Morning all,
Although Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle Day is billed as “Super Saturday”. I’m not sure it lived up to the title this year. There was nothing wrong with the quality of the racing on offer. It just lacked depth with small fields for the feature races at Newbury & Warwick.
Despite the lack of runners. We witnessed some intriguing contests and gained some further Cheltenham Festival clues.
Inside today’s main piece. I look back at my highlights from Newbury & Warwick. Plus, there’s a Monday selection from..
Edwardstone enhances Arkle claims
It wasn’t Newbury that provided the most interesting race of the day. That honour went to Warwick and its Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices Chase.
There were just four runners but you could have made a good case for three of them. And, it was the Alan King trained Edwardstone who came out on top. To complete a four timer over fences and solidify his position at the head of the Arkle ante post betting.
Outsider of the four For Pleasure was keen out in front but he took the field along at a good gallop. Edwardstone jumped to the front four out and in truth never really looked like he would be caught from the home turn. He jumped better than his to main rivals Third Time Lucki & Brave Seasca over the final three fences. To register a decisive success over Third Tim Lucki, who edged out Brave Seasca on the run-in.
The winners jumping is a big asset and it was in evidence here where he hardly made a mistake through the race. The runner-up looked like he was coming with a good run coming to two out, However, he was a bit slow at that one and never looked like he would catch the winner from then on.
The third an improving 2m handicap chaser prior to Saturday also ran a good race stepped up to graded company and you can see why he’s one of the leading fancies for next months Grand Annual.
As for the Edwardstone. He’s a strong traveller and clinical at his fences. He must have a great chance in next months Arkle.
Bravemansgame
Given the form of the Paul Nicholls stable – 1 winner from 37 in the previous 14-days. The big talking point at Newbury was the possibility of the trainer saddling a big race treble. Having got three pre-race favourites in Bravesmansgame, Clan Des Obeaux & Hitman on the card.
Bravemansgame got the potential Nicholls treble off to good start and remains unbeaten over fences after his latest success in the 2m 7 ½ f novices handicap chase. Carrying top-weight the Grade 1 winning novice chaser was giving 16lb to his nearest rival Pats Fancy.
Making all, a good jump three out sealed the race for the 7-year-old and he ran out a comfortable 3 ½ length winner from Pats Fancy with Grumpy Charlie a further 2 ¼ lengths back in third.
The winner put in a good weight carrying perfromance. He's a very good jumper and is now a best priced 3/1 with Coral & Ladbrokes for the Brown Advisory at the Festival. Of course he faces a very different test in the shape of Galopin Des Champs in March.
My ante post selection for the National Hunt Chase Pats Fancy ran a great prep for that race in second. A speed test at Newbury over 3m was always going to favour the winner and Pats Fancy will be better suited by the stamina test provided at Cheltenham.
Eldorado going for Gold?
The second leg of the Nicholls treble saw Clan des Obeaux sent off the even money favourite for the Grade 2 Denman Chase. The 10-year-old had plenty in his favour. A decent surface and a flat track. However, he produced an underwhelming performance. Never really travelling and he never looked like he would deliver for favourite backers.
Eldorado Allen, a decent second to Shishkin last season’s Arkle, has always threatened to be Grade 1 horse. Connections clearly had no doubts about his stamina for the step up to 3m for Saturday’s race. He put in an excellent round of jumping from the front to hold off the staying on Royale Pagaille on the run-in with Clan Des Obeaux a well beaten third.
After the race there was plenty of speculation that the Ryanair entry could be supplemented for the Gold Cup. It will be tempting for connections to go for Gold. However, a 2f at Cheltenham will ask a different question of the 8-year-old and the 3m 1f Grade 1 Chase at Aintree would seem a bitter fit for him.
Royale Pagaille found 3m too much of a speed test and was just beaten by a quicker horse on the day. Staying on all the way to the line but never looked like he would catch the winner on the run-in. He will now head again for the Gold Cup, a well beaten 6th there last year on good to soft ground. The ground will surely need to be heavy for him to have a chance of winning even in an open looking year.
Third home was former Ladbroke Trophy winner De Rasher Counter who was back from a 489-day break. It was a decent enough effort from the 10-year-old who has the Grand National in his sights.
Game Spirit Chase
Funambule Sivola ran out a good winner of the Grade 2 Game Sprit Chase. The 7-year-old an improving 2m chaser had produced a career best on his previous start when winning a Doncaster handicap under top-weight?
Whether he had to improve much to win Saturday’s race is debateable. However, he’s still going the right way. Making all. He only had to be nudged out to win by 2 lengths from Sceau Royal and Hitman.
Given his progressive profile. it’s likely that the winner will now go for the Champion Chase. He could get into the money but I can’t see him winning.
Runner-up Sceau Royal was having to give the winner 6lb. However, he was off the bridle some way out and his jumping wasn’t as good as the winners on his first start this season over the larger obstacles. The Champion Chase, a race he was an unlucky 5th in last season, will be next for the 10-year-old but it’s going to be a much a hotter race than last year.
Hitman wasn’t at his best here like most of the Nicholls runners which makes Bravemansgame performance look even better. He found 2m on a sound surface to quick. The 6-year-old remains with potential though. However, he likely needs a return to 2m 4f. There’s a 2m 4f Grade 1 at Aintree that look a better fit for him than the Champion Chase or even the Ryanair.
Monday Racing
It was nice to end last week with a winner for the column courtesy of Fairlawn Flyer. The 6-year-old gained a third successive success at Ffos Las and is rapidly improving staying handicap chaser. Granted Ffos Las from doesn’t always translate to other racecourses. However, I fancy it will in his case and he should improve further step up in distance. You could see him being aimed at a race like the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. A race trainer Peter Bowen won in 2017.
Monday’s action see jumps fixtures this afternoon at Catterick and Plumpton and evening all-weather card at Wolverhampton.
There was plenty of rain around at Exeter yesterday which saw the going change from an overnight good to soft to bordering heavy. The going at Catterick is being described as good to soft at the time of writing this on Sunday evening. Now's there's been plenty of rain up here so I suspect it could be softer by the time of racing.
Catterick
2:40 – Jockey Tom Cannon hasn’t ridden at Catterick in the past five seasons. He comes North for just the one ride this afternoon on the Toby Lawes trained Kannapolis. The 7-year-old was returning from a 13-month absence when a length second of 10 to Rowland Ward at Kempton at Christmas. Unproven on soft ground before his Kempton run but seemed effective enough on it last time. He’s been nudged up 2lb for that performance but this a slightly lower grade race.
3:15 – Omar Maretti built on the promise of his Market Rasen chase debut second to make it 3-4 under rules when winning at Newcastle last month. He won both his hurdle starts here last season so there should be no issues with the track for this improving chaser.
Wolverhampton
7:30 – Civil Law returned from a 4-month absence to win over C&D last month. It was career best effort on RPR’s from the 5-year-old. Up just 2lb but he won with a little bit more in hand than the ¾ length margin of victory suggests and looks sure to be competitive again.
Virgin Snow’s sole career success came at Haydock in June 2020. However, the mare ran well in better races that summer, including when a 3-length 3rd of 14 in a Fillies & Mares’ Group 3 at Newmarket. Just two starts since. However, she shaped a bit better last time when a 3-length 6th of 14 at Lingfield, having being forced out wide on the home turn. Should be spot on fitness wise and looks the biggest danger to Civil Law.
2:40 – Kannapolis
Good luck with your Monday bets.
John