It’s hard to know where to start other than to say that every time I wonder about the powers that be in British racing I only need to look at the Irish equivalent to realise just how efficient we are – in comparison. I don’t know the ins and outs (no-one seems to as it is anything but public knowledge), though we are aware that trainer Homer Scott has voluntarily handed in his licence after some serious equine welfare issues were raised about his Listeen Stud. As things stand (and we can only hope this is not the end of the matter), he appears to have “escaped” any hearing for now, while the Irish authorities refuse to divulge any more details. Sorry but that stinks as far as I and many others are concerned and comes with the risk that if this is not taken any further, the sport could be seen to be brushing things under a carpet. In the year 2023 when animal welfare is paramount, and rightly so to a point, that attitude just isn’t acceptable, though I am delighted to see that the Racing Post for one don’t seem willing to simply let this go. I cannot draw any conclusions towards guilt or innocence with so little to go on, but I can say this needs to be brought out in to the spotlight one way or another and leaves racing with a stain on its character regardless of whether we are talking Ireland or the UK.
Luckily, we have a bit of good news to balance out this week’s article thanks to the return to race riding of Oisin Murphy. We have all made mistakes and we have all done things wrong (in my case the list is endless), and I am confident the racing world with give the three-time Champion jockey the clean slate and support he needs as he returns after a 14 month ban. Every sport needs its superstars and Oisin is certainly one of those, and although I am writing this ahead of his first race back at Chelmsford Thursday evening, I am quietly confident the Essex racegoers will give him a round of applause before or after he gets on board Jupiter Express in the 6.00pm tonight.
On to the racing:
Saturday
Haydock 1.30pm
They say that patience is a virtue and those of us waiting for Gary Moore’s Bo Zenith to return to the track may finally get our way this afternoon. As I have written before (many times!), the four-year-old arrived from France after a victory at Auteuil and was considered the stable’s number one Triumph Hurdle hope, but failed to live up to that billing with a pretty lacklustre display when a distant third at Sandown when sent off the odds-on jolly. If that is as good as he is then he will really struggle to see off the Paul Nicholls trained Afadil who is currently unbeaten over hurdles after wins at Taunton and Musselburgh, but I stubbornly refuse to believe that Sandown saw his true running, and I will happily give him another chance this afternoon.
Ascot 1.50pm
Bold Endeavour looks likely to go off the odds-on favourite here after wins at Leicester and Doncaster but sometimes you have to take a chance, and Sam England’s Kinondo Kwetu looks a worthy adversary. After winning his last two starts over hurdles he was switched to fences and arrives here with five wins on the bounce, the latest at Aintree when he was produced late to score with a bit left up his sleeve. According to the official ratings he has to find another 8lb to bother the Henderson beast but I don’t think we have seen the best of him just yet and at a better price, he does look the value call.
Haydock 2.05pm
This doesn’t look the strongest ever renewal of this three mile plus contest that has been won by the likes of Reve De Sivola and Zarkandar in the past, and the early betting certainly suggests it could be a tightly matched affair. Erne River heads the betting after coming home second to Silver Flyer at Doncaster in December, but he is returning from a wind operation and there is a chance he may need this to put himself straight. If that is the case, then Itchy Feet is the one for me, rated the same as the favourite but at a better if not brilliant price. Last time out he won at Huntingdon despite idling a little once he hit the front and although others may be put off by his age, he is only nine and this has been won three times by that age group in the last 10 years, and three times by his elders.
Ascot 2.25pm
Just the 12 runnings to work with here but the stats gave us a shortlist of two last week including the 9/1 winner – but I went for the wrong one when it came to a final decision, and am still angry with myself about that. Running though the maths (it’s boring but if it works who cares?), and I note: No winner has been priced bigger than 10/1 (100%), all winners came from the first six in the market at the off (100%), all were aged between seven and eleven (100%), none had raced in the last 15 days (100%), 11 had raced in the last 90 days (92%), 11 were rated 135 or above (92%), 11 had raced four times or less this season (92%), and 11 who completed last time out came home in the first five (91%). Add those together and we end up with a new shortlist of two - Phoenix Way and Revels Hill. Personally (and after last week), I will be backing them both, but for this article I need to come to a conclusion and note that as they are both trained by Harry Fry (complete coincidence), there is no point in looking at trainer form! Revels Hill is rated 137 here with his best win off a mark of 129 while, Phoenix Way has won twice off his current mark of 140 and with Lorcan Murtagh good value for his 3lb claim from the saddle, he will me my pick each way today.
Wincanton 3.12pm
In a four horse ace I was a touch surprised to see I Like To Move It third in the betting when you consider he remains on target for the Champion Hurdle where the Twiston-Davies team seem pretty confident he can attack the places if nothing else. A winner on his seasonal return in December when giving weight away to all of his rivals in the Greatwood Hurdle, he did disappoint when only sixth in the Relkeel Hurdle but that was over half a mile further and this looks more like his best trip. I can’t pretend he is a good thing here, and he may even have to make his own running in this line-up, but he most certainly shouldn’t be outclassed and could well provide the shock of the afternoon here.
Ascot 3.35pm
Heart rules head time for the big race of the day despite only six going to post for the Ascot chase. Irish raider Fakir D’oudairies heads the betting at 7/4 for Joseph O’Brien and is an obvious contender, while Paul Nicholls, responsible for so many odds on defeats last Saturday, seems pretty sweet on the chances of Pic D’Orhy, unbeaten after three starts over fences this season. Both deserve the utmost respect, but why is Shishkin only third in the early betting? Nicky Henderson’s nine-year-old is an absolute class act at his best and rated 10lb or more superior to all his rivals, yet he has gone off the boil a bit lately, pulling up in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham last March, and a 15 length third to Edwardstone in the Tingle Creek in December. There is a school of thought that a monster battle with Energumene at Ascot in January 2022 has finished him for good, but that would be the sort of challenge trainer Nicky Henderson loves so I am not willing to write hm off just yet. Nicky is convinced that the gelding now needs a step up in trip hence the added five furlongs this afternoon, and if that is correct, he is too big at the current 11/4 and he is the one I would prefer to be on accordingly.
Haydock 4.25pm
Thirteen novices are currently declared for this three mile plus hurdle, and with eight of them a winner last time out, it sems fair to suggest it’s a tricky one to try and solve. The King Of Ryhope looks interesting after just the three starts, winning a point-to-point at Lingstown before a second at Carlisle and an easy win at Exeter over hurdles, and he looks likely to go well for the Skeltons, but at the prices I am sorely tempted to give Saint Palais another chance. Yet to score over hurdles, he has won four of his six starts over fences and scored comfortably enough at Uttoxeter in a Grade Two last March, yet he retains his novice status over hurdles. He was well supported on his return to the smaller obstacles at Bangor but failed to live up to expectations with a last of five, but he is undoubtedly well weighted here if he can reproduce his chasing form over the smaller obstacles, and at an each way price, he could be a risk worth taking.
Sean’s Suggestions
Shishkin 3.35pm Ascot
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