Hi all,
Newbury and Warwick beat the weather to race on Saturday. It proved an informative afternoon at Newbury with plenty of Cheltenham signals.
Inside today’s main piece I’m looking back at Saturday’s highlights.
Newbury: Heavy Ground, Heavy Statements at Newbury
The weather was foul and the ground heavy. Those watching from home probably had the best seat in the house.
Saturday’s class came from four small-field Grade 2 races across the two tracks. However, the most valuable race on the card was Newbury’s big handicap – the William Hill Hurdle.
Tutti Quanti was top-rated on 138, with only five horses rated 131+. There were times, not so long ago, when you needed a mark of 135 just to get into a handicap like this. It’s a sad situation. There simply isn’t the horse population, and it’s not helped by a plethora of easy Pattern hurdle opportunities for horses who might otherwise contest races like this.
Tutti Quanti Tears the Handicap Apart
Fifteen went to post for the William Hill Hurdle, with Hot Fuss a morning non-runner. As it turned out, it was the top weight who pulverised his 15 rivals.
They went a strong gallop in the conditions, and I thought Tutti Quanti was going too quick to get home. Indeed, the two who made the early running with the winner ended up well beaten. Clearly, Harry Cobden knew he was riding a horse well ahead of his mark and rode him accordingly.
Tutti Quanti galloped his rivals into submission and never looked like being caught in the straight. You don’t often see valuable handicap hurdles won as easily as that especially under 12-00. Heavy ground can accentuate winning distances and most of his rivals didn’t like the ground. That said it was some performance.
Not surprisingly, there was immediate talk of a Champion Hurdle bid. He would need to be supplemented for next month’s race and might need testing ground. But in an open year, with a rapidly improving horse, why not roll the dice after a performance like that?
Make A Stand made all to win this race from a mark of 140 in 1997 before going onto win the Champion Hurdle a month later. So, history shows the double can be done.
Sober Glory: Supreme Credentials Stamped
Sober Glory was impressive when making all to win the opening novice hurdle. He had a 10lb penalty to carry but still ran out a very easy winner. The time was good and this a smart novice hurdler.
In an open-looking year, he must be considered a serious Supreme contender after this. If he was trained by Willie Mullins, he wouldn’t be 16/1 for the Cheltenham opener that’s for sure.
Haiti Couleurs: Denman Power Play
Haiti Couleurs made a successful step into Graded company when making all to win the Grade 2 Denman Chase and is now firmly on course for a Cheltenham Gold Cup bid.
Sean Bowen controlled the race from the front. You could be critical of his jumping early, but once the pace increased, he improved markedly particularly over the fences in the straight and pulled clear of L’Homme Presse after the last.
He deserves his place in the Gold Cup line-up. What he will need, though, is a proper slog that brings his key asset stamina into play. They will go a quicker pace in a Gold Cup, and if handles that and his jumping holds up, then if he’s still in touch turning in, there won’t be many who see out 3m2f better than him.
Lulamba Winning While Learning
Lulamba had to be ridden out to win the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase. It was fairly comfortable at the line, but it wasn’t a flawless performance by the favourite.
His jumping was novicey early. Class, however, came to the fore, and his superiority over some good two-miler albeit handicappers was clear at the finish.
He’ll have learnt plenty from the race and his Arkle chance looks unchanged. The further they went, the better he looked. Two miles might be on the short side for him now, and he will likely stay three miles in time.
That doesn’t mean he can’t win an Arkle. Many of his rivals also look like they want further, and last year’s winner Jango Baie still landed the race despite needing a longer trip. One horse who could have too much speed for him on good ground, however, is Kargese who impressed me last week at the DRF and I haven’t even mentioned her stablemate Kopek Des Bordes who is back from an injury.
Warwick: Steel Ally Shines
The official going was described as heavy, but on the clock, it rode closer to soft and was nowhere near as attritional as Newbury.
On official ratings, Jubilee Alpha looked to have the Listed Warwick Mares' Hurdle at her mercy. But she doesn’t find much off the bridle and didn’t see it out as strongly as the well-backed Hollygrove Cha Cha. The winner gained cheap lengths at the start to establish a clear lead. Her jockey controlled the race from then onwards and was never headed. A smart call by trainer Jamie Snowden to switch her back to hurdles in what proved a weak contest.
Mambonumberfive lost his unbeaten record over fences in the Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices' Chase. He never found a fluent jumping rhythm and the warning signs were clear early in the race. Around Warwick, rhythm is everything and he never had it.
That left Steel Ally to make it 3–3 over fences. He’s a good novice chaser, ground versatile with a willing attitude, An Arkle entry looks likely, but he shapes like a horse who will be better suited by further in Grade 1 company. The Manifesto Novices’ Chase over 2m4f at Aintree could be a much more natural fit.
Kingston Queen Reigns
The Grade 2 Jane Seymour Mares' Novices' Hurdle, rescheduled from Sandown, was Warwick’s most valuable race of the day. Kingston Queen, third last time to Supreme favourite Old Park Star, battled on well on the run in to reel in White Noise close home. The race developed into a speed test, which played to her strengths.
White Noise lost nothing in defeat she’s up to this level but anything she achieves over hurdles is a bonus, as she’s very much bred to be a chaser.
Both the winner and runner-up are daughters of St Leger winner Kingston Hill.
The disappointment of the race was the 7/2 favourite Good Girl Kathleen. The Irish raider, trained by Emmet Mullins, was the first beaten coming into the straight and back from a short break ran as if something was amiss. It might pay to forgive this effort.
Monday Racing
Plumpton
3:15 – Alto Alto is real course specialist all five of his career wins have come here (0 from 20 elsewhere). He’s also won the last two renewals of this and can race off from 3lb lower than 12 months ago. Has been below form on both this season’s starts but back in this race and on soft ground he should make a bold bid for a sixth course victory.
Good luck with your Monday bets.
John