At this stage of the season the spotlight starts to focus on the jumps rather than the flat. Tomorrow is no exception with the most interesting action provided by 3 jumps cards.
The runner I am most interested in in the 2.00 at Uttoxeter is Onyorgard from Robert Alner’s yard. The Dorset based handler is best known for producing chasers such as Sir Rembrandt and The Listener and I am sure that Onyorgard’s long term future will be over fences. He may well find one or two too good for him tomorrow but he is one to keep in mind. It is worth noting that Jonjo O’Neill has saddled the winner of this race for the last 2 seasons.
Don McCain runs dual bumper winner Harry Wood in the 3.00 and this one should be worth a close look.
Gentle John represents our list to follow in the 4.05. He seemed to benefit from a change of stable when winning a weak hurdle at Chepstow. This 5 year old has only had 4 runs in his life, 2 bumpers and two hurdle races. The fact that his talented trainer Philip Hobbs sends him over fences so early in the gelding’s career would seem to indicate that he has schooled well at home. That should put the kiss of death on him! It won’t be easy as he is up against some more experienced horses, including the winner of the race last season, Jeffertiti. Gentle John is a lightly raced type who may have more scope for improvement than some of his rivals.
The second horse from our list to follow is Henrietta Knight’s Calgary Bay. I was at Ludlow for his debut run when he was just worried out of it close home by a horse of Nicky Henderson’s. It probably wasn’t the greatest race in the world but Calgary Bay showed promise nonetheless and looked a horse with a future. He is another that will make a chaser one day I would imagine as, like Onyorgard he is from a yard that very much favours chasers. This might be quite a competitive race for Uttoxeter as several of the bigger stables are represented. Rightway Star of Don McCain’s has some experience and that should stand him in good stead but I hope that Calgary Bay shows enough to justify his place on the list.
Turning my attention to Wetherby, I see that Howard Johnson runs Fushe Jo in the 2.10. This one is a half brother to Arcalis and was 2nd at Perth 3 weeks ago when he raced rather keenly. Ferdy Murphy runs a newcomer from the flat, Tomorrow’s Dancer. Murphy doesn’t have many ex-flat horses so perhaps that might be significant. You would think that the Johnson runner would go well though.
Sir Boreus Hawk was pretty impressive last season and has won 3 of his 5 career starts. He could be something special and it will be interesting to see how he gets on in the 3.15 which is his handicap debut.
The 3.45 should be quite a spectacle as there are 4 greys running. The 12 year old Scot’s Grey does not owe connections anything as he has won 10 races in his career. I recall seeing him land a Kempton handicap by the narrowest of margins against Hand Inn Hand a few Christmas’s back. He is a handsome individual who handles a sound surface. Although he has top weight here he has shown himself to be a good weight carrier in the past. Silver Knight is another old favourite and he has shown a rael liking for Wetherby in the past winning 4 times at the Yorkshire track. He has shown his best form with plenty of cut in the ground though.
The 3.15 at Punchestown features 2 from our list to follow, Hide the Evidence and Sizing Europe. This is a trappy race where none of the runners can be ruled out. If pushed for a tip I would go with Sizing Europe who should have ground conditions to suit and is ridden by the incomparable Ruby Walsh.
See you tomorrow.
ahorse 