This Saturday it’s Eider Chase Day at Newcastle, with the highlight being the marathon Eider Chase.
We also have a jumping card at Kempton which feature’s three Grade 2 races, the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle, the Pendil Novices’ Chase and the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle. As well as the 3m 888sport Handicap Chase, a race that used have more prestige than it does now but nonetheless it usually serves up a decent contest.
For those of you who like your all-weather action at Lingfield it’s the Group 3 Winter Derby.
There’s been some steady rain at Newcastle on Wednesday afternoon which should ease the ground but the weather forecast for the rest of the week is set to be mainly dry and mild for the time of year.
More on the Saturday action later. Let’s begin as normal with a look back to last week’s action and some horses worth noting with the future in mind.
Thursday 14th February
Meydan
The most interesting race on the card for me was the 1m 4f handicap that concluded Thursday’s Carnival card.
Godolphin had the first three home with Saeed Bin Suroor having the winner and runner-up.
Mountain Hunter, a winner of a 1m 2f handicap at last year’s Carnival built on his 5th placed seasonal reappearance with a tidy win here. The 5-year-old was always in a good position and after taking it up 2f from home never really looked like he would be caught. This was his first start over trip, and he stayed it well in a race that was run at a decent gallop. He’s only been put up 1lb so can win again over this this trip. The third home Walton Street,trained by Charlie Appleby, looks the one to take out of the race.
Eyecatcher: Walton Street – The 5-year-old was having his first run since a disappointing effort at Doncaster back in September. He ran on well at the finish to get within 1 ½ lengths of the winner. He should be better for the run and he’s at his best on quick ground. I am sure he can win again sometime this year either here or back in the UK.
Friday 15th February
Sandown
Friday’s Sandown card also saw the rescheduled, from Warwick, Grade 2 Kingmaker Novice Chase. The race only attracted a field of four and one of those was withdrawn of Dalila Du Seuil before the start on vet’s advice. This meant Kalashnikov was sent off the 1/4 favourite. The favourite jumped well in the early stages of the race but jumped the water poorly and that put the 6-year-old on the back foot from then onward. Glen Forsa who had jumped very well was always in command and ran out the easy winner.
Kalashnikov has never really enjoyed going this way around but still this was a poor performance. He could well need to step up in trip over fences but it’s looking like he’s just a little bit short of what’s required to be a Grade 1 novice chaser.
The winner could now head for the Arkle or JLT Novices Chase at Cheltenham. Given he won over 2m 7 ½ f on his chase debut it shows the 7-year-old versatility distance wise. He’s a 6/1 for the Arkle and 7/1 for the JLT but the latter race would be a better choice for me.
Eyecatcher: Ardmayle, trained by Ali Stronge, ran against a recent eyecatcher in Not Another Muddle. He was not match for what well handicapped horse at the finish, but it was still a good run. The 7-year-old who came into the race 2 wins from 3 runs over fences was having his first start over the larger obstacles since disappointing over 3m at Fakenham back in April 2017.
He had been well beaten on both his two starts over hurdles this season, but this was a nice return to form in finishing a 3 ¼ length third almost grabbing second at the line. There should be other days over fences for the gelding with this run under his belt.
Saturday 16th February
There were plenty of good performances at Ascot & Haydock on Saturday. Let’s begin at Ascot. I wouldn’t go over the standout wins by Clan Des Obeaux or Cyrname which have been covered extensively elsewhere.
Ascot
Eyecatcher: Malaya, trained by Paul Nicholls, ran in the 2m 3 ½ f handicap hurdle which was won by stablemate Brio Conti.
The 5-year-old who had won a valuable juvenile handicap hurdle at Ascot back in March 2018, before running poorly in the Grade 1 juvenile hurdle at Aintree. He was highly tried on her seasonal reappearance in a Grade 1 at Auteuil but fell at the last when beaten. The mare returned to handicap company at Kempton over Christmas but once again fell at the last when beaten.
This was a much better effort in finishing 4th. She was travelling well at the back of the field when not getting the best of runs two out. Maybe she didn’t find as much as her jockey thought she would after the last. But at least she completed this time and she’s on a competitive mark just 2lb higher than for her last win.
Betfair Hurdle Reflections
The well backed Al Dancer proved to be too well handicapped for his rivals in the rescheduled Betfair Hurdle. The 6-year-old now heads for the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham and in a year where the race doesn’t look the strongest, he must have a good chance of defying the hoodoo of handicap runners in Grade 1 hurdles at the Festival.
The pair to take from the race though look to be the Nicholls pair of Getaway Trump and even more so Mont Des Avaloirs.
Getaway Trump was second in the betting, and like Al Dancer came into the race as an improving novice hurdler. The 6-year-old wasn’t in as good a position as the winner and doesn’t have that’s ones speed either. He made headway from the rear coming to two out and stayed on well enough to finish 4th but he never really looked like he would catch the winner. Indeed, he was probably as far behind the winner at the line as he had been coming to the last.
Eyecatcher: Mont Des Avaloirs, twice a winner over hurdles last season he ended last season with a close-up 4th of 20, on his handicap debut, in the valuable novices’ handicap hurdle at Sandown back in April.
The 6-year-old didn’t totally convince when runner-up on his chase debut at Newton Abbot and returned to hurdles when beaten just ½ length into 3rd by Global Citizen at Newbury. He was then sent off the 5/1 favourite for a valuable handicap hurdle at Ascot but was to keen in the early stages of the race and ran well below market expectations.
Once again, he was well backed for Betfair Hurdle (7/1). Like his stablemate being held up wasn’t really the place to be in a race that wasn’t run to suit. He never looked like he would get into contention and eventually finished a never nearer 7th at the finish.
Not given a hard race though and the handicapper has dropped him 3lb on the back of Saturday’s run. He remains one to be interested in racing off the same mark as when putting up a career best at Newbury.
Haydock
At Haydock we saw a genuine Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle contender, a staying handicap hurdler who’s’ beginning to look well handicapped and an improving handicap chaser who could be useful next season. As a bonus I also have the first of my Cheltenham Festival trainer stats for you.
The Rebecca Curtis trained Lisnagar Oscaris now a strong contender after his easy win in the 3m ½ f Grade 2 Prestige Novices’ Hurdle on Saturday. Last seen beating the highly regarded Dickie Diver at Chepstow. The 6-year-old has that experienced hurdling profile that seems to be required by winners of the Albert Bartlett. As he showed in his win here there are no stamina issues with this son of Oscar. The trainer is no stranger to Cheltenham Festival success, having had four winners, including an Albert Bartlett with At Fishers Cross in 2013.
This is her record at the Cheltenham Festival:
Rebecca Curtis – 4 winners from 46 runners 9% -12.62 A/E 1.83 5 placed 11% nothing special in those results. However, if you focus on her runners that were sent off 14/1 & under and different picture emerges:
4 winners from 10 runners 40% +23.38 A/E 3.2 5 placed 50%
Her runners that are well fancied in the betting can be expected to go well.
Lisnager Oscar is now a best priced 8/1 for next month’s race which seem good enough for me given he ticks plenty of the right boxes of a likely winner of the race.
Eyecatcher: The Paddy Pie, trained by Sue Smith, it wasn’t difficult to be impressed by his win in the 2m 4f handicap chase. Following up his recent success at Sedgefield 20-days earlier, the 6-year-old jumped solidly and found plenty when required to win by 1 ¾ lengths. After the race his trainer told the Racing Post: “He’s getting stronger all the time and with another summer on his back, he’ll be a very nice horse”.
We probably won’t see the best of him till next season, but I am sure you can win again before the season is out. The handicapper has raised him just 4lb for Saturday’s win which looks lenient as I think he’s a mid to high 130s handicap chaser in the making.
Eyecatcher: Champers On Ice, there was plenty of support, for the David Pipe gelding, going off the 5/1 co-favourite for the Pertemps Series Qualifier. The 9-year-old was having his first start for 428-days
However, betting suggested a big run was expected and his backers got one. As he kept on nicely all the way to the line to finish 4th of 13.
He’s very lightly raced for his age, just the 13 starts under rules and he’s 2 wins from 8 runs 5 placed over hurdles.
The run should put him spot on fitness wise for the final of the series at Cheltenham a track he’s won at in the past and also finished 3rd in the Albert Bartlett in March 2016.
He’s high on my shortlist for the race, along with Sire Du Berlais, and the 25/1 available with William Hill for the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle looks good each way value to me.
Others Worth Noting:
Haydock
Chef D’Oeuvre, has really taken off since the switch to the Sam England stable and for the step up to 3m 3f+ on his last two starts. The 8-year-old had previously won on his last visit to Haydock on soft ground. The drying ground wasn’t expected to suit the ‘mud lover’ but he ran a big race to finish a two length 3rd to Robinsfirth in the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase. The handicapper has nudged him up a further 4lb for this effort but there looks to be some mileage in his new mark on soft or heavy ground. A race the Midlands National would seem ideal for him especially if there was plenty of juice in the ground.
Wincanton
Some Chaos, trained by Michael Scudamore, had won his first two starts over fences at Bangor & Market Rasen before finishing runner-up to Reikers Island over C&D back in December. He didn’t seem to enjoy racing at Cheltenham when a beaten favourite there on New Year’s Day The 8-year-old resumed winning ways with a decisive win in the 3m 1f handicap chase. The handicapper has put him up 11lb which makes life tougher, but he remains open to more progression and is one to keep on side for now.
There you go six horses to follow, a few others who put up notable performances and a selection for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
Cheers
John