It's the opening day of Newbury's Coral Gold Cup meeting and it is a typical top class card. There are plenty of bubbles waiting to be burst here and I can't wait to see who comes out of this with their reputations enhanced. The jumps season is really starting to catch fire now and it only gets hotter from here. I've decided to focus on 3 races: the 12:45, the 13:55 and the 14:30.
12:45
Coral Racing Club Novices' Handicap Chase
Personal Ambition 8/1 (each-way 3 places)
Myretown 10/1 (each-way 3 places)
9 of the last 11 winners of this handicap have been rated at least 130. There are only 3 here today with rating above that: Kalif Du Berlais (135), Brookie (131) and Personal Ambition (131). Kalif Du Berlais is currently the odds-on favourite with most bookies and it's easy to see why. He oozed class when sluicing up on debut at Kempton in January before following up in the Adonos at the same track in a race where the form is working out well. He was a bit over faced when 3rd in the Grade 1 at Aintree but has looked every inch a chaser and it's telling that Paul Nicholls is going chasing so early. He did however, come to grief on chasing debut at Carlisle last month and it is most likely that he'll find more improvement when he steps up in trip further down the line. This is a tougher race than Carlisle so the value is to look elsewhere, especially with there being each-way places down to 3rd. Brookie heads the weights but will find this more challenging than the 4 runner affair he won at Sandown earlier this month off a pound lower mark. It's worth noting that the odds-on favourite that day was Jeriko Du Reponet and we all saw what happened there. Brookie's only run at Newbury resulted in a 79 length hammering when sent off 11/4 for a handicap hurdle last November. Asta La Pasta stepped up on his seasonal debut to win a 3 runner affair at Carlisle over half a mile further than this. I expect Dan Skelton will find out more about where to go with his horse after the race. Idy Wood must be respected after a professional performance at Kempton last month although he's 6 pounds higher in a much tougher race. Tapley is very likeable and will be worth taking note of how he gets on but connections could hardly have found a tougher race in which to make his chase debut in. Tedley continues in good form but is now racing over a shorter trip and it was a bit disappointing he couldn't bring the hattrick up in a 4 runner race at Wincanton last time. Classic Anthem is likeable and was an expensive purchase from the pointing field. He has every chance of reversing form with Brookie from Sandown but no horse has ever won this race with such a low rating and will probably find more winnable races later in the season. Moulins Clermont looks to have it all to do after such a long absence. If Myretown were to win this for the in form Lucina Russell stable then he would also become the lowest rated winner of this race. That won't sum up his chances though. He is every inch a chaser and cost £135,000 after a win on his sole point run in April 2022. He has been lightly raced over hurdles but impressed when hacking up at Kelso on his last start. That was 264 days ago however, he has been entered up and pulled out all over the place over the last few weeks suggesting that the horse is raring to go but conditions just haven't been in his favour. With the recent weather turning conditions to the easy side of good at the Berkshire track is looks as though he will finally get the chance to strut his stuff. A mark of 123 should be dismissed at some point in his career. The one I like most is Personal Ambition for Ben Pauling. He has a lovely attitude this horse and races here off a mark of 131, which should be exploitable. He defeated Jinko Blue on debut (now rated 140) before finding Sandown's heavy winter ground too much on his second start. He hasn't done much wrong since then as he shrugged off a penalty to slam a decent field in a novice hurdle at Doncaster in January before outbattling Jango Baie (now rated 139) in a grade 2 at Kelso. He was pitched into a grade 1 at Aintree after that but can be forgiven the poor show on his last run of the season. He bounced back to run a mighty race on chase debut at Uttoxeter 28 days ago and was just outsprinted by the classy Lookaway who since ran a cracker in the grade 2 Arkle Trial at Cheltenham. He's now had 2 runs over fences after being 3rd in a point to point at the start of his career and with that recent run under his belt I expect him to go very close.
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13:55
Coral Johh Francome Novices' Chase
The Jukebox Man 11/4
This race rarely disappoints and looks a real cracker this year as well. Absolute titans of the game has walked away from Berkshire with this prize in the bag including 3 subsequent Gold Cup winners: Denman (2006), Bobs Worth (2011) and Coneygree (2014). There's also Ryanair Chase winner Dynaste (2012), RSA and Long Walk Hurdle winner Champ (2019) and dual King George hero Clan Des Obeaux (2016). What a roll of honour. I'm not sure if there is a future superstar in the field but it definitely looks a belter on paper. Boombawn has been a credit to connections but will find this almost impossible giving 5 pounds away to the whole field, the rest all have decent chances. Masaccio will find this tougher than the handicap he won at the course earlier in the month but is going the right way and clearly likes the track. Bugsy Seagull wouldn't be without a chance of turning round form with Carlisle vanquisher Johnnywho as this is slightly shorter and on softer ground but Jonjo O'Neill's gelding did look to have more in him. Johnnywho was a real pro in that race and looks sure to continue improving but he has a fully fledged grade 1 winner in Captain Teague to overcome, who slammed him in the Challow last December. The Captain is going to improve bundles for chasing and will win many races but this is his chase debut along with The Jukebox Man after the Exeter race turned into a walkover. He must be respected. As for The Jukebox Man, was there a more traumatic last 100 yards at the Cheltenham Festival than the Albert Bartlett for the Ben Pauling stable? This point winner did nothing but keep improving throughout last season and undoubtedly brings the best form into the race with that run in the Albert Bartlett. Yes this is shorter but he's got real scope and the trainer has been ever so bullish about his chances over the past few weeks. He reportedly put in a great piece of work earlier in the week and at the prices he is play.
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14:30
Coral 'Daily Rewards Shaker' Handicap Chase
Scarface 8/1
Sir Psycho 8/1
The first thing that stands out at me in this race is how most of the field are racing on high handicap marks for them: Heltenham 142 (6 pounds above highest winning mark), Sir Psycho 138 (11 pounds above), Golden Son 136 (1 pound above), Galop De Chasse 133 (10 pounds above), Saint Segal 131 (3 pounds above), Scarface 130 (2 pounds above), Lord Baddesley 127 (3 pounds above). Editeur Du Gite races of 150 which is 9 pounds below the mark he defied at Kempton on Boxing Day but hasn't done anything since and Le Patron races off 146 on handicap debut (poor on last 2 runs and in need of a revival). Only La Domaniale is running off a mark lower than what they have won off but the reason for that is due to struggling very badly since last victorious in May 2023. So this begs the question to answer of who in this field is the most ready to strike. Well, Heltenham has a fantastic record at Newbury but his 3 wins here have all come in the month of March and did only scramble home from Sir Psycho off a 6 pound lower mark on the latest occasion. Golden Son is only 1 pound above his highest winning mark but inconsistency might as well be his middle name and he was pulled up at this meeting last year which tempers enthusiasm. Sant Segal is well handicapped when we consider that he was set to win off a 5 pound higher mark at Ascot a year ago but since then has really struggled and his temperament has come into question. You'd like to have seen more in his last 2 runs. Galop De Chasse could still be up to winning off this mark given he won a very strong race on his sole course visit in November of last year but he's been readily found in the market and doesn't make much appeal at the prices. So that leaves us with Scarface and Sir Psycho. Scarface represents the red hot Joe Tizzard stable and is only 2 pounds above the mark off which he won Sussex Champion Chase at Plumpton in the spring. That was over this trip but his 2 runs so far this season have been over 2 miles and he's been finding it tough. It took him a couple of runs to get his act together last season but once he did, he never looked back. From January his form read: 1st, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 3rd. That 3rd was off a 4 pound higher mark in a grade 2 at Cheltenham. He finished just behind Hang In There who is now rated 159. If he has come on for those 2 earlier runs then he should be going close. I'll also be keeping Sir Psycho on side for Harry Derham, who has spoken about how he has targeted this race for the 8 year old. He's 11 pounds above his highest winning mark but was rated 9 pounds higher over hurdles at one point and is now 2 pounds better off with Heltenham who defeated him by a neck at the course in March over a similar trip. He hacked up on seasonal debut in a hot race at Ascot last year and this looks the time to catch him.
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