Category: Horse racing

Now that we have said goodbye to the flat season the jumpers can really take centre stage.  The new season steps up a gear tomorrow with the start of the Paddy Power meeting at jumping’s spiritual home at Cheltenham.

 

The first race is a 24 runner conditional jockey’s handicap hurdle at 12.45, so clearly not an easy start for the punters.  Tony Martin sends Top of the Charts across from Ireland and this one does look to have solid claims.  He has a touch of class having finished 2^nd in the Ascot Stakes on the flat, he has shown himself to be in good form with performances on the flat and over hurdles in recent months and he will like the ground.  The stable won the race last season.

 

Ballyfoy represents our list to follow in the 1.20. He beat Boychuk at level weights last season and is better off here.  He will handle the ground; he stays well and should give a good account.

 

The cross country race at 2.30 will not be to everyone’s liking but I find these races very watchable.  Spot the Difference attempts to win this for the 4^th year running at the age of 14. I hope he does but he is a bit on the short side as a betting proposition.   The Paul Nicholls pair Royal Auclair and Le Duc should d go on the short list.  Royal Auclair will handle the ground and has the benefit of a recent run. He was 5^th in the race last season.  Le Duc was 3^rd in the Festival cross country over course and distance and is another that will act on the ground.  Puntal is a quirky sort but loves firm ground and stays all day.  He won the Whitbread a few years back beating Royal Auclair by a short head and has completed the course in the last two Grand Nationals.  Freney’s Well is a lightly raced type and comes into this with strong credentials as he was 2^nd to Spot the Difference in the La Touche Cup at Punchestown.  He would be my selection with perhaps a saver on Le Duc.

 

I was impressed with the way Snap Tie won over course and distance last time out and he will do for me in the 3.05. Kirbybroguelantern, an easy winner at Limerick 4 days ago could be the danger.

 

Another recent course and distance winner that could go in again is Imperial Commander in the last race at 3.45.  For those of you who like that sort of trivia Imperial Commander started his career in a bumper at Cheltenham where he beat Snap Tie into 2^nd place.

 

Up at Newcastle in the 12.05 My Arch makes his hurdles debut for Martin Todhunter.  He was rated 87 on the flat and stayed 12 furlongs so could be an interesting recruit.

 

Be lucky

 

Continue reading “Diary: November 16 2007” →

Jumps racing comes from Ludlow and Taunton tomorrow.

 

Hitaaf makes his hurdles debut for David Pipe in the 3.30 and is likely to start a warm order.  He won a 12 furlong handicap at Saint Cloud and was also placed on a number of occasions on the flat in France.  He is bred to stay.

 

At Taunton Five Two comes over from Ireland for the seller at 1.40.  He has form on fast ground and looks a likely winner.

 

The 3 day Cheltenham meeting gets under way on Friday so I will be looking forward to that in these pages tomorrow.

 

Continue reading “Diary: November 15 2007” →

Reflecting on the last couple of day’s racing Twist Magic won very much as a 2/11 shot should.  Apart from getting in close 2 out he jumped quickly and accurately and looks set for a successful campaign.

 

I was interested in the novice chase at Carlisle on Monday as 4 runners from my list to follow took part.  Cedrus Libani won for the in form Howard Johnson yard and with the field quite strung out the form looks solid.  Modicum and Benetwood filled the minor placings and should go on to win races.

 

Evelith Echo won twice in bumpers last season for Alan King and makes his hurdles debut tomorrow in the 12.50 at Bangor-on-Dee. He seems to handle any ground and I would be hopeful of a good run.

 

Money Order represents our list to follow in the 1.20. He makes his chase debut after being unbeaten in 3 starts in a bumper and over hurdles.  All his wins have come on soft ground so the question here may be the going.  He looks like a horse with plenty of stamina.

 

Bible Lord goes for the hat trick in the handicap chase at 2.20.  He steps up in trip which should suit him.  The main danger may come from the giant Bannow Strand who has been something of an under achiever since coming from Ireland with a reputation to match his huge frame.  He has plenty of talent though if he can get it right on the day.

 

The 3.50 is interesting in that David Pipe brings back Noble Sham and Time Bandit who return to the track after 782 and 876 days respectively.  Either would be very interesting if there is market support.

 

Continue reading “Diary: November 14 2007” →

I am pushed for time tonight so this will be a short update.

 

There are two runners from our list to follow in action tomorrow. Abstinence goes in the Sedgefield bumper at 3.50. He looked good when winning at Wetherby last season but made a right mess of things on his reappearance at Hexham.  He was an odds on favourite but bolted before the start and then raced too keenly.  One to watch I suppose.

 

Twist Magic is a horse that has always been well regarded by connections. He is being aimed at the Champion Chase in March but should be able to make a winning start in the Kempton 2.55.

 

Continue reading “Diary: November 13 2007” →

Well, now that the drama of the flat finale has died down we can concentrate on what should be an exciting jumps campaign.  We have Cheltenham to look forward to at the weekend with the Paddy Power Chase on Saturday but in the meantime Carlisle stage a fair card for a Monday.

 

The beginner’s chase at 12.50 features several promising types.  Benetwood has AP McCoy on board and he will wear the distinctive colours of J P McManus.  Benetwood has been remarkably consistent in his career so far and is yet to finish out of the first 2.  He will appreciate the good ground and looks a major player.  Another making his chase debut is Cedrus Libani, trained by Howard Johnson.   He was staying on in the Supreme Novices at Cheltenham and had earlier won at Hexham and Newcastle.  Modicum has already had one run over fences when jumping well to finish second at Hexham.  He is another that will like the ground.  Shouldhavehadthat moved from Nicky Henderson’s yard in the summer and is now with Ferdy Murphy.  He has always looked a chaser in the making and his first run when unplaced at Kelso can probably be disregarded as Ferdy Murphy’s horses tend to come on for the run.  A good race this and a hard one to call.  With the ground in his favour I am going to side with Benetwood.

 

Professor Higgins was an expensive purchase by Graham and Andrea Wylie after finishing second in a Limerick bumper.  He had earlier won his only point to point and may well make a winning hurdles debut in the 1.20, a race that Howard Johnson won last season.

 

In the 1.55 According to John makes his reappearance. He was 3^rd to Denman at Cheltenham last season and looks capable of landing a good prize this term.  Idle Talk has failed to complete in any of his last 4 starts but this represents a drop in class for him and the small field may aid his jumping.  Caribou is a horse I like but his best form has been on soft ground.  According to John should win this on the way to better things.

 

That is about all for tonight

 

Continue reading “Diary: November 12 2007” →

What a quite remarkable finish to the flat season and what a credit to the sport were the two jockeys vying for the championship.  Sportsmanship still survives in the 21st century after all.

 

As well as enjoying the sheer theatre of the occasion at Doncaster on TV I also had the satisfaction of a fair amount of success on the tipping front. Over the jumps Theatre Girl, Abrogante, Hell’s Baby, King’s Quay and Ornais were all winning tips while on the flat the luckless Borderlescott was only beaten a short head.

 

King’s Quay is a really game little dual purpose horse and battled on well to get the better of the former Cambridgeshire winner Chivalry at Wincanton.

 

Theatre Girl was given 5 runs in bumpers last season and her form was very consistent.  I was quite hopeful that she would make a winning debut over timber and she didn’t disappoint.

 

Abrogante was described by one pundit this morning as “chicken-hearted.”  It didn’t stop him from winning the Badger Ales Chase, although he won so easily that his resolution was not really put to the test.  Timmy Murphy gave him a super ride, cajoling him quietly into the race from the back.

 

Ornais was another given a patient ride, this time by Ruby Walsh.  Ornais looked ungainly at times with his rather odd head carriage but he got the job done and obviously has ability.

 

There is not much that catches my eye tomorrow.  Mohtarres may be worth a second look in the 3.15 at Limerick, especially if there is support for him in the market, while I quite like Powerstation in the 1.25 at Navan.

 

Bye for now.

 

Continue reading “Diary: November 11 2007” →

Nicky Richard's course winner Role On looks a likely improver and could be worth a look in the 2.40 at Kelso.

Continue reading “Late thoughts Saturday” →

The flat season draws to a close tomorrow so it seems reasonable to start tonight’s preview at Doncaster where messrs Sanders and Spencer will be going head to head again.

 

The apprentice handicap that starts the day at 12.00 has a 22 runner field so winner finding won’t be easy.  There are a couple of runners from our list to follow, Madedon and Geojimali.  The 4 year old Macedon is quite lightly raced with only 10 runs to date. Although he has not finished in the first three in his 5 starts this season he has only dropped 2 lbs in the handicap. This is probably his trip though and in Tolley Dean he has a capable young rider.  If the rain stays away it will help his cause.

 

Geojimali’s younger brother, Blazing Heights, was a winner at Musselburgh this afternoon.  The brothers are quite similar in that they need to be held up and come late off a strong pace.  This means things have to drop right for them as they try and weave their way through a crowd.  As a result they get losing runs and come down the ratings as Geojimali has.  He has ability, he is running off a fair mark, he has won in a field of 26 in the past and his trainer is in form (he also trains the brother).  He has ticks in many of the right boxes and has claims.

 

Jamie Spencer will be hoping for a win on Gull Wing in the 2.05.  She has run some decent races this season and won once, at York over 10 furlongs.  That was in heavy ground though and at a time when the stable were in better nick.  I think I will pass her by on this occasion.

 

Our list to follow will be well represented in the sprint handicap at 2.35.  This is a real Sanders/Spencer duel.  Their rides, Borderelscott and Zidane were second and first in the Stewards Cup with only a short head between them. Spencer has won 4 times from 10 rides on Zidane who seems to go on any ground and likes to be held up.  Borderlescott has been very unlucky this season and deserves a prize like this. Sanders has ridden him twice and finished second both times.  Knot in Wood was a close up 3^rd in the Stewards Cup and is one of only 2 course and distance winners in the line up.  Advanced won the Ayr Gold Cup earlier in the season when ridden by a certain J Spencer! He has been inconsistent but is capable of winning this at his best. Cape looked a horse to follow at the start of the season but has failed to live up to those expectations.  She ran a better race when 4^th last time but needs to step up on previous efforts to land a blow here.

 

The one they all have to beat in this is Greek Renaissance who has won his last two starts for Godolphin but I will stay loyal to my list horses.  I am going to take a chance with Borderlescott, with Advanced and Zidane the next best in that order.

 

23 go to post for the big handicap at 3.10. Rampallion is a 4 year old but has only raced 5 times so has presumably had training problems.  He has shown his best form on soft ground and the ground seems likely to be riding on the fast side.  New Guinea and Heaven Knows both come into the race on the back of a win.  New Guinea has been in good form and won at Leicester last time but whether he can produce the goods here off top weight remains to be seen. I would say he has an each way chance at around 14/1.  Heaven Knows is a horse I have always liked and he finally came good last time at Newbury in soft ground. I would fancy him with ease in the ground and would still not write him off as he may have more improvement in him.  Shame about the ground though.

 

Moving on to the jumps I will start up at Kelso.  Valentine’s Lady is an interesting runner in the 12.35.  The Reveleys do well with this type of horse. She ran well in bumpers last season and I think she will be a nice one to follow this season. She might need this of course.

 

Down at Sandown I will be watching Wild Tonto in the 12.50.Trained by Helen Lewis in Wales Wild Tonto won on his last outing last season when stepped up in trip.  Judging from his performance that day I would have thought he would be better going left handed so I will give him a miss this time.  Incidentally, Jay Silverheels, who played Tonto, the Lone Ranger’s sidekick, used to be a racehorse trainer.  As the man said, not many people know that.

 

Atomic Winner makes her hurdles debut for Alan King in the 1.55.  She won twice at Marseilles on the flat and looks an interesting recruit to the winter game.

 

It might be worth taking a look at Presenting Express in the 2.25.  I see that none of the experts tip him which should help his price.  He has had problems with burst blood vessels but is quite decent on his day and should have trip and ground in his favour.  The stable are currently in very good form.

 

In the 3.00 Man Overboard represents our list to follow.  He is a half brother to Europa and has probably got more to offer than he has shown thus far.

 

Presenting Copper will probably start favourite in the 12.40 at Wincanton but I am hoping that either Massasoit or Theatre Girl, from my list to follow, can land the spoils.  Massasoit was bought out of Malcolm Jefferson’s yard by Paul Nicholls after winning both his bumpers in the north.  He is bred for the job buy may of course need the run.  Theatre Girl ran very consistently in 5 bumpers last term, including a 2^nd to Turbo Linn who went on to win a Group 2 on the flat.  The benefit of a recent run may prove decisive for Presenting Copper but I am going to side with Theatre Girl.

 

Phenix Jack is a new recruit for the Paul Nicholls yard.  He has form over fences in France and may well make a winning start over here in the 1.10.

 

Mossville was a faller over fences last time out and reverts to hurdles for the 1.45.  He is a course and distance winner and does not look badly handicapped.

 

Ornais won first time out last season but then suffered an accident.  He looks a nice chasing prospect though and I would expect a good run from him in the 2.20.

 

King’s Quay is a tough and genuine handicap hurdler and should give us a run for our money in the 2.50.

 

The Badger Ales Trophy at 3.25 looks quite an open race.  Alderburn has ground, track and distance in his favour and being ridden by AP McCoy is no bad thing.  He has never won first time out before though so may possibly need the run. Ardaghey won at Cheltenham 3 weeks ago but that was after a long break and he does go well fresh. High Chimes has only had 4 starts, winning the last of them in March at Chepstow in heavy ground.  He is probably going to be better on good ground though and is a horse with some potential I feel.  I am going to select Abrogante though as he is a progressive sort and looks well handicapped on his hurdles form.

 

Finally, in the 4.00 Hell’s Baby makes his bumper debut for Paul Nicholls.  He has some quite illustrious relatives.  He is apparently going well at home and should go close.

 

There is jumps action at Hereford, Market Rasen, Limerick and Naas on Sunday and I will be back tomorrow night with my thoughts on those meetings.

 

 

Continue reading “Diary: November 10 2007” →