Hi all,

Inside today’s main piece I review the best of the action from Saturday’s card at Ayr and Newbury.

Saturday Review

It was a strange Saturday that’s for sure. It was quick ground at Ayr for Coral Scottish Grand National Day. However, it was more like winter jumping ground at Newbury for the Greenham Meeting. It’s just a shame it wasn’t the opposite way around.

I was hoping Ralph Beckett would have a good day at Newbury on Saturday and he did. With Remarque & Jimi Hendrix doing the business and turning what looked like it might be a losing day into a profitable one.

Hurricane Blows Out

Hurricane Lane was one of the headline acts at Newbury on Saturday. The former St Leger winner and Irish Derby winner was bidding to get his career back on track in the Group 3 The John Porter Stakes. Weak in the pre-race betting. He never really looked like he would collect for favourite backers as he weakened 1f out. Connections blamed the soft ground for his poor performance. However, he’s run well on very soft and heavy ground in France as a 3-year-old so that looks a weak excuse to me. I think the problems that the 5-year-old has had since his 3-year-old season haven’t been resolved. You must wonder if we’ll see him on the track again.

Grand Alliance caused an 18/1 surprise in winning the John Porter Stakes. A quirky, if talented last season the 4-year-old returned to action with a good success on Saturday. His quirkiness was once again in evidence as he hung to his left inside the final furlong. I suspect he wasn’t doing much out in front which shows how useful he can be on a going day. He had no problem with the holding ground here and could head to York for next month’s Group 2 Yorkshire Cup over 1m 6f. It will be interesting to see how his season unfolds.

Remarquee revels in the Newbury mud

Remarquee handled the soft underfoot conditions better than her rivals in the Fred Darling Stakes.  A winner over sole juvenile start at Salisbury last season. The daughter of Kingman was cut for the 1,000 Guineas on the back of this success, and she deserves to take her place in the line-up for the first fillies classic. I said in Saturday’s preview of the race that 7f would be on the short side for her, but the testing ground made it a more of a stamina than a speed test.

It wasn’t the strongest renewal of the race, but the winner is smart, and she hasn’t come into her coat yet.  Fingers crossed this race won’t have taken too much out of her.  

The step up to a mile at Newmarket can elicit more improvement. Of course, she will need to improve again to win a 1,000 Guineas but there’s more to come from her.

Isaac’s in command

Two thousand Guineas fancy Chaldean was expected to land the Group 3 Greenham Stakes on route to the first colts classic. However, there was drama at the start as he was bumped and jinked right at the start and unseated Frankie Dettori.

There was a late money for Isaac Shelby and it wasn’t misplaced as he made all to comfortably beat his ten rivals. The colt who had disappointed when last of seven to Chaldean in last season’s Dewhurst (found to be lame) bounced back to form here. I think Chaldean would have to been at his very best to have won on Saturday given the winners performance.

Isaac Shelby is a high class colt who will stay a mile. He’s now likely to cross the channel for the French 2,000 Guineas rather than go to Newmarket.  It’s a race he could go well in especially as he showed he handles soft ground.

That all said given the state of the ground and what happened to the favourite. I’m not sure how strong the form will turn out to be.

Hello Kitty

The quick ground at Ayr meant that there were five late non-runners from the Coral Scottish Grand National. They included the race favourite at the time Monbeg Genius. 

Kitty’s Light runner-up 12 months ago went one place better in this year’s race. He’s not the biggest but the 7-year-old is all guts. Not held up as far back as he was in last year’s renewal. He crept through the field and went to the front two out.  He didn’t get the last right but he had momentum on his side and he went clear of Cooper’s Cross and Flash De Touzaine in the final 110yds.

Two out I thought Cooper’s Cross was coming with a winning run and might prevail. But he was just outstayed by a stronger stayer on the run in. He’s really improved this season and does like a sound surface.

Flash De Touzaine seemed well suited by this marathon trip. He stayed well on ground that would have been plenty quick enough for the 8-year-old.

Flash Collonges seemed to be going ok on the outside when falling at the 19^th. Top weight was Dusart was also travelling well enough when brought down at that fence.

In the end it probably wasn’t a deep renewal of the race. However, we had a tough winner in Kitty’s Light, and he could well head to Sandown for Saturday’s Bet365 Gold Cup. Its race he finished third in last year, off 5lb higher.  However, there was three weeks between the two races last year.

In tomorrow’s column. I will complete my review of last week’s action with a brief look back at Newmarket’s Craven Meeting.

Monday Preview

There are three flat cards on Monday. Pontefract & Windsor provide the afternoon action and there’s a teatime card at Naas. Today’s sport is completed by jumps fixtures at Hexham this afternoon and an evening fixture at Kempton.

There’s Class 2 handicap (3:00) at Pontefract which has attracted a good sized field.  And there are two Class 3 handicap chases at Kempton which have attracted 11 runners.  However, I’m focusing today’s preview on the Naas card where the feature race of the day is the Listed Woodlands Stakes (6:40).

Naas

6:40 – Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital Woodlands Stakes (Listed Race) – 5f

Smart filly Tenebrism made a winning seasonal return in a Listed race at Curragh 16-days ago.  Fifth to Kinross in last year’s Champions Sprint at Ascot. A sprint campaign has been mapped out for the filly and even under a penalty she will be tough to beat back to 5f for the first time since her juvenile debut.

If the dead eight stand their ground Hurricane Ivor could provide some each way value at 8/1 or bigger. The 6-year-old seems to have revived for the switch to the Jessica Harrington stable.  He improved for his Cork stable debut to win a Curragh handicap (6f) 8-days ago. Ground versatile he shouldn’t be inconvenienced by the drop back to 5f and given his present form can chase the favourite home.

7:40 – Naas Racecourse Business Club Blackwater Handicap – 1m

Trachonitus had Immutable ½ length back in second when winning a Curragh handicap (1m) last October. Immutable is 3lb better off here but Trachonitus does have race fitness on his side having finished 4^th of 7 at Naas (7f) last month. Looking like the race was needed and would be better suited by a return to a mile.

I think Immutable is open to more improvement of the pair and if he’s ready to roll on his seasonal return won’t be far away. His yard is in good form 3 winners from 9 runners in the past 14-days which which is a positive.

Something Nice won a Cork maiden (7f) on testing ground 16 days ago. He’s going the right way and looks on a competitive looking mark for his handicap debut.

Monday Selection:

Remarquee was a winning selection for the column on Saturday and I’m heading to Naas in a bid to follow up.

Naas

6:40 – Hurricane Ivor – 8/1 (e/w)

Good luck with your Monday bets.

John