Hi all,
Today I’m delving into last week notebook and hopefully there are at least three future winners to be found. Plus, you can read my thoughts on Tuesday's feature race at Huntingdon.
Daily Punt Notebook:
It was an interesting weekend of racing which began at Down Royal on Friday. It was a Gordon Elliott benefit at Down Royal last weekend with the trainer saddling 11 of the 14 winners. The headline maker was Gerri Colombe landing the Grade 1 Champion Chase on Saturday. However, I was also impressed with a couple of his winners on Friday’s card.
Down Royal – Friday
Magical Zoe had race fitness on her side and was receiving 13lb from the returning Irish Point. But although she had every chance at the last, she couldn’t get pass Irish Point.
Irish Point had ended last season winning the Grade 1 Mersey Hurdle (2m 4f) at Aintree in April. The drop back didn’t faze the 5-year-old, but his future lies over further. He isn’t going to beat the likes of Constitution Hill over two miles so the Stayers Hurdle would look a better option for him. The Stayers Division is wide open and if he stays 3m he’s going to be a big player.
There’s still 20/1 available with Bet365, plenty of 16/1 around, for the Stayers Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and those odds appeal, and I have added him to my Cheltenham ante post portfolio.
Elliott unleashed an interesting recruit to the novice chase ranks in Found A Fifty who won the beginners’ chase (2m 3 ½ f).
Low sun meant half of the fences were omitted but that shouldn’t take away from a good chase debut from Found A Fifty.
Elliott has used this race to give the likes of Delta Work, Samcro, Envoi Allen & Mighty Potter their chase debuts in the past and Found A Fifty should take a high order in the novice chase division.
Found A Fifty is built to be a better chaser than a hurdler so the absence of fences probably wouldn’t have suited him. He could be headed to the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse next month. It’s a race Mighty Potter won last year after taking Friday’s race.
Down Royal – Saturday
I looked at Gerri Colombe’s win in Saturday’s Champion Chase in yesterday’s column. However, I did like run of stablemate Conflated in the same race. He jumped well out in front and was still bang there coming to the last. There’s talk that he may be aimed at the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. If that's correct you might as well lump on the 4/1 available with William Hill for that race as he will win it.
He’s not going to win a Gold Cup but the Grand National could be a good target for the former Grade 1 winning 9-year-old. Granted there’s no guarantee that he will stay the Grand National distance but the 33/1 available with Paddy Power for Aintree showpiece looks way too big to me.
Down Royal Eyecatcher
Foxy Girl – Henry De Bromhead
Foxy Girl made an encouraging handicap debut when a 4 length 3rd of 11 to Magic Tricks in the Listed Handicap Hurdle on Saturday’s card. The mare was returning from an 8 month absence so she should be sharper for this and although she does need to brush up her jumping there are races to be won with her.
Exeter – Friday
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle winner Stay Away Fay made a winning debut over fences in the three mile novice chase on the card. He looked beat three out, but he rallied to get up on the run in. He’s tough and his stamina won him the race. He deserves to take his chance in graded company after this but looks a thorough stayer and need of much further than 3m.
Broomfield Present – Kim Bailey
A winner of an Irish Point two years ago and winner of his two of his three starts over hurdles last season.
Bred to do better over the larger obstacles he made an encouraging chase debut when a 2 ¼ length 3rd of 12 to Make Me A Believer in the 3 mile handicap chase. Racing prominently, he lost his place in the straight but stayed on dourly all the way to the line. He stays very well and there are races to be won over fences with the lightly raced 7-year-old.
Aintree – Saturday
There were a couple of interesting performances on Saturday’s Aintree card.
I doubt there was a bigger eyecatcher all weekend than Icare Allen and he’ll have gone into plenty of notebooks after his 8 ½ length 3rd of 11 to Gentleman At Arms in the Pertemps Series Qualifier. Making steady headway from three out he got what looked to me like a very considerate ride in the closing stages. I wasn’t convinced he would stay Saturday’s 3m trip, but he did. He’s now qualified for the final at the Cheltenham Festival so it’s a case of job done. The 5-year-old must be high on the shortlist for that race now.
I mentioned in yesterday column that Percussion runner-up to Geeskille in the Grand Sefton Chase was firmly on track for next month’s Becher Chase. Well, you can add Nassalam as one who could go well in that race.
Returning for the first time since April the 6-year-old was doing his best work at the finish to take fourth. He wasn’t subjected to a hard race and 2m 4f looked on the short side here. He didn’t seem to stay on his two goes at around three mile last season. But he looks worth another try over that sort of distance especially if the ground isn’t too testing.
Wincanton – Saturday
Blackjack Magic winner of Saturday’s Badger Beer Handicap Chase is at the right end of the handicap and as a progressive staying handicap chaser could easily land another valuable pot this winter. I was also taken with run of one of his stablemates in the race.
Forward Plan – Anthony Honeyball
Forward Plan won of two of his five starts over fences last season and there was plenty to like about his return to action. Ultimately a well beaten 25 length 6th of 11 to his stablemate Blackjack Magic. He ran a lot better than his final position suggests as he probably needed the run and raced from 7lb out of the handicap. He’s eligible for lesser handicap chases than Saturday’s race and although he probably doesn’t want the ground to be to testing, he can win one off his present mark.
Tuesday Preview
We’ve lost Tuesday’s Fairyhouse card due to a waterlogged track. That leaves jumps fixtures at Huntingdon and Lingfield and all-weather cards at Newcastle and Wolverhampton.
Tuesday’s most valuable race is Huntingdon’s RhinoBet Michaelmas Handicap Hurdle (3:15).
Huntingdon
3:15 – Rhinobet Michaelmas Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) – 2m
Inca De Lafayette won at Wincanton on his seasonal return. He looked improved that day and a 10lb rise might not prevent him from following up.
Onemorefortheroad gained a second C&D success when making all to win this corresponding race two years back. Wasn’t at his best last season. But he's now 9lb below his last winning mark and should go well if the ground doesn’t ease too much.
Salsada put in a much improved performance when running Epatante to 6 ½ lengths in a Grade 2 mares’ hurdle at Doncaster in January and she wasn’t disgraced when a 9 ¼ length 5th of 10 Rubaud in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr on handicap hurdle debut. The handicapper has dropped her 4lb and back in this company has strong claims on seasonal return.
Moveit Like Minnie and Liverpool Knight have race fitness on their side. Both come into the race having won last time out and must be respected.
Imperial Bede won a C&D novice in January. But he didn’t build on that promise on two subsequent starts. He’s lightly raced though and could do better on his second season hurdling.
Lingfield
Given the form of the Venetia Williams chasers you must respect the claims of Oxygen in the 1:20. The ex-French recruit looked moderate on four starts over hurdles for the trainer last year. However, he shaped with promise on one start over fences in France and this is more likely the 5-year-old’s game.
Trainer Ollie Murphy operates at 19% win strike with his runners at Lingfield that improves to 26% when you focus on his runners over hurdles – 6 winners from 23 runners +12.46. He runs Halondo in the handicap hurdle (3:05). The 6-year-old is 1-6 over hurdles but goes well on soft ground and remains with potential.
Newcastle
2:50 – Primeval won her first two starts this summer over 6f but was a 4/5 beaten favourite on handicap debut at Kempton (7f) 53 days ago. Travelled strongly that day but didn’t find much in the final half furlong. The filly is likely good mark and should be suited by the drop back to 6f. Solray got off the mark at the third attempt when winning a C&D novice 46 days ago. The 3-year-old looks on a workable mark on handicap debut and his proven track form is a plus. Of the older horses Jump The Gun won a competitive C&D handicap 11 days ago. He’s only 3lb higher and although his profile suggests he probably won’t follow up he can’t be discounted.
Tuesday Selection:
I must confess I did back Dargiannini at Kempton at 11/4 even though I had said I was looking for more than 4/1. His trainer Harry Derham had been successful earlier on the card and that prompted me to take shorter odds than I had wanted. I hope I didn’t put anyone off yesterday’s selection if I did many apologies.
Long term you shouldn’t be taking less odds than you think a horse should be. But there must be room for flexibility and changing circumstances and Monday was one of those days.
I was going to go for one in the Huntingdon feature. But it looks a tricky race, and we don’t know how much rain they've had either. So, today’s selection is from Newcastle.
Newcastle
2:50 – Solray – 11/2 @ Bet365 & William Hill.
Good luck with your Tuesday bets.
John