2.05 could go to the unbeaten Decorative representing the in form trainer and jockey combination of Michael Jarvis and Philip Robinson. Seta looks the main danger.

The Sunderlands Handicap at 3.05 is an open affair. Forte Dei Marmi won the Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar and that race has worked out quite well with the runner up Sweet Lightning winning at York this week. He is 6 lbs higher than when winning at Redcar but could still be competitive. Hanoverian Baron has two wins to his credit this season and is a course and distance winner. Changing the Guard was second at Goodwood last month and is another that could be involved in the finish.

At Chester Roker Park ticks most of the right boxes in the 2.20. He has come down to a winnable mark, he handles the ground, his stable is going well and he has a good draw.

Jedi has a good chance in the 2.50. He has run well on both his previous visits to Chester and he comes here in good form having finished runner up at Goodwood last month. At a much bigger price Precision Break is a tough sort and has come down to his last winning mark. He will handle the ground and has an each way chance. Red Cadeaux is another to consider but Jedi gets the selection with an each way saver on Precision Break.

The 3.25 looks another difficult handicap. Suruor ran well at the track earlier in the season when 3^rd to Autumn Blades. He is 3 lbs higher now but is well drawn and is one for the short list. Tamaathul represents Barry Hills who does well at Chester, is lightly raced and the drop back in trip here could well suit him. The other one I like is Side Glance who comes here in good form after a win at Ascot over 7 furlongs followed by a decent effort in 3^rd at the same track. If pushed for a selection I would go with Suruor but the other two are not out of it.

My selections for the last two races are Royal Trooper in the 5.40 and Green Manalishi in the 6.10.

At Ripon Medicinal Compound makes a belated seasonal reappearance in the 5.15. He ran three times last season winning the last of these runs over a mile at Redcar. He looks the sort to improve from 2 to 3.

Midday dug me out today on what was an otherwise unsuccessful afternoon on the Knavesmire.

There is a tricky old handicap to start things off at York tomorrow with the Melrose Stakes at 1.45. The grey Berling won his first two starts of the season but has been a beaten favourite on his last 3 starts. He wears blinkers for the first time tomorrow which may galvanise him into a better performance but he does not appeal as one to trust and I will look elsewhere for my selection. The lightly raced Desert Sage was outclassed in the Irish Oaks but had earlier won a maiden at Chepstow on fast ground. Comedy Act has won 3 times this season but is now 11 lbs higher than his highest winning mark. Green Lightning won well at Newmarket wearing first time headgear. He had shown signs of temperament and it remains to be seen if the blinkers will work a second time. This is clearly a tough handicap but I will side with Green Lightning partnered by Joe Fanning who has won on him twice from 3 rides.

I have been following Distant Memories this season and had hopes that eh would progress into a Group performer but he has been a bit disappointing recently and will in any event not have his favoured ground in the 2.15 tomorrow. I fancy another horse that I have been following, Rainbow Peak who won impressively at Royal Ascot.

I am not sure there is much value to be had in the Nunthorpe but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Equiano turn the tables on Starspangledbanner.

In the concluding race of the meeting I would look for some value among the higher priced horses. The Richard Fahey pair of Cosmic Sun and Lady Luachmar are interesting as is Hawk Mountain.

My only selections away from York are Skyrider in the 7.35 at Salisbury and Kenyan Cat in the Wolverhampton 8.50.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Jo Stockdale.

It all went so well for us at York on Tuesday but it was down to earth with a real bump on day 2 of the Ebor meeting.

Moving rapidly on to day 3 I have been impressed with Maqaasid’s two runs to date and I will stick with him in the Lowther Stakes at 2.15.

The 2.50 looks a difficult handicap and I do not have a strong view on it. Suruor has run a couple of decent races this season and although he is on a high enough mark he should be up there at the finish.

The Yorkshire Oaks at 3.25 looks a top class renewal. I think it will go to either Sariska or Midday with a very slight preference for the Henry Cecil runner.

Ceilidh House ran poorly in the Oaks where the track at Epsom may not have been to her liking. I will give her another chance in the 4.05.

Perfect Blossom goes for her sixth win on the bounce in the 4.40 and with the track at York likely to play to her strengths she may well extend that run.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Jo Stockdale.

 

“Went the Day well!” 6 selections and 4 winners today from last night’s preview including Sweet Lightning at 14/1 ending a lean spell for trainer Michael Dods. Byrony won at my lucky track at Kempton completing a hat trick of wins in nursery handicaps.

Turning to tomorrow’s action Satwa Moon was finishing strongly when 3^rd at Glorious Goodwood. That race was over 10 furlongs and she shaped as though the extra quarter mile that she faces in the York 1.45 tomorrow would suit. Satwa Moon is quite lightly raced, seems to handle any ground and should go well.

My choice for the 2.15 was going to be Ask but he is now a non runner. A number of the runners in this met at Sandown where King of Wands came out on top. I fancy him to confirm the form and register another win for his in form trainer John Gosden.

Temple Meads has done nothing wrong to date and on the basis that he has some further improvement in him I will burden him with my selection in the 2.50. Hopefully I will be able to say he finished like a train when I write tomorrow’s review!

As you would expect for such a valuable prize the Ebor will take some solving. Dangerous Midge was an impressive winner of the Old Newton Cup over 12 furlongs. He looks as though he will stay the extra distance required tomorrow although there are no guarantees. He has taken a sharp rise in the weights but should not be discounted. Godolphin are really flying at the moment. They are represented by Darley Sun, winner of the Ces last season. He has been running in Group company this term. We know he stays and 16/1 looks too big a price about him. Hillview Boy was 4^th in the Magnet Cup here last month and will be better over further. Ideally he likes a bit of cut in the ground. Bernie the Bolt came good at Ascot’s Shergar Cup meeting after a couple of unlucky runs. He looks a progressive sort but the drop back in trip might not play to his strengths. The Irish challenger Elyaadi has strong claims based on his second to Junior in the Ascot Stakes. That looks solid form and he looks the one they all have to beat, although I might chance an each way saver on Hillview Boy if the ground is not too firm.

Course and distance winner Face the Problem looks to have strong claims in the 4.05.

Away from York Cloud’s End looks a decent bet at Folkestone in the 6.00 while up at Hamilton I will put up a couple of outsiders, Veroon each way in the 3.40 and course specialist Casino Night in the 4.50.

By the way don’t miss the Channel 4 coverage tomorrow where hopefully they will feature more of the fascinating interview with trainer Sir Mark Prescott.

We are not too far off the start of the winter jumps season and I have been asked to recommend some guides on horses to follow. There are some good ones about. Both Timeform and Raceform produce horses to follow booklets. The Timeform version is always a good read with entertaining essays on the horses. Raceform tend to include some rather obvious ones but they also have some less exposed types from the smaller yards.

I think Mark Howard’s One Jump Ahead is a first rate guide and a must for any serious follower of the sport. He also publishes updates which are good value. Marten Julian has been writing his guides to the flat and jumps for many years and they are also well worth buying. You can purchase them from the Racing Post web site. One that you may not have come across is the Jumping Prospects book written by scouser John Morris. This is another guide that I can thoroughly recommend. Follow the link below for further information on this one. Anyway, if you buy all those it will give you something to reed during the long winter evenings!

http://www.jumpingprospects.co.uk/

That is about it for tonight but over the course of the next week or two I will be putting on my review of the 2009/10 jumps season as well as a few new features – watch this space"!

Finally, today’s pictures are courtesy of the artist Katy Sodeau.

Tomorrow sees the start of York’s 4 day Ebor meeting.

The sprint handicap that opens the York card at 1.45 is an open looking affair. Barney McGrew won the race last year off a mark of 100 – he is now on 108 which could prove a problem. Last year’s runner up Hamish McGonigall has been in good form this season and has a good record at York. He is another that has gone up in the weights but I wouldn’t rule him out. Damien hasn’t won since his racecourse debut over 2 years ago. Cheverton is well handicapped but will not want the ground too firm. Oldjoesaid is another that is well handicapped although it is some time since he showed his best form. Walvis Bay was a well backed winner at Ripon earlier this month and does not have too many miles on the clock. Judge ‘n Jury has dropped to a winnable mark, does well in big fields and wins at this time of year. If pushed for a selection I would go for Walvis Bay.

In the 2.50 Derby 3^rd Rewilding looks to have an outstanding chance for his in form stable.

Rip Van Winkle returned to form in the Sussex Stakes and is my selection in the 3.25 where he should be ideally suited by the trip.

In the 4.40 I am going for a couple of outsiders in Sweet Lightning and Markazzi.

At Kempton the progressive Byrony, a course and distance winner looks the one to be on in the nursery at 6.50.

 

If you watched The Morning Line on Saturday you will have noted that Richard Hoiles gave Mistoffelees as his charity bet and the 4 year old won at 4/1 for his inexperienced rider. The horse looks one to follow and it will be interesting to see how he gets on with a more experienced jockey on board.

The National Stud Stakes at Newmarket went to the previously frustrating Dafeef, well ridden by Ted Durcan. The placed horses Deacon Blues and Bated Breath lost nothing in defeat and all 3 are worth noting for the future.

Lucky Windmill was an emphatic winner of a maiden at Pontefract this afternoon for trainer Alan Swinbank. This horse ran twice last season over inadequate trips and I was waiting for his third run to see what his handicap mark would be. He won by rather a long way today and the handicapper is likely to be quite hard on him. He won over a mile today and there may well be further improvement to come, possibly if he is tried over further.

Selections for Monday.

Kempton 3.00 Wulfrida

4.00 Mass Rally

Windsor 5.40 Higgy’s Ragazzo

7.40 Official Style

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

The success in the Stewards’ Cup seems a long time ago now as we are suffering from something of a losing run.

Villefranche is a nice little bay in the South of France with a decent restaurant near the sea front that does wonderful salads. Michael Bell introduces the 2 year old Miss Villefranche tomorrow in the Doncaster 2.50. She comes from a winning family who all have names connected to the same area France. Miss Villefranche is out of the mare Miss Corniche who was a listed winner at 10 furlongs and her full sister Miss Eze won first time out as a juvenile, although that was on soft ground. Miss Villefranche is certainly an interesting runner.

In the 3.25 The Scorching Wind has dropped to a winnable mark if he can recapture his form. Mistoffelees won well at Yarmouth before disappointing at Ascot. He is worth another chance in the 5.45.

Dangerous Midge was a runaway winner of the Old Newton Cup at Haydock and may be able to take the step up in class in his stride in the Newbury 2.30. Fast ground does seem to suit him best however so we will need to take that into account.

Bated Breath should continue his winning sequence in the Newmarket 3.20 where Deacon Blues looks the danger.

The big race at Ripon is the 3.30. Noverre to Go has run well in a couple of big handicaps since his win at Newmarket in May. He comes into the equation but would probably not want the ground too soft. Johannes is a course and distance winner and taking into account the 3 lbs that his able rider can take off is on a mark where he could be competitive. Course specialist Tajneed must have a major chance for sprint king Dandy Nicholls while Wildcat Wizard and Tiddlywinks who were 3^rd and 4^th at Goodwood last month should both go well. Tajneed will take some beating here as he has everything in his favour even I suspect the draw. Looking for a spot of value though I will go for Tiddliwinks who ran well at Goodwood when not well drawn.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Jo Stockdale.

Selections for Friday

Kempton 8.50 Hypnotized

Newbury 3.10 Cool Strike

Newbury 3.45 Marlinka (ew)