Hi all,
I’m writing this in the middle of the Punchestown Festival which hasn’t gone well from a betting perspective certainly on the first two-days anyway.
Plenty of great racing to look forward to over the next few days with Newmarket’s Guineas Meeting being the main highlight.
I slightly different look to this week’s notebook. But the emphasis for the time being remains looking at the better class meetings. In all truth I’m still finding it hard to go through some many fixtures which of course this time in the season we start to see.
Last Week’s Racing Review & Horses To Follow
In this week’s notebook which is longer than normal. I will be covering last Wednesday’s Epsom meeting. Sandown’s Friday fixture and the Saturday’s flat action.
Epsom
Wednesday 24th April
Epsom’s first meeting of the new season features a couple of decent handicaps and the Investec Blue Riband Trial over 1m 2f. This listed race now has a win and you’re in status for the Derby.
Since the race was given its Listed status It been won by Cracksman in 2017 who went onto finish 3rd in the Derby and last year Dee Ex Bee who finished third in the race went onto finish runner-up in the Derby.
It’s a race that will probably become more of Classic Trial for the Derby over the next few years as it’s good opportunity to test out a colt’s aptitude for the tracks famous undulations.
O’Brien’s Derby Good Hope
This year’s race was won by the Aiden O’Brien trained Cape Of Good Hope. The colt is a full brother to Highland Reel and Idaho so won’t have any problems with the 1m 4f distance of the Derby and certainly didn’t seem to have any issues with the track.
He’s a best priced 20/1 for next month’s big race which reflects his chance.
The second home was the Ed Walker trained Cap Francois. The colt isn’t entered in the Derby. Twice a winner last season from three starts. This was a satisfactory return to action from the son of Frankel. He didn’t handle the track as well as the winner and got a bit worked up before the start. He was staying on well enough at the finish to get within ½ length of the winner. An extra couple of furlongs won’t go amiss and he’s capable of winning races on the evidence of this performance.
The Great Metropolitan Handicap doesn’t have the status it once had and indeed is just a Class 3 handicap these days.
Knight Handicapper Sizzles To Win
Previous Kempton Eyecatcher Soto Sizzler looked well before the race and was well backed into favouritism (11/4) to win the race. He didn’t give his supporters to many anxious moments and came home the rather comfortable winner by 3 ¼ lengths at the line.
The gelding was doing his best work at the finish and can find improvement for a further step up in trip. After the race his trainer was talking about going for a valuable 1m 6f handicap at Glorious Goodwood, a track he won at last year. There was even talk about the Ebor Handicap although he will need to rise in the handicap a fair bit more to get into that race.
The handicapper has raised him 6lb for this win and he looks worth keeping in the tracker for the summer months as he clearly enjoys a sound surface.
Angel Makes Winning Return
The big handicap of the day was the Class 2 Investec City And Suburban Handicap over 1m 2f. The race was won by Mountain Angel, trained by Roger Varian. The 5-year-old had no problems with the Epsom undulations and was strong at the finish. Proving in the process that he does stays further than a mile.
His late stablemate Ajman King took last years renewal of the race before going onto to win a valuable handicap back at the Oaks Meeting. It looks like he will be returning for that race at the next meeting here. There was also talk of the John Smiths Cup at York, as a possible target for the gelding later in the summer.
Very consistent last year in handicaps, only out of the first three once in six starts, his best form had come with a bit more ease in the ground than he faced here.
The handicapper has raised him 5lb for this win but whose to say his improvement over this sort of distance has ended? If he can build on this performance. He remains a horse worth keeping onside, for now, starting with a return here next month.
The race also provided the first of this week’s eyecatchers in Mildenberger.
Epsom Eyecatcher
Mildenberger, trained by Mark Johnston, hadn’t been seen on the track since finishing runner-up to Roaring Lion in last season’s Dante Stakes.
After his Dante run, he was considered a Derby outsider and possible St Leger candidate by his trainer. Unfortunately, he fractured his knee and couldn’t race again last season.
He looked a well handicapped horse dropping back into handicap company off a mark of 107 and not surprisingly he was sent off the 100/30 favourite at the off. Looking well in the paddock before the race. Everything that could go wrong in the race did so. He slipped after leaving the stalls and found himself at the back of the field. He also didn’t handle the downhill part of the track at all. At one point in the straight he looked like he would finish well beaten but his stamina started to kick in the final two furlongs, and he was staying on well all the way to the line to finish a 6 ¼ length 7th of 11. Which seemed unlikely two furlongs from home.
It was a pleasing return to action by the 4-year-old who needs 1m 4f and maybe further to be seen at his best. A return to a more conventional track will also see the colt in a better light.
He’s got an entry in Saturday’s Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket, over 1m 4f. It’s a course he won the Fielden Stakes at last year. This is a step back up in class from Epsom but he shouldn’t be underestimated!
Sandown
Friday 26th April
There was also some good racing at Sandown on Friday with the Group 2 bet365 Mile the feature race and two Group 3’s the Gordon Richards Stakes and the bet365 Classic Trial for the 3-year-olds. There were also several 3-year-old only handicaps which should produce plenty of future winners.
The bet365 Mile was another Group 2 success for Beat the Bank whose now 4 wins from 4 starts in the class. He’s yet to win in five starts in Group 1 company and has yet to even place. Two furlongs out things didn’t look good for the 5-year-old but not for the first time he dug in well and battled on to hold Sharja Bridge by ½ length.
The smaller the field the better he seems to be having won 7 of his 8 starts in field sizes eight or less. Not for the first time he shaped here like would be worth a go at 1m 2f. Maybe the step up in trip will enable the gelding to get that elusive Group 1 success or maybe he’s just a shade short of that level.
Regal Reality, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, won a Group 3 at Goodwood last season. He wasn’t the best away but stayed on well to finish just 1 ½ lengths back in third. Of the first three home he may have needed the run the most. The colt looks the sort to better as a 4-year-old. He’s only had the six career starts and is another who could well step up in distance in the coming weeks.
Crystal Ocean won the Gordon Richards Stakes for the second season running. The 5-year-old was much more impressive than he had been 12-months earlier. This was partly due to trainer Sir Michael Stoute having his horses well forward this season and the sounder surface he ran on this time around.
Henry Dunlop’s Knight To Behold was expected to go well and ran well on his seasonal return to finish runner-up but was no match for the winner at the finish. Extra Elusive ran well into 3rd for Roger Charlton and needs to return to 1m 4f. Fabricate who was just touched by Crystal Ocean last year but was well back in 4th on this occasion.
The winner is 0 wins from 3 runs in Group 1 races but he has finished runner-up in all three of those starts. The Group 1 Prince Of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot looks a likely target for the colt and may be his best chance of landing his first Group 1 success.
Bangkok, who had impressed when winning a Doncaster maiden at the Lincoln Meeting. His improvement continued here in winning this Derby Trial. Once taking the lead a furlong out it never looked like he would be beaten. I liked the away he stuck his neck out at the finish, but the son of Australia needs to find plenty more improvement if he’s to win a Derby.
Alfaatik, a winner of a Chelmsford novice race 127-day on his racecourse debut, was thrown into the deep end here. The son of Sea The Stars was racing in the first time blinkers. They didn’t seem to have the desired effect on the colt as he was slow away and then found himself well behind the other five runners. He’s still very inexperienced but he did start to make some good headway a furlong out when the penny finally dropped.
Not sure he’s deserving of going into your trackers, but he certainly looks to have plenty of talent and improvement in him although he might also turn out to be a tricky customer.
Sandown Eyecatchers
There are two main eyecatchers from the Sandown card and a filly who could well be an Oaks contender.
Sea Of Faith, trained by William Haggas, will have gone into plenty of trackers after her fourth placed effort in the 1m 2f fillies’ novice stakes.
The race looks like form that will be worth following as the first four home pulled well clear of the rest at the finish.
The winner Sparkle Roll was giving 7lb to the field on account of her win at Haydock last September. The daughter of Kingman is an imposing filly who has clearly trained on from two to three. She was well on top at the finish to win by two lengths.
A half sister to Derby winner Wings Of Eagles the Oaks looks a potential target for which she’s now a 16/1 shot but she will almost certainly head for the Musidora beforehand. I doubt she would want the ground any faster than she got on Friday. Still she’s worth keeping onside.
Sea Of Faith, a daughter of Sea The Stars and half sister to useful stayer Raheen House lacked the experience of the winner. This was her racecourse debut and was green in the early stages of the race. Coming from behind she made nice headway inside the final two furlongs. Doing her best work at the finish she was eventually beaten less than three lengths.
There’s plenty of improvement to come from the filly as the season progresses and she step up to 1m 4f. She looks a similar sort to connections Sea Of Class. So, it’s possible that she could head to the Newbury Listed race won by her stablemate last season.
Zuba, trained by Amanda Perrett. Not a trainer I find easy to read. However, I was taken with his third placed effort behind the useful Private Secretary in the 1m 2f handicap.
A winner on his third start at Chelmsford over 1m 2f last September. He looked the sort that day to do well in 1m 2f + handicaps as a 3-year-old.
Making his handicap debut off what looked a fair mark of 75. He looked in need of the run before the race but still ran well enough to get within 4 ½ lengths of the winner who could turn out to be a useful handicapper this year. He should improve for this run and looks capable of winning a handicap or two in the coming months.
Saturday Eyecatchers
Saturday 27th April
I have four eyecatchers from Saturday’s cards at Ripon, Haydock and Doncaster.
Ripon
Staxton, trained by Tim Easterby, the 4-year-old was making his seasonal reappearance in the 6f Class 2 handicap. He was always up with the pace on the stand side and ran well for a long way. Only headed inside the final furlong he eventually finished 3rd.
The 4-year-old was having his first start since October and like plenty from his stable will come on for the run. When last season in action he was a 3 ¾ length, 6th of 17 at York off 2lb higher He’s gone well at York in the past and will no doubt turn up for a sprint handicap there over the coming months. Looks capable of winning a decent pot or two as a 4-year-old.
Haydock
By the time of the 1m Class 2 handicap the going had changed to soft. Still there were two horse’s who look worth putting in the trackers for different reasons.
Just Hiss, trained by Tim Easterby. The 6-year-old was making his seasonal reappearance after a 180-day layoff. He was able to get out and adopt his usual front running tactics and was in front until the two-furlong mark. Once headed he didn’t weaken out of contention but stayed on finish 3rd of 11.
He was entitled to need the run as he doesn’t have a great record after a 120+ day break. Indeed, all four of his career wins from 12 starts have come when racing between 8 to 15 days since his last run. His prominent style of running is well suited to York and his record there is 2 wins from 6 runs 3 placed. An Official Rating of 90 won’t be easy to defy and his record when rated 87+ is 0 wins from 19 runs 7 placed 37%. However, he has finished within a length of the winner at Haydock & York off marks of 89 & 91. So, although he may need to drop a couple of lbs to win if he gets his conditions a win can’t be ruled out even off his lofty mark.
This was a very encouraging return to action from the gelding who can win another handicap this year when he can get out in front and boss a race.
Ledham, trained by Sir Michael Stoute. Hadn’t raced on going as soft as this in his six-race career. Returning from a 193-day break he was held-up he made some notable headway three furlongs from home and although it never looked like he would catch the eventual winner Mordin inside the final furlong he ran well to take second, beaten 2 ½ lengths.
A combination of the soft ground and the lack of a recent run probably made the difference here. Still this was a nice return to action by the son of Shamardal who improved with racing as a 3-year-old. Just the type of horse his trainer does well with. When he races back on a sounder surface, he can continue last seasons improvement. Yet to win on his four starts on turf, both his career wins have come on the all-weather, but surely, it’s only matter of time before he gets his first win on grass.
His full brother stayed 1m 2f so a step up in trip may well be worth trying. Handicapper has only raised the colt a 1lb for this effort and his mark of 90 will surely be defied in the coming weeks. Indeed, he could well end the season running in pattern company.
Doncaster
Autumn War, trained by Charlie Hills,a winner of two of his four starts last season at Nottingham & Goodwood. The 4-year-old was unsuited by the moderate early gallop on his handicap debut back in September.
This was the colts first run for 212-days and the bigger field and stronger overall gallop suited the son of Declaration of War much better. Held up at the back of the field he made good progress three furlongs from home and was doing all his best work at the finish of this 1m 2f handicap to eventually finish a 3 ¾ length 4th of 14.
Lightly raced for his age he could well get further but he does need a decent gallop to allow him to settle in his races. He will be all the better for his return to action and is open to further progress as a 4-year-old. There are races to be won off his current mark.
Cheers
John