More winners last week, nowhere near as perfect as I aim for but not to be sniffed at nonetheless and with some top class contrasts this weekend, I can only hope that we can find some more to go with them.
Before we get to that, did anyone see the ride given by jockey Johnny Charron at Cagnes-sur-Mer just over a week ago? Good as I may think I am with words I can’t even try to do this ride justice and suggest you have a look instead – suffice to say that if we think we have problems with non-triers in the saddle then a glance here suggests we are not the only ones with a problem, and I can’t wait to find out what reasons he gives at any future enquiry. Watch the race here and draw your own conclusions https://twitter.com/AtTheRaces/status/1334946826693337094?s=20
Back in the UK the arguments continue over low sun seeing fences and hurdles omitted – and I can’t find a right or wrong I am completely happy with. In the blue corner, we have punters asking for such races to be voided and they have a case - after all, if you made your selection based on the idea he or she would outjump their rivals, only to see a large percentage of the obstacles taken out of the equation, wouldn’t you feel more than a little hard done by? That said, in the red corner we have the opposing argument of where do you draw the line? Do we void races when a fence has to be omitted because of a stricken horse or jockey, or if there is a loose horse. What if your pick is interfered with by a faller, or there is a late jockey change, a confirmed front runner withdrawn, or an amendment to the official going – all of which change the way the race can or will be run. For me, reality kicks in and voiding a race for low sun could well be the start of a slippery slope and despite the likelihood of angering a few readers, common sense suggests we remain as we are – with the addition of a low sun warning well in advance from the clerk of the course, perhaps.
More good news this week for Hollie Doyle who came third in the star studded International Jockeys challenge in Hong Kong on Wednesday night and became the first female to ride a winner at the prestigious event on board the well backed Harmony N Blessed for trainer David Hayes. Clearly her star is in the ascendence and has been for some time here in the UK, but now the whole racing world has to sit up and take notice and it will be intriguing to see how her career pans out with so any new doors likely to open for her after such a noteworthy success.
On to the winners (well, hopefully).
Saturday
Cheltenham 12.40pm
When I pick the races for this article I look for quality – and then head off to the final fields, and although four runners is pretty disappointing, they all look as if they have some kind of chance in a race that could well go all tactical. Famous last words but I have already put a line through Lieutenant Rocco, who has plenty to find on official ratings but should pick up some worthwhile prize money even if he gets round in last place. Chantry House is very hard to gauge after a winning start over fences at Ascot where he made a couple of errors at his fences before warming to the task and pulling away for an easy success. He needs to do more here but has always been seen as a chaser and representing the Nicky Henderson yard he is impossible to write off as easily as that. That said, his stable have won four of the last ten runnings but they are also represented by Fusil Raffles who won his first two starts at this game before jumping badly and pulling up here over two miles. Upped in trip he isn’t guaranteed to get home in a truly run race but that may not be the case here, though his jumping is a major concern. Quel Destin is the last of the quartet today and he failed to land my bets when a distant second here on his chasing bow in November. Another upped in trip today I cannot simply abandon him after one defeat and in receipt of five pounds from likely favourite Chantry House, he can hopefully expose any faults in that rival’s jumping and come home in front for the Paul Nicholls stable who remain in good sorts.
Cheltenham 1.50pm
Time for the obligatory one handicap a week and we have a good one here with the favourite trading at 6/1 a major clue as to just how competitive this is. Two and a half miles plus await the large field here though I do note that we haven’t seen a winning jolly in the last decade which has to a be worry for favourite backers. I won’t even pretend I think I can find the winner because life just isn’t that easy, but I am sorely tempted to risk a little each way on Benatar at these weights for local to me trainer Gary Moore. On the downside, we haven’t seen him in action since January 2019 which is a clear concern, but the stable’s horses have been running well lately (he landed a treble on Tuesday at Fontwell), and better still, he runs off a mark six pounds lower than his last win and is potentially very well handicapped making him sorely tempting. Others to look at include Midnight Shadow (12/1), Southfield Stone (20/1), and Romain De Senam (14/1) and I may well include all four mentioned in forecasts and a tricast but only to the smallest of small fun stakes.
Cheltenham 2.25pm
Three miles over hurdles next for the novices here in what I will always call the Bristol Novices’ Hurdle regardless of any change of sponsor. Dan Skelton’s Ashtown Lad heads the early markets after wins at Wetherby and Uttoxeter and is getting better all the time, and should reverse earlier Wetherby form with Ask A Honey Bee over this trip which seems more likely to be in his favour. He is a worthy favourite but isn’t any value to me at 5/2 and like a mug I will be looking elsewhere, though there are plenty of decent sorts to choose from. Danny Kirwan made all to win over shorter at Ascot last time out but isn’t bred for this trip in my opinion and may well be swamped late on by those with more stamina, though as we don’t even have a solitary distance winner to work, with we are second guessing once again. Nigel Twiston-Davies is a trainer I have a lot of time for and I note that he has won this with Blaklion in 2014, Wholestone in 2016, and Redford Road last year so he clearly knows the sort required hence my each way suggestion of Took The Lot today. Priced at 9/1 the six year old is looking for his hat trick after a couple of easy wins at Bangor, and although this is much tougher, he should go close at a decent price. The other one that intrigues is Nick Mitchell’s Promising Milan, a once raced point to point winner over this sort of trip at Damma House in Ireland who is thrown in at the deep end for his hurdling bow. It may be because connections just fancy a shot at the big time – or it might be because he is showing something special at home, who knows, and with Tom Scudamore booked to ride I will be watching his run with interest.
Cheltenham 3.00pm
For me, one of the races of the day, but not as clear cut as the rest of the racing media will have you believe. Goshen heads the market for Sussex handler Gary Moore, largely based on his unlucky loss in the Triumph Hurdle when he unseated Jamie Moore at the last when going a long way clear of his field. It has to be said that he has been the beaten favourite on both outing on the flat since then and arrives here with just the four starts over hurdles to his name before taking on these far more experienced rivals, yet Gary seems amazingly bullish (for him) and describes the son of Authorized as the best he has ever trained. He needs to win this to justify all the hype and may well do so, though if you prefer an each way alternative I would suggest Silver Streak could go well at a price having beaten Verdana Blue pretty easily at Kempton before being carried out in the Fighting Fifth by the wayward Not So Sleepy in a race we can clearly put a line through.
Fairyhouse 2.47pm
A proper beginners chase with up to twelve runners due to go to post, ensuring a truly run race and a competitive contest which is what I want to see on a Saturday afternoon. With no past running to look through for a guide we are down to a combination of what we have seen on the track and the form of the trainers and jockeys involved, and that seems to me to point in the direction of Captain Guinness though any bets struck come with a built in risk so you have been warned. The winner of a maiden hurdle at Navan, he followed that with a second to Andy Dufresne at Punchestown before being bought down at the fourth in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival after which we all looked forward to this season with eager anticipation. Sent off at odds on for his debut over fences at Tipperary it wasn’t to be as he ran as if something was amiss before pulling up before five out and being found to be “clinically abnormal” by the racecourse vet. I cannot pretend to know what that means in any further detail, but we have to assume he is over that to be sent to the track again by Henry De Bromhead, and if he is back to his best, he should win this with a clear round. Thatsy would be my idea of the each way alternative but overall, I am happy enough with my suggestion in a tough race to try and call.
Doncaster 2.05pm
As I write The Mighty Don is still declared for Cheltenham Friday in which case I doubt we see him here, which will only make life that little bit easier for Ofalltheginjoints, Colin Tizzard’s six-year-old who stayed on strongly to win over three miles at Exeter on his second start over fences. He will need the chance to bring his stamina in to play in this small field, and seems to lack a turn of foot, and although he seems sure to head the market, the in and out form of the Tizzard stable is enough to make me look elsewhere. House Island never looked as if he stayed this trip over hurdles and is passed over for that reason, so I will weigh in with Hurricane Harvey as my suggestion. Yet to try this trip, he ran on well over shorter at Uttoxeter to beat Emitom on his chasing bow and wasn’t as disgraced as it seems at first glance when put in his place by multiple winner Ga Law at Wincanton, and if he improves as I expect for the step up in trip, he could easily prove too good for these.
Doncaster 2.40pm
Just the five starts here for this juvenile hurdle but three of them won last time out, one of them was second – and the other is seeing hurdles for the very first time in public. Monmiral is clearly the one the others have to beat after winning on debut for trainer Francois Nicolle at Auteuil and again on his debut for Paul Nicholls at Exeter. He did jump left that day but that won’t hurt too much around Doncaster, and with further improvement likely, he can win this and garner more column inches no doubt, being part owned by Sir Alex Ferguson. Glorious Zoff looks a serious danger and hasn’t been kept over from Ireland by Gordon Elliott for the fun of it, but his second to Le Magnifique at Sedgefield looks a few pounds short of the form of his rival, and he may well have to settle for second place once again.
Sunday
Carlisle 12.00pm
Not the best Sunday cards we have ever seen and no point in writing about races of little interest – though I tough I would come up with one to keep you amused at least. Two miles and a furlong over hurdles await the runners here, and if all eight stand their ground overnight, we even have the luxury of a place one two three for a change. Sadly for us punters, the majority of the eight don’t look very good on what we have seen so far, but something has to win by definition, and I am rather hoping that horse will be Sextant who is head and shoulders above all of these and would win with his head in his chest – if they removed all the hurdles. Formerly trained on the flat by Sir Michael Stoute, he won five of his fourteen races at up to Listed class, and has had the one run for his new connections since being bought for 76,000 Guineas at the Autumn Sales when a length third over a mile and a half at Kempton. Naturally, we have to take a risk that he can jump, but the reality is he hasn’t been overfaced here for his debut over obstacles and trainer Keith Dalgleish is as adept as any at getting them schooled for the winter game, though I freely admit my bet would be considerably larger were the stable in better form with just the two winners from twenty-nine attempts in the last two weeks.
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Sean’s Suggestions:
Hurricane Harvey 2.05pm Doncaster Saturday
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