Jump Racing Restructure
Last week I received an e-mail from the BHA regarding a change to the structure of jump racing, but I felt I needed a little bit more time to digest it before making any comment. The objective is (apparently), and I quote “to strengthen the performance in the upper tier of British Jump Racing”. Naturally that involves ways to increase prize money at the top end of the sport, though the rest looks a little like smoke and mirrors to me. Grade Three handicaps will be renamed Premier handicaps (I can hardly contain my excitement), while Listed handicaps will disappear completely and either be upgraded to Garde Two or Premier Status – or downgraded to Class Two. Personally, I do not see any benefits or losses in a few name changes, but more importantly, certain races have had their statuses downgraded (not necessarily handicaps), with the Finale Juvenile hurdle at Chepstow now a Grade Two (was a Grade One), the Summit Juvenile hurdle at Doncaster now a Listed race (was a Grade Two), and the Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle at Chepstow now a Class Two (was a Grade Three).
Far more interestingly (unless I have missed something) is the news that from the first of October this year juveniles and novices will need to have raced four times (up from three) before they can run in Class One or Two handicap hurdles with the objective to make sure the handicapper has a better idea of their abilities. Thank goodness British trainers can only count to three and will thus give them runs around to get a low handicap mark as some have in the past and will then show their hands and everything will be right in the World – just imagine if they thought to do the same thing for a fourth race – the mind boggles – though this only applies to certain races.
If your name’s not down you aren’t coming in.
Speaking of National Hunt racing (and trust, me, I cut that short to avoid your boredom), what does everyone else think about limiting crowds at the Cheltenham festival – and is this all just a ruse to argue for a fifth day? A cut of approximately 5,000 a day will obviously hurt their income stream (though they might sell more drink), but the truth is, it still won’t be easy to move around in March regardless. I suspect those who manage to get tickets will see it as a good idea, those who fail will have the opposite view, but the reality is they had similar crowds with less facilities in the past, and I have to wonder exactly who they are trying to please?
British racing is in the decline -or is it?
On to the fall and fall of British racing – woe is me (as Ron and I have discussed numerous times), the World is coming to an end and our racing is just plain rubbish from top to bottom. Imagine my surprise then when the latest “charts” came out for international racing where Baeed in the best horse in the World, William Buick the second best jockey, Dubawi and Frankel in the top five sires, and Charlie Appleby the top trainer. Of course, that does not mean we don’t have work to do, but perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel with our racing still seen as the best in the World bar none.
In other news – the Pope is Catholic…
Next up we have the breaking of cover by Paul Roy, former BHA Chairman but what did he really say that even I already knew? More performance indicators, a clear agreed plan for the future, and racing pulling together were the main points (along with other details that will suit some and not others), but the fact that he felt it necessary to say it is the bigger concern, suggesting those in power at present already know and if they don’t, that is really scary.
Lastly, how can I not at least give a passing mention to Baeed. I am guessing we all have our sporting favourites, often defined by a period of our lives, and I struggle to hear him being compared to Frankel (the best I have ever seen), but I am reluctantly beginning to admit that he may be the next best thing. His demolition of a very good yardstick in Mishriff had to be seen to be believed but in case we forget, he beat that rival by seven lengths of so, five lengths less than Pyledriver did at Ascot, and no-one thinks he is a true superstar. I know that is being picky (I am just making a Frankel based point), and it isn’t his fault that there is a shortage of decent horses to take him on, but he seems 99% certain to go to the Champion Stakes to beat nothing on his last start before sailing off into the sunset. As mentioned last week horses get better with age, the Dubai Royal family can’t be short of a dirham or two so retiring him to stud cannot be for economic reasons – so why oh why cant’ he stay in training to find out just how good he really is?
On to the racing….
Saturday
Sandown 2.05pm
Anyone who wasn’t taken with the debut victory of Laurel at Newmarket needs to go to Specsavers, after the daughter of Kingman strolled home in a pretty decent time, cruising clear despite looking as if she may get blocked for a run when needed. Yes this is a step up in class but she looked a filly of enormous potential that day, and she may well be up this and then some before being kept in training next year when I suspect we will finally see her at her very best.
Sandown 2.40pm
I am quietly confident that the unbeaten Wahaaj would be a much shorter price if he was in a better known stable and he can go well, but I am pretty sweet on the chances of Defence of Fort. Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam has handled classic winners in the past, and although his string is somewhat diminished these days, he thinks the son of Starspangledbanner may be good enough to head to the 2000 Guineas next year. Once raced, he was backed from 331/ to 12/1 before putting five lengths of daylight between himself and the rest of the field at Ascot over this trip, and as he looked as green as grass, I am confident there is plenty more improvement to come.
Chester 3.05pm
This all about the weights carried in my view wit the best horse carrying ten stone and having to give lumps of weight away all round. Loft may be trained in Germany, by the has already travelled abroad this year, winning a Grade Two race at Belmont (New York) last time out, and he has no stamina issues with both wins this season over two miles. He is a class act and could be capable of giving 22lbs to the likes of Typewriter and the improving River Of Stars, who is my idea of his biggest danger, but if we are lucky, he can use his gears to good effect dropping in class on his first start in the UK.
Curragh 3.10pm
It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Ryan Moore rides here despite the riches and kudos of York this afternoon, and I suspect that one of the reasons is Aesops Fables, a once raced son of No Nay never, who won easily on his first start at Navan over shorter in April and has been rested ever since. He still holds a long list of fancy entries in the Autumn (National Stakes, Middle Park Stakes, and Dewhurst Stakes, all Group One), and I wonder if the rest was to allow him to be more competitive later in the season? Either way, his stable has won seven of the last nine runnings of this contest and know exactly the sort needed, and with Ryan on board he is clearly the stable number one today.
Curragh 3.45pm
Meditate would be the obvious pick here with her three runs three wins record, but she is yet to set my pulse racing and I have decided to look for an each way alternative in this line-up in the search for better value. Joseph O’Brien has won the last two runnings of this and he saddles both Thornbrook and Zoinoccent who warrant plenty of respect, but I am going to take a risk on Gan Teorainn, which apparently means infinite goodness – even if I can’t pronounce it. I have always been a huge fan of trainer Jim Bolger, a bit of a forgotten man in some circles since the O’Brien domination of Irish racing, and if he thinks the son of Saxon Warrior (same sire as the much shorter priced Thornbrook out of interest), then who am I to argue. Second first time out, he followed that with a very easy win over the mile at Naas, and at odds much bigger than the favourite she looks worth a small bet with a place the minimum I am hoping for.
Sandown 5.35pm (handicap)
Everybody loves a handicap (if they get it right of course), and although this is “only” a Class Four over five furlongs, it still looks pretty competitive to me. The early tissue suggests that Chipstead may go off at the head of the market which is a real shame, because he is the one I like! He runs off a mark of 84 here, 1lb higher than his last win in September last year but is clearly in good form with a half-length second in a much better race at Windsor on the first of the month. This will be his first run at Sandown where I am hoping the stiff finish will suit him perfectly, and when you consider he has only raced over the five furlongs twice – winning both of them at Bath – you can hopefully see my reasons for optimism.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Laurel 2.05pm Sandown
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