Raw Talent: Kopek Des Bordes Arrives

Hi all,

Inside today’s main piece I’m completing my look back at the weekend’s racing with some horses for the notebook.

Why “Safer Gambling Week” Makes Me Wince

I love betting on horses. I always have. There’s nothing like solving the puzzle, backing your judgement, and watching it play out in real time. It’s excitement, competition, instinct, and emotion rolled into one.

Safer Gambling Week is back for its ninth year so expect the usual nonsense from the bookmakers and the Racing Post to bombard you with the message daily for the next few days.

Every time I hear the phrase “safer gambling,” I can’t help but shake my head. To me, it’s an oxymoron. Gambling isn’t supposed to be safe. The entire point is risk. You put something on the line knowing you might lose it. That knife edge is the thrill. Take away the jeopardy and you’re left with a puzzle book, not a betting slip.

Of course, I’m not against protection or support. Deposit limits, time-outs, self-exclusion — they matter, and people who need help should absolutely get it. But trying to wrap gambling in soft language as if it can somehow be risk-free its disingenuous. It’s the equivalent of talking about “healthy cigarettes” or “safe cliff-diving.” You can reduce the danger, but you can’t erase it.

If you enjoy betting, enjoy it with your eyes open. Respect what it is. Don’t pretend it’s something it isn’t. The danger is the point — and the thrill exists because the risk is real.

So yes, I’m pro-betting. Proudly. But let’s stop pretending it can ever be “safe.” It can’t. And that’s exactly why so many of us love it.

Daily Punt Notebook:

Venetia Close to Hitting Winning Form

Venetia Williams followers are still waiting for the yard to hit winning form. Djelo aside, her runners have all shaped as though needing the run. Despite her well-documented good record in the month, her Cheltenham November Meeting figures since 2008 now stand at 0 winners from 64 runners, after Tanganyika finished fourth in Sunday’s 3m3½f handicap chase.

Traditionally, Venetia’s winners begin to flow in the second half of November. Now the rain has arrived, and her team can work on the grass, I expect the tide to turn. It may even come this weekend. Twelve months ago, Venetia landed a big chase across the card Haydock and Ascot and she could easily do something similar this year.

Cheltenham

Lucky Manifest won at Kelso on stable/seasonal debut last month and showed he’s going the right way when finishing a length second of 18 to the useful A Pai de Nom in Friday’s conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle. He handled soft ground but may prefer a slightly sounder surface. He hasn’t finished winning.

Herakles Westwood made a promising return when a 3¼-length runner-up to Hung Jury in Saturday’s Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (3m1f). He stayed strongly and was doing his best work at the finish. He looks capable of even better over further and could be a Welsh Grand National type.

Stencil travelled powerfully and looked a major threat to July Flower and Be Aware coming to two out in the Grade 2 Arkle Trial. His early exertions told late, and he faded into fourth. He was conceding race fitness and shaped like a useful chase prospect. There’s more to come from the 4yo who was making his debut over fences. I suspect connections plan is to get him a mark for one of the Cheltenham Festival handicaps.

Lavender Hill Mob was given a positive ride and handled soft ground well when winning the Paddy Power Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (2m5f). The handicapper will take a stiff view, but his high Flat rating suggests he remains competitive after reassessment. He stayed 2m5f strongly and another handicap looks within reach if backing up this performance.  

Jordans Cross looked set to make it 2 from 2 over fences when falling at the last in Sunday’s Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (2m4f), won by stablemate Kdeux Saint Fray. He can win again if the fall hasn’t dented confidence. Behind him, Jig’s Forge shaped well on chase debut and finished his race off well. He can win a handicap chase over 2m6f+.

Navan

Answer To Kayf was a battling winner of Sunday’s valuable Troytown Handicap Chase. He was one of just two winners that got away from me this weekend. The well backed favourite (3/1) Quai De Bourbon’s jumping wasn’t good enough and I’m not sure he really enjoyed the ‘hustle and bustle’ of a big field handicap chase either. He might be better back in smaller field.

The one to take out of the race could be the fourth, Will The Wise (Gavin Cromwell). The step up to 3m was always likely to bring out improvement on just his fifth start over fences, and it duly did. You could argue the 6yo has more to offer when stepped up again in distance. He looks a proper stayer.

Kalypso’Chance, who was amiss on hurdle debut at Down Royal last time, bounced back to winning form in the Grade 3 Monksfield Novice Hurdle (2m4f). It was a battling success from the 5yo. There’s room for improvement in his jumping, and he can do a lot better. This was Gordon Elliott’s eighth win in the race since 2016, and he has taken it in the past with some good ones. Kalypso’Chance looks up to the standard and could stay 3m.

I’ve left the best until last. Dual Grade 1 novice hurdle winner Final Demand made a hugely impressive chase debut when running out a comfortable winner of Sunday’s Beginners’ Chase (2m4½f). The 6yo was always expected to be better over fences than hurdles, but I don’t think many expected such an assured display of jumping. I would go as far as to say this was the best debut novice chase performance I’ve seen in years. The RaceIQ data backs up that view, which you can find here.

Monday Recap: Kopek Des Bordes Bullies His Way to Victory

Sadly, we didn’t get to see Marine Nationale return to action at Navan yesterday, but we did see Kopek Des Bordes make a winning chase debut. He wasn’t as fluent at his fences as stablemate Final Demand had been on Sunday, but he got the job done.

He’s a big brute of a horse and a bit of a tearaway. Paul Townend tried to get a lead, but Kopek Des Bordes was having none of it and pulled his way to the front. Once he got his own way, his jumping improved, and he looked much happier. Despite his exuberance, Townend struggled to pull him up at the end of the 2m1f trip. Final Demand is the more polished of the pair but Kopek Des Bordes is raw and few horses will be able to live with the pace he can go in a race. He just has to improve his jumping.

Final Demand and Kopek Des Bordes give Willie Mullins a strong hand in the novice chase division.

Jump Racing Without Jumps?

At Exeter another high-class hurdler, Lulamba, made a winning debut over fences. Sadly, it wasn’t a proper jumping test as low sun reared its ugly head and four fences in the back straight were omitted. It was no more than a schooling exercise for the 2/5 favourite.

I’m done with low sun. I won’t be betting if there’s a chance of it impacting a race. I don’t want to see horses’ slalom between fences and hurdles they’re supposed to be jumping. Those running the sport don’t care, and the only way they might be forced to find solutions is if punters hit them in the pocket and stop betting.

Tuesday Racing

The rain and mild weather have gone, replaced by much colder and wintry conditions — and with that comes another potential problem: frost.

No doubt low sun will mar tomorrow’s jumps racing so I have taken no interest in it.

I was vaguely interested in King’s Lynn in the 7f handicap (5:15) at Newcastle. The 8yo remains a nine-race maiden on the all-weather but has run some solid races on the synthetics. His best RPR of 2025 came when a head second of 14 to Golden Mind in a better race over C&D back in August, and he can race off 2lb lower here.

The yard, after an excellent flat season, has gone quiet, going 19 runners and 19 days since a winner. I think King’s Lynn will give his running, but in the spirit of “Safer Gambling Week” I can happily leave Tuesday’s racing to others.

In tomorrow’s main piece I’ll begin my look ahead to the weekend’s big races. You’ll also find my belated 2025 Flat season review, which I’d intended to post last week.

Good luck with your Tuesday bets.

John