Morning all,
A new month and the clocks have gone back, making the next five months even more depressing than they need to be. It also means the racing starts much earlier in the day.
The Irish flat season came to end yesterday at a very wet Naas. The English one finally exits stage left at Doncaster on Saturday. If you like your flat action you must look towards Australia and the US this week. At 4am tomorrow UK time it’s the Melbourne Cup. I used to set my alarm to watch the “race that stops a nation”. Maybe it’s a lack of international jockey’s or a decline in international runners but It’s not a race I will be getting up early for this year or even have a bet in.
Next weekend’s Breeders Cup is another matter altogether. Del Mar – “where the surf meets the turf” plays hosts to this year’s Breeders Cup. It should be a fantastic couple of days of high class racing and for the first time you’ll be able to watch all the action on ITV on Friday & Saturday evening.
More on the Breeders Cup in Thursday’s column. Inside today’s main piece I look back some highlights from Saturday’s action at Wetherby & Down Royal. Plus, I look at couple of races on an excellent Kempton card.
Drama in the Charlie Hall
Wetherby biggest days racing of the season Charlie Hall Day provided plenty of drama for racegoers and TV viewers.
You probably won’t’ see a more fortunate big race winner this season than Fusil Raffles who took advantage of Shan Blue’s fall three out.
Last year’s winner Cyrname was deposed as race favourite at the off by the well backed Shan Blue. Cyrname had been bidding to give Paul Nicholls a memorable few minutes after Frodon’s win in the Grade 1 at Down Royal. He travelled keenly in the early part of the race and jumped ok. However, going onto the second circuit he didn’t seem too comfortable to me.
Shan Blue was always well positioned chasing Cyrname. Coming into the straight he swept past the leader and quickly went clear of the field. He only had the jump the final three fences and the Charlie Hall was his for the taking. Unfortunately for his backers he came down at the third last.
Had his big effort around the home turn taken its toll or was it just one of those things?
I think it was a case of the latter. Harry Skelton asked his mount to pop it when he should have attacked the fence. There will be other days for Shan Blue, maybe the King George on Boxing Day, a meeting that he won the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase over the King George distance.
Cyrname had no answer to Shan Blue’s effort and the tank soon emptied. He was pulled up before the last. He’s now pulled up on his last three starts and surely retirement beckons for the 9-year-old.
Fusil Raffles looked booked for a distant second before Shan Blue departed. At least the 6-year-old proved his stamina for three miles, as he held off the stayer Kitty’s Light to claim a good pot for connections.
Jump racing at its best
Just the five went to post for the Ladbrokes Champions Chase at Down Royal. Still the five did include a Gold Cup winner in Minella Indo and King George winner in Frodon. You don’t need a big field to provide an exciting race and we saw that again on Saturday.
Frodon went from the front and soon established a good lead with Minella Indo in second. Frodon set a good honest test. His jumping was as good as ever in the hands of Bryony Frost, albeit I thought the other jockeys allowed her too much rope out in front.
Four where still in with chance coming into the straight. At the last Galvin came to challenge Frodon and for a few strides I thought Galvin would overhaul the long time leader. He stayed on well all the way to the line but Frodon isn’t the easiest pass and he battled on well to hold off Galvin’s challenge.
I said in Thursday’s race preview that Galvin could emerge as a genuine Gold Cup contender and he showed on Saturday that he will be able to mix it in Grade 1 company. Hopefully connections will now aim the progressive 7-year-old at jump racing ‘blue riband’ contest. The 33/1 that was available last week has gone but you can still back Galvin at 20/1 for the Gold Cup and those odds still seem fair to me.
Minella Indo held off Delta Work for third. Before the race Ruby Walsh said Minella Indo needed the run. The Gold Cup hero wasn’t as hard fit as either the winner or runner-up. He should come on a bundle for this run and remains the one they all must beat in this season’s Grade 1 staying chases.
Delta Work also had a good blow. He’s 1-5 on his seasonal reappearance compared to 5-8 on his second and third start of the season. He could be set for a good season providing the ground isn’t too testing.
All in all, a fantastic race with a great winner who had been prepared perfectly for his “Gold Cup”.
Monday racing
There are jump cards at Hereford and Plumpton this afternoon. Racing is back on the beach at Laytown. And there are all-weather fixtures at Kempton and this evening at Wolverhampton.
It’s an excellent card at Kempton for a Monday afternoon. The feature race of an eight-race card is the Listed, perhaps wrongly named as it’s been run during the afternoon, Floodlit Stakes (3:05). The following race, London Middle Distance Series Final Handicap (3:40) isn’t too shabby either.
Kempton
3:05 – Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Floodlit Stakes (Listed Race) – 1m 4f
Hamish beat Hukum in the Group 3 September Stakes over C&D. Classy on his day and a worthy favourite but he was below his best form when only 4th of 10 to Trueshan in Long Distance Cup at Ascot last time.
Dubai Future won a 1m 6f handicap at Meydan in February before finishing runner-up in a Group 2 and doing as well as could have been expected when a 5-length 5th of 9 to Mishriff in the Group 1 Sheema Classic at Meydan last time. First run since but likely to be fit enough to do himself justice.
John Leeper looked a nice middle-distance prospect when winning the Listed Fairway Stakes at Newmarket in May. He didn’t build on that promise on his next three starts but wasn’t disgraced when a 3 ¾ lengths 3rd of 4 in a Listed race back at Newmarket last time. A winner on the tapeta at Newcastle on his sole all-weather. The first time cheekpieces are applied today which means an improved performance could be forthcoming from the 3-year-old.
Shandoz has a bit to find on Official Ratings with the likes of Hamish & Dubai Future. A progressive 1m 4f handicapper last season winning twice at Ascot last season. The 4-year-old returned from 12 months off the track with a cracking effort when a neck 2nd of 9 at Lingfield last month. He was doing his best work at the finish at Lingfield and could go close here on track that should suit him better.
3:40 – Marching Army won over C&D last time. He’s up 5lb for that win but has only had six career starts so there maybe more to come from the 3-year-old.
Party Island has a good record on the polyrack with two of his four all-weather wins coming here, including over C&D. First run for 113 -days. He’s 4lb higher than for his last win and in better race but still has claims.
Pistoletto won over C&D, with a bit more in hand than ½ length margin of victory suggests, last time and must be respected off just 4lb higher. Andaleep was 1 ¼ lengths back in fifth in that race and gets a 6lb pull here. He’s since run too bad to be true at Bath but a return here could see a better performance and he can get into the places.
Monday selection:
Kempton
3:05 – Shandoz – 9/1 – Gen
Good luck with your Monday bets.
John
John Burke is the tipster behind the long standing Victor Value service you can join him here – https://victorvalue.uk
Lovely man 9/1 to 9/2
Won well – who knew !!