Hi all,
There was just the little matter of the final Group 1 of the flat season at Doncaster on Saturday. However, there was a palatable sense of change of codes in the air this weekend and I don’t just mean the weather or the clocks going back.
A change of codes is always exciting time and the positive of all the autumn rain we’ve had is that it will speed up the return of the top class winter jumpers and hopefully lead to more competitive racing than we saw last autumn.
November is an exciting month for jumps racing with plenty of big races to enjoy. For Example: Next weekend we have the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby and the Grade 1 Champion Chase at Down Royal.
Inside today’s main piece I look ahead to the best of Saturday’s action.
Futurity Trophy; Wisdom Has All The Answers
It was a clash of the superpowers with Godolphin (Ancient Wisdom) taking on Coolmore (Diego Velazquez).
There was drama at the start with Diego Velazquez’s stablemate and likely pacemaker Battle Cry being withdrawn after going down in stalls. That left favourite Ancient Wisdom to set the pace and jockey William Buick set a modest gallop on heavy ground. He hit a flat spot 2f out and was headed but rallied to lead again 1f out.
The winner needed plenty of stamina and guts and saw his race out well to win by 1 ½ lengths from Devil’s Point with my selection God’s Window a head back in third.
Devil’s Point proved his stamina for a mile. He goes well on soft ground and could well be aimed at the French 2.000 Guineas.
I was pleased with God’s Window’s effort on just his second career start. He was slowly away and keen in the early stages, but he hit the line well and almost snatched second. There should be more to come from the son of Dubawi who will stay 1m 2f+ as a 3-year-old.
Diego Velazquez lost his unbeaten record. He wasn't suited by the modest early pace or the testing ground. He'll do better as a 3-year-old over middle distances and back on quicker ground.
What next for the winner?
Given Ancient Wisdom was outpaced on testing ground he won’t have the speed for a 2,000 Guineas. I doubt there will be many takers at 10/1 with bet365 for the first colts classic.
At least Godolphin have something to look forward to next season with the winner a Derby contender. He’s now as short as 6/1 with Paddy Power for the Epsom Classic but 12/1 with Coral.
Given his pronounced knee action he might not be suited to the Epsom undulations. Whilst I wouldn’t want to lay him at 12/1, I wouldn’t be interested in backing him at that price either.
The Irish Derby at the Curragh could be a better option for the colt and maybe he'll be back at Doncaster for next season's St Leger?
Henry’s Day at Cheltenham
It’s always great to see racing return to jump racing’s headquarters and there were some decent field sizes for its two day Open Meeting.
It turned out to be a good day for Irish trainer Henry De Bromhead who celebrated his 51st birthday with a handicap chase double courtesy of Dancing On My Own and Whacker Clan.
The Whacker Clan just jumps and gallops. He had led from the start in the 3m 1f handicap chase but coming to the last it looked Twig would go past him to win. However, he found plenty on the run in to pull clear of the eventual runner-up. The race turned into gruelling test of jumping and stamina with just 5 of the 13 runners completing.
There was some cracking sport at Cheltenham. The highlight for me was Flooring Porter’s successful chase debut. It wasn’t a flawless performance by any means but was a sparkling success by the former champion staying hurdler. He’s a late starter over fences at the age of 8 but looks to have a future over the larger obstacles. He goes very well at Cheltenham and if all’s well he’s likely to be back for the Brown Advisory Novices Chase at the Festival in March.
Not A Going Day For The Rambler
It wasn’t a going day for Grand National winner Corach Rambler at Kelso on Saturday. They didn’t go a very strong gallop in the Edinburgh Gin Chase with Empire Steel setting only a modest pace. That wouldn’t have suited Corach Rambler.
He may have needed the run on his seasonal return and there should be other days for him. However, I was disappointed that he didn’t really finish off his race after being outpaced four out. Maybe he just needs more of a stamina test than he got here and a bigger field (3-3 in field sizes 16+).
Course specialist Elvis Mail defied a 5lb higher mark than when winning over C&D in March to run out a decisive 2 length winner from Highland Hunter with Empire Steel further 2 ¼ lengths back in third. The winner goes very well fresh, and this was his fifth course success. He might be a 9-year-old but seems to have improved since stepping up to 3m+ (form figures 311).
Runner-up Highland Hunter was having his first start for 630 days and first run since switching to Fergal O’Brien. This was a cracking effort from the 10-year-old who seems to have retained plenty of his old ability and is on a winnable mark.
Empire Steel is a three time course winner who’s gone well fresh in the past. However, his yards runners have been needing the run so this can be marked up as a good return to action. Especially as I don’t think he stays 3m 2f on testing ground.
Saturday Verdict:
It was a great Saturday of racing, and my jumps hat is now firmly on.
The last couple of weeks have been profitable after a dreadful start to the month. I’m feeling good and I’m hoping to carry forward my present form into the new month.
Hyland was 14/1 early priced advised winner at Cheltenham for Victor Value subscribers. Add in Elvis Mail win at Kelso and it ensured a profitable Saturday for myself. Although I must confess, I was kicking myself for leaving out last time out winner and bottom three qualifier Whacker Clan. It won’t be the last time that happens over the winter I'm sure.
I have one gripe, I just wish the domestic flat season would officially end on Futurity Day. Have the the Group 1 Futurity Trophy and the November Handicap (they could rename it the October Handicap) on the day and it would mean the flat season ended with a bang rather than limp along for another two weeks as it does now.
Monday Preview
Redcar, Leicester, and Wexford are already victims of the wet weather. That leaves just a flat card at Galway, a jumps fixture at Huntingdon and an evening all-weather fixture at Newcastle.
The Huntingdon card has 7 races and six of them have a maximum of 7 runners due to the fact the racecourse stables are being rebuilt and they only have 51 stables in use.
The whole thing is farcical. You would have thought that the building work could have taken place over the summer when the course wasn’t racing. Or if that couldn’t have happened. Why didn’t the BHA move the fixtures to other tracks whilst the working was taking place?
Monday Selection:
Huntingdon
2:25 – Storminhome won a Doncaster maiden hurdle in January and ran with credit on two subsequent starts in novice hurdle company in the spring. He’s got the size to do much better over fences than hurdles. If he takes to the larger obstacles a mark of 120 looks more than workable. It's a competitive looking Novices' Handicap Chase though and I would be looking for at least 4/1 about his chance.
In tomorrow’s column I will look back at Sunday’s Aintree card. Plus, there will be couple of horses for the tracker.
Good luck with your Monday Preview.
John