Author: Martin

 

“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)

Another rather ordinary days racing tomorrow.

At Goodwood the 3 year olds Spoken and Botanist make most appeal in the 7.35. Spoken is going for a hat trick of wins. He is not surprisingly going up in the weights but may still be ahead of the handicapper. Botanist ran three times last season ending with a win at Leicester. He is lightly raced and is another potential improver. Spoken is the selection.

Botanist is trained by Sir Michael Stoute as is Warm Memories who runs in the 3.05 at Salisbury. Warm Memories is a half brother to Doctor Freemantle and although his form to date is moderate he may be capable of better.

Fair Trade is my each way selection in the 4.15 while in the 5.20 I fancy Lombok who was only beaten a short head at Brighton 6days ago.

Brian Meehan’s Field Day looks to have a solid chance in the 5.05 at Deauville.

My thanks to the artist Karen Davies for today’s picture.

The racing is fairly mundane stuff at the moment. There are plenty of meetings though if you simply must have a bet!

Fastnet Storm is the sort of handicapper that pops up occasionally at rewarding odds. He runs at Beverley in the 4.20 but on recent form he would be hard to fancy as he has only beaten 3 horses in his last 3 runs. He runs over 10 furlongs tomorrow which is probably his best trip.

Liberty Cap has an each way chance in the nursery at Salisbury (3.00) while in the 4.05 Ceilidh House returns to the track after a bit of a break. She was next to last in the Oaks where she may not have handled the track and is worth another chance.

Sir Mark Prescott has won the 8.20 at Sandown 3 times in the last 7 year s and his Tuscan Gold could well add to that tally tomorrow. He is my bet of the day.

 

Selections for Monday;

Southwell 4.00 Wulfrida

Southwell 4.30 Leviathan

Thirsk 8.30 Walvis Bay

Windsor 5.40 Tiberius Claudius

Our losing run continues although things could have been different. It is always a fine line between success and failure at this game and it was a case of what might have been with Lombok beaten a short head.

Tomorrow is Shergar Cup day at Ascot where the jockeys team up with horses that they do not usually ride. It is the sort of meeting where results can be unpredictable and my strategy is usually to look for longer priced horses. In the opener at 2.10 I will go for Captain Carey who has been running well this season with 3 wins under his belt already.

Fareej showed some signs of a return to form on his last start and at 16/1 looks value in the 2.45. Bernie the Bolt has run in the Chester Cup where he had a hopeless draw and the Northumberland Plate, where he was hampered. He looked a promising sort last season and is worth another chance in the 3.55. In the 5.05 the pair I like are Deacon Blues, who has looked a progressive sprinter this season and Star Rover who has gradually been coming back to his best and could be ready to strike.

Up at Haydock Comedy Act, a course and distance winner, goes for his fourth success this year and with Paul Hannigan in the plate looks to have a good chance in the 1.50.

Hannigan partners Our Joe Mac in the 2.20. This lightly raced 3 year old drops back to a mile after an unsuccessful effort at further. He is a little less exposed than some of his rivals and could go well.

Distant Memories has only been out of the first two twice in his 10 starts. He acts well on soft ground and looks to be in with a reasonable shout in the 2.50.

Poet’s Place was runner up to Jonny Mudball aat Newcastle a couple of runs ago and that form looks quite solid. He disappointed at Ascot last time over 7 furlongs but is back to 6 tomorrow in Haydock’s 4.35.

First time blinkers may do the trick for Putra One in the Newmarket 2.05 while in the 3.25 both Clinical and Musharakaat looks capable of further improvement.

In the 3.40 I will put forward a couple of outsiders in Mata Keranjang and Primeaval. The 4.55 looks a tricky heat. Top weight Wells Lyrical was runner up in the Northumberland Plate last season. It is worth noting that all his career wins have come on good going. I tipped Plymouth Rock when he won on his racecourse debut so he is something of a favourite of mine. He has not actually won since but is yet to finish out of the first 4. Bollin Felix is something of a mudlark and will need conditions in his favour while Act of Kalanisi come here on the back of a narrow defeat at Southwell and is another for the short list. Plymouth Rock looks the percentage call.

The well bred Cloud’s End is unexposed and her current handicap mark of 80 could underestimate her ability. She looks well treated in the 5.35.

At Redcar my only selection is last time out winner Escape Artist in the 5.20.

Today’s pictures are courtesy of the artist Jane Dunn.

 

Selections for Friday;

Brighton 5.30 Lombok

Haydock 8.00 Red Fama

6.30 Musselburgh Casela Park

Newmarket 6.45 Ebony Song

Newmarket 7.15 Harlestone Times