No selection this week as I think we can afford another week of sightseeing before we need to pounce with any from my shortlist stage but there’s some exciting racing coming up this weekend as we move ever closer to the Festive period which is littered with Graded action.
Plenty of that this weekend too, so I’m going to run through the week that was and give a little nudge to promote what’s coming up and it’s a very exciting time of the season.
THE WEEK JUST GONE
Wednesday saw Let It Rain as a wide-margin winner and starting to fulfil the promise she’d shown as a bumper horse last season. I can’t seem to find it confirmed, but a couple of people are suggesting she may have a tendon injury so worth mentioning I thought, and these things come out in the wash anyway.
Thursday saw Willie Mullins pull his runners at Thurles due to quick ground, so we missed out on some seasonal debut efforts for a few horses to note but at least they’re ready to roll now.
Friday was day 1 of Newbury’s Winter Carnival, although I’m not sure it’s known as that anymore. Still, it hosted two Graded races and a Listed event which saw decent winners and even outside those races we saw some good-looking animals.
Regent’s Stroll took the opener (a maiden hurdle) and by a good distance which wasn’t helped by a potentially jarring mistake two out. I say potentially, as while it wouldn’t have helped him, he was cantering at that point so I’m not sure it would have been as detrimental to him as it would have been if he was ridden and being asked for an effort at that stage. Still, it was an effort which left me in a bit of a quandary about him because I didn’t think he looked a proper two-miler in his bumper at the track last season when outpaced in the home straight and I’m still not sure now. One thing is for sure, he’s a big horse already who looks a seriously exciting prospect whatever route he goes down this season so it was a good start to the day. I’d think the Tolworth might typically have suited him but with that moved to Boxing Day in Aintree, I’m not sure Paul will want anyone other than Harry to ride who is going to be at Kempton I’d have thought.
The stable has another exciting horse running in the second race with Kalif Du Berlais but I thought he was beatable in this handicap. Tedley did head him at the last, he’s a bit of a quirky one with cheek-pieces sported now and I think he might have been delivered too soon. The third, Asta La Pasta has hung before and is another who doesn’t quite look straightforward so I’m lukewarm on the winner with that in mind, but he’s only a baby so undoubtedly has better day ahead of him.
The Jukebox Man was well supported late on and won the John Francome Novices’ Chase which housed the likes of Captain Teague, Johnnywho and Masaccio and won in the style of a serious horse given I think he wants 3 miles ideally. Johnnywho was outpaced in Newbury again off a slow enough pace so I’m not sure what they’re trying to achieve with him but he’s on the naughty list now going forward but I’d think he’s got a decent race in him somewhere. Strong Leader won the Long Distance Hurdle and he’s progressing with each run since stepping up in trip. I thought the ground and way the race was likely to turn tactical being a small field wouldn’t necessarily suit him, but he won like a good horse and he’s gone up again in my estimations. Langer Dan was doing his usual early season running where we don’t expect much from him but he came out respectably for his first try at 3 miles and with a potential clash this month in the Long Walk hurdle with Strong Leader, Crambo and Lucky Place, I’m quite excited for the prospect that we might have a bit of depth in the British division to make things interesting in March.
On the stayers, we’ll jump to the Hatton’s Grace where Lossiemouth got the better of Teahupoo but I think, tactically, it was expected. The market flip flopped in favour of Lossiemouth and while Teahupoo is still clearly the horse to beat in March, he has shown that you can get him beat if you can travel with him for long enough. For all that he won two big Grade 1 stayers’ races last spring, they were both below his career best RPR’s which came in December 2022 and January 2023. He is only a 7yo and I’m being picky here, but I just mean the British divisions being competitive can only help their chances of bridging a gap that does need to be bridged but is a gap potentially within reach. As for Lossiemouth, it’s going to be hard for any of the males to giver her 7lbs but until she’s toppled State Man, I want to see her beat a decent 2-miler before I think she’s a valid Champion Hurdle favourite and there’s a chance of some depth in behind in the Champion Hurdle.
A good time to move onto Saturday, and we can start with the Fighting Fifth where Sir Gino won as expected after Mystical Power flopped in the race. Winning margins compared to the Official ratings means he did what was expected, but while he was asked for an effort, I don’t think that was needed and I also think he would have appreciated being taken through the race at a stronger pace and with Kihavah dwindling between 2 out and the last, he maybe hit the front sooner than ideal too. The combination of those aspects; a stronger pace and a longer tow into the race, for me would have seen him even more impressive but it is a bit of speculation for now. The only real test he might get this season is if stable-mate Constitution Hill comes back and Nicky is happy to run them against each other in the Christmas Hurdle but that might be a lose lose situation for Sir Gino. If he beats his stable-mate I’m not sure people will believe it was the real Constitution Hill who turned up, and if he’s beaten, well then he’s been beaten and the bubble is somewhat burst. I think he’s about the same level as Lossiemouth at the moment but that also means he’s got at least 7lbs to find if he’s to beat her. That’s doable between now and March but where can he really be tested?
Back over in Newbury we saw The New Liom keep up his unbeaten record and I think he beat a good horse in Califet En Vol who finished second.. He’s rated 136 off the back of that now which seems about right, although for the prospects of being a Spring Festival winner, he’s going to have to improve a stone between now and then. Of course, it’s not all about Cheltenham but I don’t see them mopping up a handicap with him at this stage and just running him for the sake of being qualified, they’ll have higher expectations for sure.
Over at Fairyhouse Impaire Et Passe got off to a pleasing chase debut over 2m 5 ½f and in a race won by the likes of Corbetts Cross, Monkfish and Carefully Selected in recent years so you’d say he’s at least a 3 miler for this season in time. There was no depth to the race this year and he was sent off at 2/13 so we’ll find out more as the season progresses, but he looked good.
Another Willie Mullins runner who looked good was Anzadam in winning the Grade 3 WillowWarm Hurdle which is a race for 4yo’s. I think it could be easy to exaggerate what he achieved though with Kala Conti winning last time out off a mark of 130 with a 7lb claimer on board and only receiving 2lbs here. The 3rd, Dodger Long for Harriet Dickin is officially rated 135 on these shores but that might be pushing his level a bit too. Still, he’s clearly got to be a 140’s horse on that effort. The only way is up for him now though and it presents the Donnelly’s with a nice trio of potential Champion Hurdlers with State Man and Sir Gino in the picture, of course, too.
Sunday saw the chasing and stable debut for Caldwell Potter who ran down a few fences, went left at them in doing so and looked a bit to me like he wasn’t a full horse yet, I mean in physicality not that I was expecting a flawless chaser on debut. I’d love to know the weights of horses and think this should be public, but I remember when Topofthegame ran well in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase in Kempton and looked like he was skinny but come March he was a fuller horse who had clearly grown into himself through the winter. Might be the same for Caldwell Potter so I expect him to improve plenty for it, but without seeing him in the flesh or knowing his weight though the season, that’s purely speculation at this point.
Back in Ireland and again in Fairyhouse, we saw multiple beaten favourites and the shortest of those was previous Triumph hurdle favourite Willy De Houelle who was grabbed by Naturally Nimble in the closing stages but didn’t lose too much in defeat I thought. Of course you’d rather they weren’t beaten, but there was lots to work on with him and I think if Paul had have known the danger in behind he might have kicked on sooner. That may not have affected the result, but he entitled to improve and he’s still on the radar for top graded races through the season. The winner would want to back that up again next time out but looked himself like he would be a nice type to wait with in his races and pick up the pieces as he did here.
Romeo Coolio was beaten in the now Grade 2 Royal Bond and by a horse of Willie Mullins in Tounsivator who won’t be a novice come March having won his Maiden Hurdle in February. The winner has run to low 140’s I’d say there, so it’s not the end of the world for Romeo Coolio but you couldn’t help but be disappointed if you thought he was going to be a Supreme winner this season. Firefox was beaten in the Drinmore and I’m still not sure what he’s doing at 2m 4f. Maybe he’s not as quick as I though he was because I expected him to be an Arkle contender this season, but he lost his position on the turn in for home and while he tried to rally, I just was left a bit disappointed with him. Gorgeous Tom flew home after being outpaced earlier in the home straight and he’s going to be an interesting one this season if he can get a mark shy of 140 or low 140’s for a handicap chase on a stiffer track.
COMING UP THIS WEEK
It is a big weekend of racing in Esher with two Grade 2’s at Sandown for the Novices in the the Winter Novices’ Hurdle and the Esher Novices’ Chase on Friday. Some nice handicaps on the card too with an Introductory Juvenile to open the cad. Their Saturday fixture features two Grade 1’s both over 1m 7 ½f with the Henry VIII Novices’ chase run before the Tingle Creek. Again, plenty of nice handicaps to get excited about too with the London National always a great spectacle and there’s a Pertemps Qualifier on the card too.
Up at Aintree it’s the Becher Chase card with a Listed Juvenile Hurdle after, but the first couple of races will be informative with some potentially useful prospects in both the Novices’ Hurdle and the Beginners Chase.
Over at Navan, there’s the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle followed by two Listed handicaps, but Sunday in Ireland is where it all goes a bit extra exciting with Cork hosting three Graded races including the potential return of Energumene in the Hilly Way. Not to be outdone, the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon looks a proper decent clash with Ginny’s Destiny, Ga Law, Djelo, Protektorat, Minella Drama and Soul Icon all entered.
No doubt there will be lots of informative results and with bits of rain about we should have some nice National Hunt ground too so Christmas could be coming early!
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