Author: Martin

Here are the next 10 of the horses that caught my eye during the 2009 turf season.

50 – Nanton. For number 50 in my list I have plumped for the remarkably versatile Nanton. His best run of the 2008 season came when he was runner up in the Cambridgeshire over 9 furlongs. In 2009 he proved that he stays a good deal further and he was rewarded for some consistent efforts in various big handicaps when beating Manyriverstocross in the competitive Mallard Stakes at Doncaster, a handicap over 15 and a half furlongs. There were also a string of excellent performances in defeat. He was 2^nd in Redcar’s Zetland Gold Cup, 4^th in the Royal Hunt Cup, runner up in a Heritage Handicap at Haydock, 4^th in the Ebor and 3^rd in the Cambridgeshire. Best suited by a strong gallop he invariable comes with a sustained late run and is at his best in multi runner handicaps.

49 – King of Wands proved a successful horse to follow with 3 wins from 5 starts. Named after the tarot card that focuses on finance and business John Dunlop’s 3 year old certainly rewarded his followers with 3 wins from 5 starts. His opening mark of 76 looked potentially lenient especially as he looked the type to benefit from a step up in trip as a 3 year old. His wins came in handicaps at Folkestone, Salisbury and Sandown. At Salisbury he beat the subsequent Ebor winner Darley Sun giving that rival weight. He also ran second to Penang Princess at Sandown.

48 – Glass Harmonium won a maiden at Yarmouth on his second start as a juvenile and was predicted to be one of Sir Michael Stoute’s better 3 year olds. In the event he probably didn’t quite live up to expectations finishing out of the frame in both the Craven Stakes and the Dante. He earned his place in this list though with a couple of creditable performances. His one win of the year came in the Hampton Court Stakes, a listed race at Ascot where he came in at 8/1. Arguably he put in an even better effort when runner up beaten a head in a Group 3 at Newmarket in mid October.

47 – Invisible Man, owned by John Gosden and running in the colours of Princess Haya of Jordan was a progressive 3 year old handicapper. He won 3 times all over a mile, a maiden at Newmarket, a handicap at the same track and a handicap at Pontefract. He was ridden by Robert Havlin each time.

46 – Spring of Fame was bought by Godolphin from former trainer Mikael Magnusson but failed to live up to expectations falling short of top class lacking a turn of foot. Dropped a little in class though he stayed on well to beat Cloudy Start in a class 2 conditions event at Newmarket. He also won a listed contest at Deauville.

45 – Bab Al Salam confirmed the promise shown when winning his only start at two when winning 4 handicaps during the season. He won at Sandown over a mile off 81 and then over a mile and a quarter off 86 at Lingfield. He then defied a 5 lbs raise in the weights to complete the hat trick at Bath. He lost his unbeaten record when a disappointing 3^rd at Newmarket but bounced back to form on his final outing with a fluent success at Kempton over 10 furlongs.

44 – Stoic – Jeremy Noseda’s colt Stoic missed the early part of the season with splint problems but after an encouraging return to action at Windsor won off a mark of 84 on his handicap debut at Sandown ridden by Tom Queally. He followed up with a win at HQ under Shane Kelly and made it 3 from 4 when dead heating with Penitent in a competitive mile handicap at Kempton. He looks an interesting prospect for mile handicaps next season.

43 – Saga De Tercey made his racecourse debut in a bumper at Huntingdon winning easily under the highly promising Rhys Flint. The sort of horse that trainer Alan Swinbank does so well with the 4 year old by Sagacity duly won his maiden on the flat when odds on at Musselburgh. A second at Carlisle in a ladies race was then followed by another success, this time at Catterick when he got back up having been headed inside the final furlong. Neil Callan was on board on this occasion in a 14 furlong handicap. A highly creditable second in a handicap at York was followed by another win this time at Thirsk where he was given a fine ride by Neil Callan and stayed on too strongly for his rivals. A disappointing 8^th of 10 in the Cesarewitch trial at Newmarket on his final start he nonetheless deserves his place on the list with 3 wins and 2 seconds. –

42 – Roman Republic was a typical Mark Johnston 3 year old, tough and consistent. He was highly rated as a 2 year old being sent off a hot favourite on his racecourse bow. Although he ran poorly that day he made amends on his next run and in 2009 he won decent handicaps at Doncaster and Goodwood at the rewarding odds of 6/1 and 9/2. His final 2 starts of the season, both in Heritage handicaps saw the Cape Cross colt at his best. The form of his second to Firebet at Newmarket was boosted when the winner went on finish 2^nd in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes. Roman Republic then landed the Summer Vase Handicap at Goodwood in gritty fashion, a race his trainer has an enviable record in.

41 – Your Old Pal seemed to surprise his own connection when winning his only run as a 2 year old on heavy ground at Newbury where he won by 6 lengths. In 2009 he won a 7 runner listed race at Newmarket by a head from Palavicini and was then a good 4 length 2^nd to Father Time in the King Edward the Vll Stakes at Royal Ascot. He ran 4 times in all during the season and with his win coming at 13/2 he was a profitable horse to follow.

Picture by courtesy of the artist Karen Davis.

At number 60 on my list is the sprinter Hitchens. Good enouh to finish second in the Goffs Million at the Curragh as a juvenile this 4 year old son of Acclamation rediscovered his form after a move to the stable of David Barron. He started the season with a win in a 4 runner conditions event at Thirsk beating Knot in Wood then followed a run of 7 defeats. A drop in the ratings from 110 to 95 put him on an interesting mark come the autumn and he duly landed the Manchester Evening News handicap at Haydock in September by a short head at 7/1. Perhaps my write up the night before could have been a little more confident – “Hitchens continues to creep back down the weights and has an each way squeak in the 3.00” but I will still claim a winning tip!

Hitchens ended the season with 2 wins from 10 starts. The horse at number 59 was more consistent finishing the season with form figures of 22211. Blue Nymph had gone into my notebook having made late headway into 5^th place in a Nottingham maiden, his only run as a two year old. After having to settle for the runners up slot he was not winning out of turn when landing the odds in a 12 furlong Kempton maiden in September. He followed up with a win in handicap company, again on the all weather but this time on the “other” surface at Southwell and over 2 furlongs further.

I was reading an article by Ian Carnaby the other day about horses with cleverly thought out names. He cites Gary Moore’s Wait for the Will, who is by Seeking the Gold out of You’d Be Surprised as one of his favourites. I rather like Cloudy Start who is by an Alleged mare called Set Fair and lived up to his name by taking a couple of runs last season before reaching the winner’s enclosure. In the end he proved a very profitable horse to follow though as he won twice at the rewarding odds of 5/1 and 10/1. The first win came in a handicap at Epsom where he was ridden by Tom Queally who had such a good season and he followed up in a decent conditions event at my lucky track, Kempton Park. He failed to add to his winning tally in 3 subsequent efforts but anyone following him would have ended the season very much on the right side.

Cloudy Start is number 58 and at 57 I have chosen Nehaam. John Gosden’s colt gave me an early season winner when accounting for Monitor Closely in the valuable Tattersalls’ Timefrom 3 year old Trophy at 8/1. After a couple of disappointing runs he returned to Newmarket at the end of the season to finish runner up in both the Noel Murless Stakes and the Group 3 Jockey Club Cup.

Shamali went into a few notebooks when winning at Wolverhampton in November ’08. He only ran 4 times during the turf season but continued to progress winning his last two starts, both in Ascot handicaps.

Ruth Car took over the trainer’s license from her grandfather David Chapman a couple of years ago and has enjoyed a successful start to her training career. She did particularly well with the likes of Ninth House and Raccoon but my favourite from the yard was Moheeb (pictured below with trainer and jockey)  who landed handicaps at Haydock, Thirsk and Ripon. With the wins coming at 13/2, 6/1 and 7/1 he proved a very profitable horse to follow.

Shamali is number 56 and Moheeb is 55. For the number 54 slot I have chosen Apple Charlotte, a horse that featured in my 2008 article on unraced 2 year olds, a year in which she won her only start. The Royal Applause filly won her first two races as a 3 year old, the second a listed race at Newbury and she returned to the Berkshire venue only losing out to Splashdown by a short head. She was only out of the first 3 once when contesting the American Oaks at Hollywood Park.

Trainer Willie Haggas enjoyed another successful campaign in 2009 and his fast ground performer Musaalem is number 53 on my roll of honour. The sort of horse that you need to catch on a going day he is always likely to pop up at decent odds. He was an easy winner of a 7 furlong handicap at Doncaster in July, a track that seems to suit him but disappointed in his next race when last of 15. He finished his campaign well though. After a promising 4^th in a strong Doncaster handicap he won the listed Guisborough Stakes over 7 furlongs at Redcar at 14/1 on his favoured fast ground.

Judge ‘n Jury was one of the most improved handicappers in training in 2008 and I was hopeful that he would pay to follow again in 2009. In the event he proved not quite up to listed or Group 3 level although he ran 2^nd to Reverence in a Group 3 at the Curragh in soggy conditions. He did pay his way though as he landed a heritage handicap at Ascot at 14/1 when the handicapper dropped him a few pounds. He is number 52.

At 51 I have chosen another sprinter in Amour Propre, trained by Henry Candy. A winner of his last 3 starts as a juvenile, including the Cornwallis Stakes he got his 3 year old career off to a flying start when winning the Palace House Stakes, a Group 3, at Newmarket. He drew clear of his field staying on strongly despite drifting in the market to 7/1. He was found to have ripped a front shoe off when below form in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on his next run but he travelled well for a long way when 5^th to Borderlescott in the Nunthorpe on his third and final start of the season when he reportedly returned with bruised feet.

Photo courtesy of Ruth Carr Racing.