Category: Racing diary

 

Cheltenham stages the biggest race of the jumps season so far in the Paddy Power (once the Mackeson) Gold Cup at 2.35. The trends may help us here as 14 of the last 18 winners came from the first 3 in the betting and I feel that the race may be between the market leaders Great Endeavour and Long Run. Long Run came over from France with a big reputation and won his first two races in the UK until he was beaten in the RSA Chase. Great Endeavour won at the Cheltenham Festival last season is lightly raced and goes well fresh. Of the others Mad Max, Sunnyhill Boy and Door Boy are worth considering. Mad Max, a real giant of a horse, has had breathing problems but looked back to his best when winning at Aintree at the back end of last season. He has a formidable record first time out. Sunnyhill Boy was runner up to Great Endeavour at Cheltenham and at the weights is entitled to run his old rival pretty close. Door Boy has plenty of ability but has not really done himself justice so far. 2.5 miles could be his best trip and at 40/1 he could be overpriced. Long Run and Great Endeavour are my selections.

The 12.50 is tricky as there is not many form lines to go on but it may pay to side with Titan de Sarti a winner twice on the flat in the French provinces.

Wayward Prince is yet to finish out of the first two under rules and looks the one to beat in the 1.20. At a bigger price Cannington Brook may be worth considering. Although beaten into 3^rd place by Wayward Prince at Aintree last season he is well regarded by his trainer and looks the type to be better over fences.

Elsewhere on the Cheltenham card my two against the field in the 1.55 are Any Currency and Ballyfitz.

Moon Indigo was disappointing at Hexham but can make amends in the Wetherby 3.55.

At Uttoxeter conditions should favour Predictive in the 1.10 and the same stable can take the 2.10 via Realmont who had some top class form in France before suffering some serious injury and illness setbacks. In the 2.45 Ayemdee is a course winner and relishes soft ground. Black Noddy is well thought of by connections and is one to watch in the bumper at 3.50.

The pictures of former Paddy Power Gold Cup winners Exotic Dancer (top) and Our Vic, are by courtesy of the artists Sarah Clegg (Exotic Dancer) and Lisa Miller.

The new jumps season really gets underway over the next 3 days with the Paddy Power Festival at Cheltenham.

The grade 2 novice hurdle tomorrow at 1.50 features the unbeaten Cue Card last season’s Champion Bumper winner who seeks to maintain his 100% record. He seems to handle any ground and from what we have seen so far could well be something special. The main danger could be Dunraven Storm who finished well down the pack behind Cue Card at Cheltenham but has done little wrong otherwise winning twice in bumpers and twice over hurdles. All his wins have come on good ground.

The 2 I like in the 2.25 are De Boitron and Rivaliste, both running over what is probably their optimum trip. De Boitron is a course winner and seems on an upward curve but may just need the run. Rivaliste is only a 5 year old and is open to improvement. I would give him the edge here albeit narrowly.

Nicky Henderson does well with his handicap hurdlers and may supply the answer to the 3.35 with Aegean Dawn who was trained previously by the Alners. Henderson has won this race for the last two years and on both occasions the winner was ridden by a 3 lbs claimer as Aegean Dawn is here. One that could go well at a bigger price is Scampi Boy who should be all the better for his run over course and distance last month.

There are plenty of promising sorts in the novice chase at 4.05. One that I am going to rule out is Vino Griego. He didn’t impress with his jumping when well beaten at Kempton and while the longer trip here may help him he is best suited by plenty of give in the ground. The 3 to concentrate on seem to be Time for Rupert, Quantitiveeasing and Reve de Sivola. A tough call this as all 3 look outstanding prospects but I will side with Reve de Sivola who is one of my top horses to follow this season.

My only selection at Newcastle is Prioryjo in the 2.15.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Lisa Miller.

 

After a tardy start to the jumps season things took a turn for the better for me this afternoon thanks to Wymott (5/2) and Safran de Cotte (7/1), both winning at Bangor. The big shock of the day was at Huntingdon where Arkle favourite and 1/5 shot Medermit refused.

There is an interesting bumper at Ludlow tomorrow to round off the card at the Shropshire venue. As well ar runners from the Nicholls and Henderson yards I recommend you keep an eye on Forever Waining and Drumlang.

At Taunton Paul Nicholls should take the 2.10 with Dark Lover who has some bumper form and is related to several winners.

 

Tomorrow’s jumping cards come from Bangor-on-Dee and Huntingdon and they are also racing at Naas in Ireland.

Bangor stages a potentially informative novice chase (1.10) with several with decent hurdles form. Wymott, highly regarded by Donald MCCain won a grade 2 hurdle at Haydock in February beating Wayward Prince, himself a winner over fences this season already. Wymott handles the ground and will stay further than this trip in time. Alfie Sherrin won a good handicap hurdle at Newbury over and extended 3 miles last season when he was with Paul Nicholls. Now with Jonjo O’Neill he goes well fresh and is a serious contender here. Tarablaze has been off the track for the best aprt of two years with a leg injury but had won the same garde 2 hurdle at Wymott the season before. All 3 have points in their favour. Tarablaze was a winning pointer and therefore has competitive experience over fences while it is tempting to go for Alfie Sherrin who does well after a break but for my selection I will side with Wymott who has been schooled thoroughly over fences and has the class to do well in that sphere.

In the 1.40 I will stick with Rock Noir who comes here on the back of a win at Exeter and will handle the ground OK as he has winning form in France on very soft and heavy going.

Minella Boys is at his best when the mud is flying and at odds of around 8/1 looks fair value in the 2.10. He is a course winner and has won off his current mark.

Bonfire Knight has some fair flat form and should be suited by the tight track at Bangor in the 2.40. Very testing ground is a slight concern so any stakes here should be kept at a sensible level.

Safran de Cotte won bumpers at Market Rasen and Haydock last season and can make a winning hurdles bow in the 3.10. His Haydock win was on heavy ground.

I have Royal Chatelier in my notebook as one to follow this season as he looks to be on a fair handicap mark. He runs in the 3.40 and soft ground will not be a problem for him. I expected to see him running over a longer trip as he is related to stayers, including Impek. I just wonder if this is something of a prep race. Perhaps we should keep a watching brief tomorrow and catch him when running over a longer trip.

I don’t have any tips for Huntingdon but it will be interesting to see how Medermit goes in the 2.50. He has the potential to be a leading novice chaser.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Alison Wilson.

There are 3 jumps meetings tomorrow with the main interest probably at Exeter. In the opener there Emma Lavelle gives a Wincanton bumper winner a hurdles debut while Paul Nicholls has a former points winner making his hurdles bow. This is not really the sort of race I would consider a betting proposition.

Royal Charm is potentially one of the more exciting prospects in Paul Nicholls’ yard and he makes his first appearance over fences in the 2.50. He won twice over hurdles at Exeter last season and will be hard to beat if reproducing his hurdles form here.

 

The racing tomorrow is fairly low grade stuff but there are a couple of runners that you might like to consider, both at Carlisle.

In the 12.50 dual Irish points winner Russinrudi makes his hurdles debut. Reported to be one of the bigger horses in trainer he may well be suited by the track at Carlisle. The ground could be a concern as he has not encountered heavy going thus far.

The other one I would be a bit interested in is Prince de Beauchene. All his career wins so far have come on soft or heavy ground. The Paul Nicholls runner would be the obvious danger.

 

Just the one selection tomorrow and that is Premier Sagas in the 2.55 at Market Rasen.

 

It has been a decent flat season for me results with the likes of San Cassiano, Evens and Odds and Tullius winning at big odds. Tomorrow sees the final action of the 2010 flat season and it would be nice to end with some winners.

I don’t have a view on the first two races at Doncaster but I am quite keen on a bit of an outsider in the nursery at 1.25. Swiss Dream was well thought of by his trainer earlier in the season but has been disappointing of late. He encounters soft ground for the first time tomorrow and his pedigree suggests it may suit him well.

Horseradish has notched up 3 wins this season and shown a liking for give in the ground. This 7 furlongs could well suit him and I fancy him to run a big race.

Modeyra has won both her starts to date beating subsequent winner Timepiece at Newmarket last month. She is hard to oppose in the 2.35 where recent Newmarket winner Zahoo represents the main danger.

There are plenty in with chances in the 3.10. Alan King saddles course and distance winner Salden Licht and with a claimer taking off 5 lbs this one looks to be in with a good chance. Red Jade and Brunston are others that could go well at a big price. If pushed for a single selection I would go with Salden Licht.

In the 3.40 my short list consists of Cheverton, Angleszarke, Macs Power and Inler.

Kauto Star is the main attraction at Down Royal but hardly a betting proposition. My only selection at the Northern Ireland course is Pandorama. Something of a favourite of mine, in the Grade 2 chase at 3.00.

At Kelso I think that Arctic Court could go well in the 12.30. Formerly with Len Lungo he is now with Jim Goldie and should be suited by tomorrow’s trip given the stamina in his pedigree.

Merigo is a useful staying chaser and has won the Scottish National and the Eider Chase. His lower mark over hurdles puts him in with a squeak in the 2.05.

Kalahari King is the class act in the 2.40 but may find the weight concession to Noble Alan too much.

Maurisca is quite well handicapped and can go well in the Sandown 12.45. Another on a winnable mark is Higgy’s Boy in the 2.55. He will also have the ground in his favour.

Banjaxed Girl is a likable sort who always gives of her best. She can defy top weight in the 1.40.

Robinson Collonges, Wishfull Thinking and Tara Royal all make some appeal in the 2.45. Of the 3 Robinsons Collonges has the best recent form and is the percentage call.

Forest Pennant has had a wind operation over the summer and could eb one to look out for in the 3.20.

Today’s picture, of Wild Cane Ridge who runs at Kelso, is courtesy of Sarah Clegg.

We haven’t had a winner for a couple of days and I wouldn’t be too confident of turning that round tomorrow as the racing on offer in the UK is distinctly low grade stuff.

At Hexham Nicky Richards introduces a potentially nice type, on pedigree anyway, in King Sandor in the novice hurdle at 3.10. Regardless of tomorrow’s result he is on to keep an eye on as the season progresses. Noble Storm was runner up in a decent sprint handicap at Doncaster last time out and deserves to win a race. He looks a fair bet in the 3.30 at Southwell where he has shown that he can handle the surface.

My two selections at Wolverhampton are Muffraaj (6.10) and Royal Swain (7.10).

The big race at Down Royal is the Grade 2 hurdles at 2.05. The ground may just be a little too soft for the speed horse Blackstairmountain which could leave the way clear for Summit Meeting who ran an excellent 4^th to Peddler’s Cross at Cheltenham last season.

I know nothing about the American form so will refrain from giving selections for the Breeder’s Cup races. It would however be nice to see Precision Break and Midday win their contests for the UK.

Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Sue Malkin.  See link below for more details of her work.

Sue Malkin

Bye for now

Selections for Thursday

Haydock 2.05 Ernst Blofeld

Towcester 1.10 Fiddlededee

2.55 Evella