Category: Racing diary

Just a couple of horses to look out for at Lingfield tomorrow, Recession Proof in the 2.20 and Zafranagar in the 3.20. Both would prefer good ground and the going at Lingfield is predicted to be testing which tempers my enthusiasm somewhat.

 

Rebecca Curtis does well with her bumper horses and Grovemere, who runs in the Ffos Las 4.05 looks interesting. He is a half brother to Alberta’s Run and has Tony McCoy in the saddle.

Backing horses wearing headgear for the first time will probably put you on the road to penury but I am going to give George Nympton another chance in the Kempton 12.30. I had him down as a horse to follow this season and he surely has more to offer than he has shown so far.

Staying with Kempton Banjaxed Girl can continue the fine form of team Twiston-Davies when running in the 1.30.

Phidippides put in a run full of promise on his chase bow at Exeter behind Rock Noir and should win the Ludlow 2.50, a course where he won over hurdles at this time last season. Another runner to note in this race is Sandynow who I fancy to make his mark over fences this season.

 

Selections for Sunday

Aintree 12.35 Frankie Figg

1.10 Comhla Ri Coig

1.45 Merigo

2.55 Arctic Court

Towcester 2.05 Woodlands Genpower

Picture courtesy of Sarah Clegg

Dual Champion Chase winner Master Minded has his first run of the season at Ascot tomorrow where he will face Albertta’s Run who won both the Ryanair and the Melling Chases last season. Master Minded has had a wind operation since last season which may bring him back to his best form but there is always the possibility that his below par efforts last season were simply an indication that he is not as good as he was. With the ground drying out the going should suit Alberta’s Run and I will make him my selection.

Another with the ground in his favour is Noble Alan in the 3.10. He comes here on the back of a win at Kelso a fortnight ago and could upset some of the more fancied runners.

Dunraven Storm ran well behind the impressive Cue Card at Cheltenham last week and can gain compensation in the Haydock 12.40.

Tara Royal has had a few problems with his jumping this season but I would be inclined to stick with him, particularly as his stable are in excellent form. If he can put in a decent round of jumping he will be hard to beat in the 1.15.

Palypso de Creek rean well in the Grand National last season until falling 4 out. Richard Johnson rides his for the first time in the Haydock 2.20.

There are plenty with chances in the 2.50. Grand Crus won well last week at Cheltenham and looks to have something in hand over the handicapper. James de Vassy is another to consider. He was 4^th in the Greatwood and 3^rd in the Coral Cup last season. Peveril, a winner 3 times over hurdles last season is the other one I like and I would be surprised if the winner does not come from these 3.

Imperial Commander should win the 3.25. He is miles ahead on ratings and has an exemplary record when fresh. If you are looking for a chink in his armour he has won 6 of his 10 races at Cheltenham but is only 1 from 7 at other tracks. He should win but if he fails to fire What a Friend could be the one to benefit.

Paquet Cadeau has an each way chance at Huntingdon in the 2.45 while on the all weather you could have a look at Hitchens in the 3.40 at Lingfield and Mastership in the 8.15 at Wolverhampton.

My thanks to Kate Tann for the photo of Imperial Commander.

There are a number of interesting types in the Ascot novice hurdle at 1.00. Frascati Park has the most experience but is yet to win over hurdles despite being placed in good company a number of times. These efforts were on soft or heavy ground however and his wins in bumpers suggest that he will be suited by the better ground he will encounter tomorrow. His 3 main rivals are making their hurdles debuts and all have form in bumpers. Sprinter Sacre won at Ascot and went on to defy a penalty at Ayr in the Scottish Grand National meeting. His future lies over fences but he could be good enough to win over hurdles in the meantime .Poungach won a bumper at Stratford in May and is described as “a lovely type” by his trainer Paul Nicholls. Lastly Easter Meteor represents in form trainer Emma Lavelle. He ran a bit green when 3^rd in a Newbury bumper on his only start last season and is a full brother to today’s winner Easter Legend. Another to consider is the Rebecca Curtis trained Made in Time, ridden by AP McCoy. Another with winning bumper form he has already won over hurdles this season but does carry a penalty for that. This should be an interesting and informative race and if pushed for a tip I would go for Sprinter Sacre.

Nicky Henderson could also take the 1.35 with Master of the Hall. Twice a winner over hurdles at Newbury and Sandown he should make a chaser and is preferred to Cheltenham festival winner Pause and Clause who will probably come good in time but has had a few problems with his jumping.

Megastar won twice in bumpers last season including the Aintree Champion bumper where eh beat Dare Me who has already won twice over hurdles this season. Megastar will be hard to beat in the 2.10.

Recent Exeter winner Quinz looks well handicapped in the 3.20 as does Aegean Dawn in the 3.55. Mille Chief looks the main danger in the latter race.

At Exeter I am going for a big outsider in the 12.45 where Jayjay Valentine, a winning pointer could go well at a price.

There are two that I like in the 1.15. The usually reliable Ernst Blofeld rather blotted his copybook when refusing at Haydock over fences earlier this month. He is better than that and is respected here back over hurdles. Synchronised won the Midlands Grand National last season. This may be a warm up race for a chase campaign but he is interesting nonetheless.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Margaret Barrett.

 

At Hereford tomorrow Evella and Fleur de Vassy are a couple of winning hurdlers that look to have the scope to win over fences. They run in the 3.00.

I am working on the basis that Tiptoeaway needed the run when disappointing at Carlisle and hopefully he will do better in the Market Rasen 12.40.

My only selection at Thurles is Sizing Mexico in the 2.45.

Today’s picture is courtesy of Ruth S Harris

There is an interesting novice chase at Hexham tomorrow with a number of promising types running in the 1.40.

Best Lover missed the whole of last season but has won over hurdles at Hexham. On the credit side the stable are in excellent form but against that Best Lovers hurdles win came on good to firm ground. His trainer reports that he is an exceptional jumper. Bygones of Brid won 3 times over hurdles last season and has the look of a chaser. He is a tough sort and has winning form on heavy ground.

Glenwood Knight is rather a fragile individual but has plenty of ability and has a great pedigree being out of a half sister to Grand National winner Papillion. He was second at Haydock in April over the fixed brush hurdles which indicates that he will handle the ground and that he should have the aptitude for fences. Lord Villez was still a maiden after 20 races in France but has already won 2 of his 3 starts since coming to the UK. His wins came over hurdles at Newcastle and Sedgefield on soft and heavy ground. Graham Lee rides Bygones of Brid in preference to Lord Villez which may be significant. I think that this could be between Bygones of Brid and Glenwood Knight.

Locked Inthepocket is yet to win a race but he has run some decent races and his pedigree indicates that he should improve with time. He was 6^th over two miles on his seasonal reappearance at Carlisle last month but should improve both for the run and the extra distance in the Hexham 3.10.

 

Dansilver 1.00 at Fakenham

 

Today

Last season’s Supreme Novice Hurdle winner Menorah maintained his unbeaten record at Cheltenham by defying top weight to take the Greatwood Hurdle. It was a gutsy performance to hold off the challenge of Brian Ellison’s Bothy and the winner was given a fine ride by Richard Johnson. Menorah’s trainer Philip Hobbs won the Greatwood a few years back with the grey Rooster Booster who of course went on to win the Champion Hurdle. Menorah has certainly shown that he acts on the track at Prestbury Park. My selection Manyriverstocross ran well in third and perhaps needs a longer trip.

David Pipe’s Grand Crus won the Intermediate Hurdle over two miles five. A fine jumper he will be aimed at the brush hurdle handicap at Haydock next week over three miles. Set to carry a six pounds penalty, he will relish the step up in trip and will be hard to beat provided this race hasn’t left its mark. Either way, he is an excellent prospect for chasing.

Tomorrow

After the excitement of the Cheltenham Paddy Power meeting we are back to more mundane stuff tomorrow with jumping at Leicester and Plumpton.

My nap at Leicester is in the 2.20 where I hope that William’s Wishes can follow up on his recent success at Ludlow. He is a horse going the right way and should get the good ground that he needs.

I also have one tip at Plumpton where I fancy Neil Mulholland’s Ban Uisce in the 3.00. He won twice last season, both in conditional jockey’s handicap hurdles, at Folkestone and Taunton. He still looks on a decent mark and will again be ridden by Mark Quinlan who clearly gets on well with him and can claim 7 lbs.

And a big race coming up!

We are under 2 weeks away from the Hennesssy Gold Cup so I thought it would be a good time to look back at some earlier runnings of this prestigious handicap.

It was first run in 1957 at Cheltenham and the race was won by Mandarin who beat the then reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Linwell. Mandarin went on to even greater success but I will save that story for a future article!

The race moved to its current home at Newbury in 1960 when the favourite and top weight was the Irish challenger Zonda ridden by Pat Taaffe. Zonda had won the Irish Grand National in 1959 and finished 3^rd in that race in 1960 as well as finishing 3^rd in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was the class horse in the race but had to carry 12 stone.

The form horse was Knucklecracker both trained and ridden by Derek Ancil. The horse had already notched up 3 wins in 3 mile chases that season. There were 3 other notable runners. Oxo had won the 1959 Grand National and had returned to Aintree prior to the Hennessy to finish 3^rd in the Grand Sefton. He has also finished 3^rd to Mandarin in the 1959 King George. Winning Coin had finished the previous season with 3 straight wins and had started the new campaign by winning a 3 mile chase at Wincanton, while Plummer’s Plain had won the 1960 Whitbread Gold Cup.

Plummers Plain opened up a 12 length lead at one stage and had many of the field in trouble but his challenge faded and it was left to Zonda and Knucklecraker to fight it out. Knucklecracker pulled clear as his rival tired and claimed the prize. It is said that he drank a quart of stout as part of his daily diet, the horse that is not the trainer! Perhaps the Mackeson would have been a more apt race for him.

There was a strong field for the 1973 renewal with 3 former winners lining up – Charlie Potheen, Spanish Steps and Bighorn. Charlie Potheen started 9/2 favourite having also won the Great Yorkshire Chase, the Whitbread Gold Cup and finished 3in in the Cheltenham Gold Cup behind The Dikler and Pendil.

Grand National hero Red Rum was also well fancied as was Red Candle. The latter was best known as a 2.5 mile horse and was a past winner of the Mackeson.

Red Rum took the lead from Charlie Potheen at the 4^th last but in one of the most memorable finishes in the history of the race was just edged out on the run in by the tenacious Red Candle.

Fulke Walwyn had trained the first ever winner of the race, Mandarin and by 1981 had been the most successful trainer in the history of the race. That year he supplied the favourite in dual Whitbread winner Diamond Edge. The progressive Political Pop a winner of 6 chases and trained in the north by Michael Dickinson was expected to run well as were the 1980 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Master Smudge, the 1978 Hennessy winner Approaching and the 1981 Grand National 3^rd Royal Mail.

Diamond Edge jumped brilliantly apart from a mistake at the 3^rd last which briefly gave his rivals hope but he recovered to clinch victory with a tremendous jump at the last to beat Political Pop by half a length.

I will look back at a few more memorable renewals of the great race next week.

Today’s pictures are courtesy of the artist Katy Sodeau.

Bye for now.

It wasn’t a fantastic day for me on the tipping front but I did highlight a couple of winners in last night’s preview.

Moving swiftly on to tomorrow’s action the 1.10 is a hot novice chase despite the small field. Captain Chris was the highest rated of these over hurdles and is a horse with a lot of ability but on this occasion he may have to give best to the more experienced Loosen My Load. The Irish challenger jumps well and won at this meeting last season showing that he goes well at this track and at this time of year.

The 1.45 looks to be between Forpadytheplasterer and Tataniano with the former favoured by the weights. Tataniano does however have an excellent record first time out.

You could drum up a case for quite a few runners in the Greatwood Hurdle at 2.20. Manyriverstocross has been supported in the market over the last week and looks potentially well handicapped. He goes well fresh and seems to act on any ground.

Get Me Out of Here was a strong finishing second to Menorah, beaten a head in the Supreme Novices at the Festival while General Miller beat Menorah by a neck at Aintree and this trio have very solid form claims. Sanctuaire is a course and distance winner and is one for the short list. Bothy would prefer much softer ground so I will put a line through him. Olofi was only beaten a neck at Chepstow on his seasonal reappearance and could go well off a light weight. At these weights I fancy Manyriverstocross.

My short list for the 2.55 consists of Lush Life, Grand Crus and Westlin’ Winds. My selection would be Lush Life if the ground is on the good side or Grand Crus on a soft surface.

Yabora would come into the reckoning in the 3.30 given soft ground while Theatrical Star, a full brother to Aligralil is an interesting debutant in the bumper at 4.00.

Gary Moore does well with his handicap hurdlers and his Via Galilei could go well at Fontwell in the 2.00. The ground would be the worry as he does not have winning form in the soft. In the same race Sir Du Bearn is an interesting newcomer from France. Bubbly Bruce has some decent bumper form and looks the one to beat in the 3.40.

Noble Prince (1.05) and Solwhit (2.15) are my selections at Punchestown.

Today’s picture, of 2002 Greatwood Hurdle winner Rooster Booster, is courtesy of the artist Lisa Miller.