Plenty of interesting news to cover once again this week with a real “good news” item to start with via a press release from Cheltenham yesterday morning (Thursday). Some kind soul (let the rumour mills go in to overdrive on this one) has sponsored the Grade Two Mares Novices’ Hurdle on St Patricks Day at the Cheltenham Festival but he or she has now out the whole package up for auction in aid of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
As well as the opportunity to have their name or company name splashed all over television and the racing press, the winning bidder gets a Festival preview with Champion jockey Richard Johnson, as well as hospitality for thirty guests on race day, and although I won’t be at the auction next Tuesday at the Greenhouse Charity Dinner in Mayfair, I await the results with interest after a real “good news” story that has brought a tear to my eye and reminds me there are still some decent people in the World today.
Meanwhile, it looks as though the idea for weighing horses before racing (I was one of those championing the idea with the HBF) has died a slow and agonising death with the BHA considering that those within the industry simply weren’t interested. Although I do see that as a slap in the face, I can see the logistical and cost issues being a problem while the information would potentially be too late for punters on the day with all the racing media having gone to press long before any weights were announced. That said, the little devil on one of my shoulders wonders whether some trainers didn’t like the idea of being “caught out” running an overweight horse, and it did look like an opportunity to avid the very annoying “well he will come on considerably for that run” that we all too often get from trainers AFTER a short priced fancy has come home well beaten.
Back to the horses instead of the people now and my first chance to mention that we had wo winners out of three last week and neither were odds on either. All good stuff and hopefully enough to keep you all interested though I am, as always fearful of the “bounce” factor where I follow a winning week with a losing one – though that is obviously never the plan. Rains have been falling in bucketloads around the Country this week causing handful’s of non-runners as well as the obligatory shock results, so we need to do our best to avoid those pitfalls, so I am risking a Newmarket focus as we all know it drains as well or better than anywhere. It’s classy stuff from start to finish but not all easy to predict, so this week we will settle for two, and may I dare to suggest we reduce our stakes and keep some of last week’s profits?
Etoile looked a nice filly in the making when winning on her debut at Naas
and although Ryan Moore presumably prefers the chances of Tango in the Cheveley Park Stakes at 2.25pm he isn’t always correct. Priced at a double figure price I will be backing her each way, and doubling up with Threat in the Middle Park Stakes at 3.00pm. He does face a tough ask against the likes of Earthlight and others, but he is another double figure option and as he travels so well in his races he could surprise them all for the Richard Hannon stable.
Horses To Follow:
An unusual one to add to our ever -growing list this week as Dr Richard Newland has a future winner on his hands in Net Love, third in a Warwick novice hurdle on Monday when running on strongly over two miles and five. He has the stamp of a chaser when connections decide to switch codes but this is a very shrewd and capable yard who do very well considering the size of their string, and I will be surprised if they can’t find a three mile handicap some time soon for the five-year-old mare.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Etoile (Each Way) 2.25pm Newmarket Saturday
Threat (Each Way) 3.00pm Newmarket Saturday
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