It was a quiet day in England but Uttoxeter put on an informative card albeit on pretty sodden ground. Kelya Wood looked the horse to take out of the fixture. She was an impressive 10 length winner of the mares' novices' hurdle from a Nicky Henderson runner who was sent off the 11/10 favourite. Kelya Wood made all and was very professional considering this was her first run under rules having fallen in her only point. This 4 year old filly is one to keep onside. There was also a strong running of the 3 miles novice's handicap chase. Rocovango showed a willing attitude to fend of Toss Of A Coin. Rocovango represented the strong Olly Murphy - Sean Bowen combo but this was his 3rd run of the season and I'll take the Nicholls' trained runner up as one for the future. He's a winning pointer and jumped nicely on his first run over fences for current connections. He's still a lightly raced 6 year old and will be winning races this season. As for the 11/10 favourite Shanagh Bob, well he never really travelled a yard and now is in serious danger of going the wrong way. His early promise is now feeling like a distant memory and I'll be avoiding for the time being.
On Monday we had a really strong card at Kempton to keep us warm. The 2 mile novice hurdle looked an informative one and I took a chance on Thistle Be The One. He had put up some really good performances from the front in a couple of bumpers and was backed down from 11/2 the night before to go off 3/1 second favourite. He didn't get to the front however and looked unhappy from a long way out. He jumped OK but it was disappointing how little he found for pressure and is maybe one for handicapping later down the line whilst he adjusts to his new profession. The winner, Miami Magic, looked very good however. He's a speedy type and followed up his impressive win at Fakenham here. 2 miles round a flat track look his game so I wouldn't be surprised if connections came back to Kempton on Boxing Day for the 2 mile novice hurdle on that card. He doesn't look like a horse to be running on deep winter ground but is clearly exciting for Stuart Edmunds. The clash between Gidleigh Park and Iberico Lord didn't happen with Harry Fry's exciting 6 year old pulling up early. We hope that the issue isn't that serious that we won't see him again this season although I wonder if chasing may be postponed to next season now. Iberico Lord won well in the end but he was left with an easy task and we will learn more next time he runs. My money had gone down on Thistle Be The One but I managed to strike back when Es Perfecto won the 2 and half mile handicap chase on the card in convincing fashion. Alan King's stable continues in good form and this lightly raced 9 year old was running off a very exploitable mark when you considered that the 2 horse who finished in front of him at Kempton on Boxing Day last year are now rated in the mid 140s. Es Perfecto was running here off 121. He went off the 11/4 favourite. The Edgar Wallace took on Bourbali for the lead (as I had predicted in my write up) and it set the race up perfectly for the winner. Bourbali could still land a pot this season off his mark but needs things to fall right. Doddiethegreat made his chase debut in this race but his jumping lacked fluency and needs to have learned a lot for this outing.
I put up one horse at Sedgefield on Tuesday and that was Bathgate for the Phil Kirby team in the 2 mile handicap hurdle. He has been such a strong traveller in races over further without getting home. The drop back in trip here looked a good move I thought a mark of 93 was plenty fair enough considering he was only 2 pounds higher than when beaten on the line at Ayr earlier the in the year and when beaten at Kelso he was taking on Double Powerful who has since won at Cheltenham off a mark of 114. This trip and ground combo looked perfect and at 5/1 he looked a smashing each-way bet given his consistency. He travelled well, came under pressure coming for home but over this trip was able to see it out well and had the race won when his nearest pursuers came to grief at the last.
At Southwell on Monday I had put up The Blueberry One in a 2 and a half mile handicap hurdle. He was due to make his handicap debut but was declared a non runner on the day. I saw him at Newbury last season in a bumper and he is a big strapping sort who will improve for racing so keep an eye out. Broughshane won the race in the end for the Jonjo O'Neill team by 2 lengths from the odds on favourite Solar System. They pulled 25 lengths clear of the 3rd and Broughshane is now running over the correct trip having found 3 miles too much earlier in the season. He could yet follow up. I selected Illucidate in the 2 miles novices' handicap hurdle on the card and he did run (sent off 18/1). I thought given his lightly raced profile he was worth a punt at the odds. He travelled well but was still a bit awkward at a few hurdles and was beaten before the final flight. He finished 6th of 13 runners. That was his first run of the season and he should come on for it. He's inching towards a good handicap mark and maybe a step up in trip is in order.
After 3 winners in 2 days, I moved onto Wednesday full of optimism. With Airtothethrone a non runner at Hereford I was left with only one bet on on the day and that came in the shape of Marsh Wren in the Bud Booth Mares' Chase at Market Rasen. Fantastic Lady was well fancied as a previous winner of the race but faced opponents today who were vastly superior to those the Henderson mare defeated 2 years ago and she was conceding weight all round. Apple Away was sent off favourite but I couldn't see why people were backing her at prohibitive odds considering she hasn't kicked on over fences and this was potentially too short a trip. She also had to give 2 pounds away to Marsh Wren who was rated 4 pounds higher. Stuart Edmunds' horses were running well and the Marsh Wren's record when fresh was fantastic. She was freely available at 7/2 in the morning and I took plenty of that. She was well backed to go off at 11/4 and the result was never in doubt. She ran out a convincing winner and looks set to take of beating in the mares' chases to come throughout the winter.
After being in such hot form it was only a matter of time before I had cold water poured over me at that came on Thursday. Lingfield's card was run on heavy ground but that didn't put me off backing the Tim Vaughan trained Airtothethrone in the 3 mile handicap chase on the card. He jumped well and travelled strongly but weakened badly when push came to shove up the home straight. I had backed him each-way and it looked as though he would get placed at least coming down the hill but finished a well beaten 4th. It's now approaching 2 years since his last win and should be up to winning a race off this mark. He's becoming frustrating (if not already so) and it will be interesting to see how he is campaigned now. It was perhaps a stronger race than on paper as the top 2 in the betting pulled clear to battle out the finish. Aworkinprogress won his 3rd race on the bounce from Vision De Maine who was also trying to win his 3rd in a row. So perhaps one for the tracker is the 3rd placed horse Camulus. This was only his 3rd run since joining Venetia Williams. He hasn't managed to win a race in his career yet but signs were better here.
At Taunton I had backed Vivid Pink the night before at 6/1 however, as soon as I woke up and saw she had drifted to 14s I knew my fate. She didn't travel a yard before being pulled up before 2 out. She showed real promise early in her career but is now going backwards and it must be disappointing for connections. Ugo Bingo won the race at 18/1 and it may be worth following him as the season goes on. He's very lightly raced and had been running on in his races over shorter trips. This step up in distance really helped him and I think he could go further yet.
I was at Newbury on Friday and Saturday (a paid up member) and you couldn't have asked for 2 days of better racing for this time of year. I really liked Personal Ambition in the 2 mile novices' handicap chase on the Friday. He looks well handicapped and a sound jumper however, Ben Jones decided to take on Myretown for the lead down the back straight and they cut each others throats. I couldn't even get the each-way part of the bet back in the end as he faded to 4th up the run in but I'll definitely be keeping Ben Pauling's 5 year old on side. Myretown jumped very well on chase debut and should find a winable race back up north before tacking better races later in the season, he drifted from 10/1 to 28/1 on the off but still managed to hold on for 5th (of 10) despite over racing. Kalif Du Berlais was a good winner however, and is sure to kick on now over fences. He was short enough in the betting though (SP of 10/11) so nothing was missed. The horse to take out of the race really was Asta La Pasta. Harry Skelton kept him miles back from the pace in rear of the field for most of the race. He crept into it up the straight but was too far back to land a blow on the front 2. A future Grand Annual winner? My biggest bet of the day was on The Jukebox Man in the John Francome Novices' Chase. I had backed him at 33/1 in the Albert Bartlett and finally managed to make amends. I saw him a few times last season and everything about him screamed chaser. He brought the best form into the race and kicked on down the back straight. His jumping was outlandish at times and imperious at others. He put his opponents to the sword and looks to be one of the best novices in England at the moment. Connections will be thinking about the Festival. My main bet in the 2 and a half mile handicap chase was Scarface who ran a cracker despite giving up ground at the start. He finished a running on second but I had backed him win only along with Sir Psycho (also ran with credit and but handicapper may have him). I wouldn't be sure about Scarface mixing it in the really big handicaps over the winter on bad ground. But there's still a race in him off this mark. Le Patron was a Grade 1 winner in a handicap and it showed. He jumped like a stag and really put distance between himself at the field after the last. He was given impossible tasks in strong Grade 1s at the backend of last season and has now re-gained his mojo. I suspect connections will be targeting graded races again now - perhaps something like the Silviniaco Conti Chase in January.
Saturday was the big one and at the prices I was keen to take on the 6/4 favourite in the opening mares' novices' hurdle. In the end Listentoyourheart was a brave winner and strong at the line, she'll improve again when stepped up in trip. Walkadina was my win bet and she ran well before falling back into old ways and not seeing out her race - I wonder if a wind op is incoming. My each-way bet was Rula Bula at 12/1 (sent of 10/1) and she ran a mighty race to finish 2nd from the running on Jubilee Alpha (will be winning plenty of races mark my word). I managed to come out of the race with just a minor loss. In the 2 mile 6 furlong handicap chase I was keen on Highstakesplayer but he never seemed that comfortable going down the back straight. He weakened to finish 5th and I'm unsure about where he will race next. All wasn't completely lost in the end as I had spotted that Wiseguy looked outstanding and incredibly fit in the parade ring. He was 16/1 and had lost his way over fences last season before reverting to hurdles. In the race, he pinged the first 2 fences well to show he was back in the groove. I managed to get onto Corals to nab a bit of 10/1 in-running to cover my stake in the race (sent off 11/1) although I was kicking myself for not just taking the 16s in the parade ring. We moved onto the novices hurdle on the card and as I had written up before hand, I though The New Lion looked a top-class animal at Chepstow and duly took the 4/6 about him to remain unbeaten. I'm not really one for backing odds on but I felt that if I took him on I was throwing money away. He won impressively and strikes me as a 3 mile chaser of the future. I could easily see him ending up in the Albert Bartlett at the Festival. I was not rolling in money by any means after backing such a short priced horse but it was enough to put me back level for the day. The 2 and a half mile handicap hurdle was the most depressing for me on the card as I quite fancied Issam to run a good race now returned to his best trip. They went very fast up front and Jordan Nailor had Tom Symonds' 6 year old way out the back, he pretty much stayed there. I wonder if he needs to be kept to less competitive races, at least for the time being. Impose Toi was the standout in the paddock again for the Nicky Henderson yard and looks to have improved plenty over the summer. He'll make a chaser in time but there's still money to be had with him over hurdles and should be kept onside wherever he goes. Inthewaterside was the horse to take out of the race however. He looked fit in the parade ring but was awash with sweat and playing up badly. He lost any chance he had before the race even began but put in a huge performance to finish 3rd and will reportedly now go novice chasing. I think he could be one for the Turners at the festival now that it is a handicap. Watch this space. I was now behind the 8 ball a little bit but not to worry as I strongly fancied Queen's Gamble and was happy enough to back her win only at 9/2. Nicky Henderson's horses were flying though and money poured in for Jeriko Du Reponet. I went in again on Harry Derham's mare at 8/1 before the off. She travelled well throughout the race without ever quite looking like winning. She conceded first run to the winner and even though she found plenty on seasonal debut, that lack of race fitness maybe played it's part and she couldn't real in Navajo Indy for Tom Symonds - go figure! The winner was very game and won this off a mark of 120. He could yet go in again - maybe Betfair Hurdle will be the big aim. I think he looks like an ideal Imperial Cup type. As for Queen's Gamble, she can undoubtably win a big pot from this sort of mark but she needs a fairly decent surface so may not be seen to much over the next couple of months. If she was mine, I'd be aiming towards the County Hurdle in March. Salver ran a huge race off 12 stone (only a 4 year old) and should be mixing it in graded company at some point this season when faced with heavy ground. Jeriko Du Reponet was the strange one though as he jumped the first few hurdles like fences and took him right out of his rhythm. At one point down the back I thought he'd pull up. He found plenty for pressure though and ran on to finish a fair 5th. I'd keep him over hurdles now this season as he should be exploiting his mark (135) in one of these big handicaps over the winter. I was now well and truly behind and kicking myself for not backing Queen's Gamble each-way but still just about ahead over the 2 days given the profit made from The Jukebox Man. However, the Coral Gold Cup (Hennessy to you and me) was next up. I had put up (and backed) Kandoo Kid and Henry's Friend ante-post at 16/1 each way 4 places. That put me in a strong position as both were shorter on the day, particularly Kandoo Kid who was around the 8/1 mark all morning. That meant I was able to have a little bit each-way on my old friend Remastered at 33/1 (just in case a miracle did happen). It was only a 13 runner renewal but an interesting one from the off. Sam Brown found it all too much and will be happier when back contesting veterans chases and Remastered had basically called it a day down the back straight when unshipping Jack Tudor. Colonel Harry was ante-post favourite but had drifted to 10/1 on the off. He was far too keen and dragged Gavin Sheehan to the lead early on, he was never going to get home and faded to 11th. All 3 of the Irish runners were under the cosh from a fair way out, all 3 look in the grip of the handicapper now. As do both of Dan Skelton's runners. Midnight River is on a real recovery mission now and Galia Des Liteaux looks in need of further and softer ground. She travelled well but was done for pace up the home straight. Henry's Friend was running a great race and popping his fences perfectly before making a mistake at the 14th and that lost him his position and probably 4th place - he finished a gallant 5th and will learn plenty for this experience. General En Chef travelled like the winner over most of the final few fences before tiring badly after the last. He acted up terribly in the prelims and that cost him in the end. It will be interesting if he comes back over here at some point after that. Victtorino was well fancied but was out the back early and didn't jump with any real fluency. He ran on through beaten horses to finish a good 3rd and I expect him to go very close back at Ascot over Christmas. Broadway Boy ran a mighty race considering he was on the front end throughout. He made a bad mistake at 4 out and that cost him any chance he did hold at the time. Kandoo Kid in the end, ran out a fairly easy winner. Nicholls had trained him for the race and as I had written up in my ante-post piece, he clearly loves the course. He jumped like a stag and will reportedly be aimed at Aintree now. I was confident enough to back him again at 8/1 on the day and even though Henry's Friend finished 5th it was a very good result and one of my best returns for the season so far. It was the first time I had backed the winner of the race since Cloth Cap in 2020 and it meant I left the 2 day festival, and the week as a whole in profit.
Roll on next week!
Zap.
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