An unusual week for me as I write this from the Bradford Hotel in (you guessed it) Bradford where I have switched sports for a week and am covering the World Pool Championships.
Luckily, in an era of information overload it’s not like I am shut away from the racing action where the Benbatl story heads my news review this weekend. Those readers based in Australia will remember the now six-year-old as the horse beaten in to second by Winx in 2018, but we have never really taken to him as a star in his own right which may well now be our mistake. This season in Dubai he has looked as good as ever with a win on the turf in the Singspiel Stakes followed by a controversial decision to try him on the dirt ahead of a victory in the Al Maktoum Challenge. He won that with plenty left up his sleeve and looks likely to head to the Dubai World Cup as Godolphin’s number one based on that showing, but he didn’t really beat very much and lacks experience on the surface which could be his undoing.
Continuing in the same part of the World and the Saudi Cup card is certainly sneaking up on us with 66 early overseas entries from eight Countries looking for their share of the close to $30 million prize fund headed of course by the $20 million on offer for the Saudi Cup. Benbatl is also declared here as are a whole host of top American runners headed in my eyes by Maximum Security and it should be a race to remember if even some of the better horse declared bother to stand their ground.
As I am writing this, I have put myself on pause as I await the debut of Godolphin’s Express Route at Chelmsford in the 5.45pm. A son of Quality Road out of an A. P. Indy mare he cost a whopping $925,000 at the sales and is reported to be above average though I suspect he will come on for the experience. Race over (I used the pause button), and a poor second wasn't up to expectations but they like the winner a lot and he should go on to win a race or two though justifying his price tag looks sure to prove beyond him.
On to the weekend and will the real Altior please stand up? One run so far saw a second to Cyrname at Ascot after which Nicky Henderson has deemed him out of sorts since and he hasn’t run despite entries. Still a fan favourite and with a record of fourteen wins form fifteen starts over fences he will start odds on, and all racing fans should be hoping he wins imperiously before heading off to Cheltenham to defend his Champion Chase crown.
Even I can’t pretend he is a sensible suggestion at the prices, and I prefer to divert my attention to the first and last races on the Newbury card for punting purposes. No prices are available at this time for the Novice Hurdle at 1.15pm but I am rather hoping Chantry House will go off odds against. Nicky Henderson allegedly thinks a lot of the son of Yeats who laboured a little more than hoped on his hurdling debut last Cheltenham but will hopefully improve considerably for that experience. Bred to be better over further in time this may well be on the short side so don’t expect him to appear on the scene until late on, but he is expected to be top class over fences one day and should hopefully take this in his stride regardless.
The Denman Chase sees Native River trading heavily odds on and unless Might Bite gets back to his very best this ought to be a stroll in the park for the ten-year-old. I love the horse to bits as does trainer Colin Tizzard and may well be backing him in the Gold Cup come race day in March but for the moment, I will be happy to sit back and watch his jumping take this field apart.
One other horse may well go off odds on Saturday afternoon and that is Adrimel who has to hump around top weight in the bumper at 4.45pm as does Champagnesuperover who should be his market rival. I have heard a good word for Grand Lord who has come on the proverbial ton for a third at Argentan when trained in France and I know the stable think an awful lot of him. He should go off at a decent each way price but gets ten pounds from the market leaders and could well sneak into a place at a working mans’ price this afternoon.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Chantry House 1.15pm Newbury Saturday
Grand Lord each-way 4.45pm Newbury Saturday
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