Who knew when I commented on small fields last week that Ascot would give me some prime examples as the ground was considered (by some) to be faster than advertised which in turn led to a long list of non-runners (15 according to my maths), leaving fields of 3,1,5,2,4, 7, and 8 – I am so glad I didn’t bother turning up as a spectator on the day. I am not a trainer so unlike some I will not decry Nicky Henderson or Alan King for pulling out stable stars Constitution Hill and Edwardstone respectively, but I do wonder why the ground was as fast as it allegedly was (officially Good, Good to Soft in places), and looking on the BHA website, I could find no explanation. Having spoken to clerks in the past I suspect they were told more rain was on its way and when it failed to arrive, they were too late to water, but when racing is increasingly under the spotlight via social media and elsewhere, I would have expected an explanation on the Steward’s report, though of course it could be hiding elsewhere? I do wonder if the BHA should introduce a money back rule for less than X runners (whatever that number may be), and much as you could call it water under the bridge, you have to wonder about the negative impression left on anybody whose first ever trip to the races was Ascot last Saturday.
Meanwhile, it slipped under many a radar that the busier (and more successful) Flat jockeys are having a bit of a holiday, with a distinct lack of racing on the all-weather since last Saturday, and they will not be back in action until next Monday with the Newcastle Saturday card restricted to jockeys with 30 or less winners in the last year. With mental health at the focus these days, which is no bad thing, I can’t see an issue with a well-deserved break, but then again I am old enough to have been around pre all-weather when the Flat season came to an end in November, and we waited for Doncaster in March before it resumed in earnest.
Lastly, we saw an announcement this week about the new whip rules coming in next year, but as I am no jockey, armchair or otherwise, my opinion is worth zilch (don’t you wish other journalists had the same logic). What I can say is that a once a week whip panel looking at lengths of bans, disqualifications etc seems a good idea meaning the result will stand (for whip reasons at least) on the day, punters will be paid out, and life goes on as normal. That in itself can only be a good thing and we will all have to wait and see how they work with regard to how vigorously jockeys can ride their horses.
Fancy a podcast instead where I call a jockey by the wrong name repeatedly? Here you go…
On to the racing:
Friday
1.55pm Newbury
A disappointing five runners here over the two and a half miles at Newbury but it is still a strong looking field, and whoever wins here may well be worth following. Stage Star is the likely jolly for the Paul Nicholls yard, but I have had a major brainstorm and will be backing complete outsider Wonderwall, though admittedly with much reduced stakes. He would come up short of these rivals over hurdles with a maiden win at Doncaster, but he had every chance in Listed class at Huntingdon when falling at the last, and I am quietly confident he will be much much better over fences. Closely related to the classy Riverside Theatre I just think he may be bred for this game, and I can’t let him run unbacked at the forecast prices – even if it is to pennies.
3.05pm Newbury
I had to check the calendar at least twice to confirm it was a Friday afternoon and not the weekend when I saw the line-up for the Long Distance Hurdle which looks like it will force some major movements in the Stayers Hurdle market for Cheltenham if we see an easy winner. Paisley Park won this in 2019 and is a personal favourite, but he is a law unto himself and although perfectly capable of winning this on a going day, that cannot be guaranteed. Dashel Drasher is another old favourite I like but he tries this trip for the first time which has to add a question mark over his chances, and that leads me (almost reluctantly) to Nicky Henderson’s Champ. The ten-year-old loves it here at Newbury with four wins from five starts (two each over hurdles and fences), has raced over this sort of trip six times, winning three of them, and has won on his return from a break on numerous occasions, suggesting fresh may be the best time to catch him.
Saturday
12.45pm Newbury
An educational close to three mile novice chase that could tell us a lot about the Cheltenham chances of Thyme Hill who I suspect will start at a prohibitive price. A top-class stayer over hurdles with five wins and three second places, many of them at the highest level, and made a winning debit over fences when scoring by 17 lengths at Exeter. He did make a few mistakes that day, but hopefully he will learn from that and he appears to have a few pounds in hand today. Interestingly, McFabulous is his biggest rival according to the handicapper yet Paul Nicholls’ stable jockey Harry Cobden appears to have chosen to ride Gelino Bello who may be the one to make the jolly pull out all the stops.
1.00pm Newcastle
This has always been a pretty decent novice hurdle won by the then four-year-old Native River back in 2014 (where do the years go), but sadly they have dropped down like flies and we are left with a four runner race at best, with none of those I wanted to see bothering to take up the engagement. Mofasa has done very little wrong over hurdles with an easy maiden win at Uttoxeter followed by a half-length win at Cheltenham, with both races in October. He made a bad mistake at the last hence the small winning margin but was travelling better than any throughout, and now he has shown his battling qualities as well as his ability, he may well land his hat-trick.
1.55pm Newbury
Sometimes in this game you hear things and you feel you have to follow them up – some go the way you want them to, and most go awry but you cannot unhear something, and I was told last year that there was every chance that Constitution Hill and Jonbon may not even be the best novices in the Nicky Henderson yard. That prediction has obviously fallen a bit flat with the successful exploits of both of them at the highest level, but if Walking On Air was ever discussed in the same breath then he has to be well-handicapped off a mark of 132 for his handicap debut here. Second in his one bumper in March 2021, he won over hurdles here at Newbury in January this year with ease, but made a catalogue of errors at Newbury before being pulled up in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle. Sure to have been well schooled since, I refuse to believe he’s is only a handicapper, and if he is slick over his hurdles then he will take all the beating here.
2.03pm Bangor
I am trying to be more geographically diverse this week so we have a race from Bangor to work with and a “huge” field by today’s standards with nine runners currently declared. Gwennie May Boy was a shock winner when sent off an 80/1 shot before winning by over seven lengths in late October, and it seems more than fair to suggest that he will improve considerably for that education. He can go well but he does have to give 6lb got Grain d’Oudairies who is held in high regard at the Donald McCain yard, and they know exactly the sort needed having won this contest in 2014, 2016, and 2018. A son of Kapgarde and related to numerous French winners over hurdles and fences, he was beaten less than two lengths on his only start to date in a Hexham bumper and looks to have a bright future ahead of him, hopefully starting this afternoon with a victory.
2.10pm Newcastle
Fingers crossed the rain keeps falling and we get to see Constitution Hill in action after he missed last weekend because of unsuitable ground. He arrives here unbeaten over hurdles after taking all there starts last season, culminating in a wide-margin success in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle where he looked like a machine. Scarily for his opposition trainer Nicky Henderson reports he has grown and strengthened over the summer and if that is the case, we could well be witnessing something pretty special this afternoon, though at odds of 2/7 I won’t be getting involved financially. Stable companion Epatante may follow him home for any forecast backers out there, but I will just be keeping a watching brief.
2.30pm Newbury
In a contest that will always be known as the Gerry Fielden hurdle to me, we have a two mile handicap hurdle won last season by 8/1 shot Onemorefortheroad, and a race worth considering for a bit of value. I have gone through all the stats as always and they tell us as much as a politician (absolutely nothing), so we need to try a different method to predict the winner. Incredibly (well I think so), Nicky Henderson has won this eight times and placed with a further five of his 24 runners over the years, and with the exception of Ben Pauling, who doesn’t have a runner, he is the only trainer to win this more than once. With stable jockey Nico de Boinville in action at Newcastle Nicky relies on James Bowen for First Street and Nathen Brennan for Theatre Glory, and I wonder if the 7lb claimer may come out on top. Hie has a 17% strike rate over hurdles (James has 12%), and rode the five-year-old to success at Kelso back in March, so we have proof that he gets on well with the daughter of Fame And Glory who has won five of her six starts and may have even more to offer as she matures.
Sean’s Suggestions
Walking On Air 1.55pm Newbury
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