Diary: March 28 2007

I had high hopes of Urban Tiger at the start of the season.  Twice a winner on the flat he looked a likely type for a hurdles campaign. After 3 runs he is yet to get of the mark however and he has been somewhat disappointing.  His two wins of the flat came on good to firm so it is possible that better going over hurdles may see an improvement.  He runs in the 2.55 at Kempton.

  

Roznic won 3 times in quick succession last season but has not recaptured that sort of form this term.  There was some promise on his last run when 3rd at Fakenham though.  He runs in 4.35.  His 3 wins lasts season were all on soft ground.

 

Continue reading “Diary: March 28 2007”

Diary: March 26 2007

Our list to follow supplied 3 winners in Saturday. Karello Bay proved the best of our 3 runners in the mare’s novice hurdle final at Newbury, winning with something in hand.  Miss Mitch stayed on well in 2nd and she looks to have a future over fences.

  

Alderburn defied top weight to land the opener at the Berkshire track under Tony McCoy, having a little too much class for her rivals.  At Bangor-on-Dee Annie’s Answer won for the second time this season over hurdles with Tony Dobbin doing the steering.  The best of our other runners was Snap Tie who was second in the bumper under a penalty.

  

On the flat the giant Gentleman’s Deal took time off from his stud duties to land the valuable Winter Derby. Elsewhere on the Lingfield card King Orchisios notched his 4th career win.  He is one of those horses that always seems to win at a nice price. His 4 wins have come at 5/1, 9/1, 20/1 and 8/1.

  

There is nothing much that takes my eye about Monday’s racing.  I will be looking out for Sha Bihan in the 4.00 at Stratford.  He is owned by the Elite Racing Club (and therefore partly by me!)  He put up a good performance on his last run when 2nd at Newbury and runs off the same mark at Stratford.  I am hopeful of a good run.

  

That is about it for today.

 

Continue reading “Diary: March 26 2007”

Diary: March 24 & 25

Alderburn goes well fresh and runs in the 2.25 at Newbury after an 87 day break. The ground will suit him and he has the benefit of AP McCoy in the saddle.  On the debit side he has to carry to carry a big weight and has gone up 6lbs in the ratings as a result of 1 length win at Kempton last time out.  He should go well though.

  

Harringay represents our list to follow in the 2.55.  Henrietta Knight’s mare won a decent novice at this track last season, but after a promising debut over fences has been disappointing in two subsequent efforts.  The ground will suit but she will have to produce her best form to figure at the finish.

  

We are well represented in the 3.30 (the race won last season by Harringay) as there are 3 list horses involved.  The lightly raced Miss Mitch won on rain softened ground last time at Hereford.  Anything she achieves over hurdles will be a bonus as she looks to have a future over fences next season.  Wyldello was also a winner at Hereford but on her last run was beaten in 3rd place at Kempton.  Karello Bay won at Wincanton in February but was then beaten out of sight last time at Kempton.

  

I don’t think there is a lot to choose between these three.  In fact Karello Bay beat Wyldello by a neck when they met in a bumper at Sandown last season.  I will give Wyldello Bay my each way selection as her trainer Alan King is in such fine form.

  

Snap Tie is an interesting runner in the bumper at 5.05.  He was an impressive winner of a Limerick bumper last season but was considered disappointing when only 5th on his last start.  Subsequent events have put a different perspective on that performance though; as the winner went on to take the Cheltenham Festival bumper, while the runner up has won twice since over hurdles.

  

Annie’s Answer represents our list in the 2.45 at Bangor.  She won a weak race at Huntingdon last time.  She will have to improve on that effort to score here but she showed a good attitude at Huntingdon and has won in point to points and bumpers.  She has an each way chance.

  

Kayceecee has been expensive to follow this season.  He was well backed on his last run when unseating at Market Rasen.  He runs in the handicap chase at 3.20.

  

Nobody Tells Me has failed to build on his promise as a novice hurdler last season.  He is tried in a tongue tie for the first time in the 4.25.  He is a course and distance winner.

  

We have a couple of runners in the 4.55.Launde won at Aintree and Haydock earlier in the season but has gone up the weights as a result and has struggled a bit on his last couple of runs.  Fourty Acers won first time out at Ludlow but was then pulled up in heavy ground at Sedgefiled.  He has had a break since then and better ground may well bring about a return to form.

  

It isn’t long now to the start of the flat turf season. As an appetiser there is a good card at Lingfield tomorrow.  The listed race at 3.50 features a few old favourites.  Border Music loves the all weather at Lingfield having won on 3 of his 5 visits there.  He showed his well being by beating the track record at Wolverhampton last time out in listed company.  Celtic Mill can boast some wins in decent company.  He took the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Sandown in 2005.  The fast starting King Orchisios did a great job for my list to follow last season with wins at 9/1 and 20/1.  He was a winner last time out at Lingfield.

  

The big race at Lingfield is the Winter Derby at 3.15.  There is a strong line up that includes Illustrious Blue who will be on my flat list to follow for the coming season.  He has won 5 of his last 8 starts.  Among his rivals there is Alfie Flits who won in listed company at Windsor on the final day of lasts season and Gentleman’s Deal who boats 6 wins on the all weather.

  

There are no runners from our list to follow running on Sunday.

 

Continue reading “Diary: March 24 & 25”

Diary: March 23 2007

I missed one of my horses to follow today – and it won, luckily it wasn’t 100/1.  Amstecos, trained in Northern Ireland, just held on from the rallying Ossmoses, another of our “listers,” in the novice hurdle at Ayr.  Ossmoses is entered in the Grand National and this was en excellent prep race for him.

  

Turning to Friday’s action, the jumps racing comes from Newbury.  Mark the Book goes for a quick fire hat trick in the opener at 2.10.  This big chasing type has scored twice in heavy ground and will be hard to beat if handling the better ground.

  

Mister Quasimodo has failed to complete on his last two starts over fences and is back over hurdles in the 5.00.  He has a bit to do off joint top weight.

  

I will be back tomorrow for a preview of the weekend’s racing.

 

Continue reading “Diary: March 23 2007”

Diary: March 22 2007

Our list horses fared rather better today with Aux le Baahn winning the bumper at Lingfield and Dunsfold Duke finishing 2nd at 8/1 on his handicap debut on the same card.

  

Elsewhere I was interested to see that Family Business won the hunter chase at Chepstow. Back in 2003 he was involved in a bizarre incident in a steeplechase at Southwell.  He was a faller, but as the race developed all his rivals came a cropper as well.  Tony McCoy got back on board to jump round in splendid isolation and claim the spoils.  Today was the horse’s first win since then.

  

Jumps racing on Thursday is at Ayr and Ludlow.  Ossmoses runs in the novice hurdle at Ayr (2.50).  He is entered for the Grand National so presumably this is a warm up for the big race in April.  He is a decent chaser and although he is yet to win this season he won the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock last season.  I am not sure what to make of him in this hurdles contest as he ahs hardly run over timber before.  He will appreciate the going but the trip looks on the short side.

  

Len Lungo’s Troll carries top weight in the Ayr 4.50, which is a handicap hurdle.  He won at Sedgefield on Boxing Day but was then beaten at Kelso.  A tall, scopey sort Troll should make a chaser next season.  He will at least handle the ground tomorrow but is off the same mark as when losing at Kelso. The key to that race was that he was not allowed to dominate.

  

I put Secured on my list to follow as I thought that he might pop up at a good price when no one was looking.  He has not had much joy over fences and is back in a handicap hurdle tomorrow in the 4.00 at Ludlow where he is a course and distance winner.

  

That is about it for tonight – see you tomorrow.

 

Continue reading “Diary: March 22 2007”

Diary: March 21 2007

Our list to follow has had a poor last few days and the least said about today’s pair the better!

  

Once again we have a couple of qualifiers tomorrow.  Aux Le Bahnn lines up in the 2.20 at Lingfield which is a bumper run on the all weather track. A former Irish points winner he also won on his only start under rules when landing a bumper in impressive style at Warwick.  He has not run since December 2005 but is well thought of by connections and should go well.

  

Our other list runner us Dunsfold Duke in the Lingfield 4.00.  He jumped well when winning over course and distance in January before finding the Grade 2 Pendil Novices a bit too hot for him at Kempton.  He looks to have a bit to do at the weights.

  

I see that Supreme Glory is down to run in the hunter chase at Chepstow (4.50).  He is 14 now but was a very decent chaser at his best and I remember backing him to win the Welsh National at Chepstow at 10/1 back in 2001.  He was also 2nd in the Aintree Grand National behind Monty’s Pass.  At the other end of the age scale Henry Daly runs Beherayn in the bumper at 5.25.  He is a half brother to the ill fated but high class Behrajan and made a good impression when 3rd at Warwick behind Den of Iniquity.

  

Bye for now.

 

Continue reading “Diary: March 21 2007”

Diary: March 21 2007

Our list to follow has had a poor last few days and the least said about today’s pair the better!

  

Once again we have a couple of qualifiers tomorrow.  Aux Le Bahnn lines up in the 2.20 at Lingfield which is a bumper run on the all weather track. A former Irish points winner he also won on his only start under rules when landing a bumper in impressive style at Warwick.  He has not run since December 2005 but is well thought of by connections and should go well.

  

Our other list runner us Dunsfold Duke in the Lingfield 4.00.  He jumped well when winning over course and distance in January before finding the Grade 2 Pendil Novices a bit too hot for him at Kempton.  He looks to have a bit to do at the weights.

  

I see that Supreme Glory is down to run in the hunter chase at Chepstow (4.50).  He is 14 now but was a very decent chaser at his best and I remember backing him to win the Welsh National at Chepstow at 10/1 back in 2001.  He was also 2nd in the Aintree Grand National behind Monty’s Pass.  At the other end of the age scale Henry Daly runs Beherayn in the bumper at 5.25.  He is a half brother to the ill fated but high class Behrajan and made a good impression when 3rd at Warwick behind Den of Iniquity.

  

Bye for now.

 

 

Continue reading “Diary: March 21 2007”

Diary: March 19 2007

The horses from our list to follow developed a severe bout of seconditis over the weekend.  Locksmith, Opera de Coeur, Bougoure and Great Approach all occupied the runners up berth in their respective races.

  

The longest priced winner for the list thus far has been  Grecian Groom when he came in at 33/1 at Lingfield back in January. He has been well beaten since and makes his handicap debut tomorrow. He takes a big step up in trip to 2 miles 6 furlongs in the 4.00 at Wincanton. He is flat bred and has the likes of Group 1 winner Gamut and Derby hero North Light among his relations.  I am not convinced though that he is sure to stay on pedigree.

  

Our other list runner is Reach for the Top in the 4.30.  He is owned by Jim Lewis and trained by Henrietta Knight.  He was a comfortable winner at Folkestone last time out when odds on favourite and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th have all won since.  Looks to have strong claims here with the main concern being that the stable seem to be going through a quiet spell.

  

I was sorry to here that Nil Desperandum had suffered a fatal injury on Saturday. He was a very able chaser, finishing 6th and 4th in the last two Grand Nationals.  He won 8 races with his best successes coming in the Drinmore at Fairyhouse in 2003 and the Eider Chase at Newcastle this season.  A great shame.

  

See you tomorrow.

 

Continue reading “Diary: March 19 2007”