GG’s latest recruit Matthew Sutcliffe gives an in-depth look at the horses to take out of last weekends action, before giving his fancies for Saturday’s action.
He gives FIVE selections to follow this weekend, including his pick to take ON Diego Velazquez in the Vertem Futurity trophy, plus a confident 2pt win tip on the Cheltenham Showcase meeting opening card on Friday.
Published: 3.15pm 25th October (Odds correct at time of publication)
Updated: 1.13pm 27th October (Wayfinder selection added)
Last Week’s Pointers
SATURDAY
13:50 Ascot – Swingalong (4/15) Showcasing x Pilates (Shamardal) – Trainer: Karl Burke.
Backers of Swingalong can possibly feel hard done by with her 2L 4th to Art Power in the Sprint Stakes. The winner was suited by racing on the far side throughout and the rest of the field gravitated toward there in the finish. Swingalong was drawn in stall three, two down from Art Power, but somehow found herself the closest to the nearside, which was evidently unfavourable. Despite that, she still travelled with zest up front and backed up that effort in the Sprint Cup at Haydock. She’s a tricky one place, but I imagine she’ll be targeted at all the big sprints again next season and with a bit of luck, she may be able to pick one up.
16:25 Ascot Sonny Liston (6/20) Lawman x Stars In Your Eyes (Galileo) – Trainer: Ralph Beckett.
There didn’t appear to be any hard luck stories in the Balmoral this year. It was hard to make ground up throughout the card and the Charlie Johnston trained winner was suited by making all. Sonny Liston was still travelling well 3F out despite being in last place, and made eyecatching late headway. Rhoscolyn and Migration were recorded to have raced in ‘rear’ along with Sonny Liston from 7F-5F, and they were beaten 13L and 15L respectively, which emphasises just how tough it was to make up ground. It’s taken connections quite a while to get to the bottom of Sonny Liston, but blinkers, soft ground and a mile seem to be the key to him. There’s been ‘soft’ in the going of six of the last nine renewals of the Lincoln, and I imagine that would be the obvious early aim for next season.
16:15 Newton Abbott – Individualiste (4/8) Cima De Triomphe x Intelligencia (Slickly) – Trainer: Paul Nicholls.
Individualiste made a satisfactory return to racing from 597 off the track when a 7L 4th at Newton Abbott last weekend. Despite racing a tad keenly throughout, he son of ‘08 Italian Derby winner Cima De Triomphe travelled and jumped well with a prominent pitch, with Cobden still firmly on the bridle on the turn for home. It’s plausible to suggest that a combination of the layoff, keenness and heavy ground contributed to him weakening towards the last, and he’ll be strongly of interest next time out. I’d love to see this big roan over a fence at some point this season, and hopefully with another run under his belt over hurdles Nicholls will send him chasing.
17:00 Newton Abbott – Walks Like The Man (1/9) Walk In The Park x Nifty Nuala (Saddlers’ Hall) – Trainer: Milton Harris.
I’ve never been the biggest fan of bumpers, however I’d like to think Milton Harris unearthed a smart type in Walks Like The Man. A strong, robust son of Walk In The Park, he travelled fluently up front, Burke doing his best to settle him, before going away well to win with ease. Already a five year old, no doubt we’ll see him over hurdles this year with a fences on the horizon for next season, and given he’s started favourite in all three career runs, he clearly has a lofty reputation.
SUNDAY
13:45 Kempton – Captain Marvellous (2/12) Masked Marvel x Praticks (Bertolini) – Trainer: Jane Williams.
If any horse I saw this weekend will have come on for the experience, it was definitely Captain Marvellous. The juvenile caught the eye throughout travelling effortlessly under Ciaran Gethings, though put in several ‘novicey’ leaps along the way. Despite his evident inexperience, he drew clear with the eventual winner (already a dual winner) and was arguably travelling better than that one coming into the last before hanging right and making a kerfuffle of the jump. By Masked Marvel (Teahupoo, Maskada, Marvel De Cerisy), from the family of Auteuil G1 winning hurdler Capivari, he’s bred to have a future under National Hunt rules and I expect him to be bang there next time out.
14:05 Sedgefield – Fakir (2/6) Day Flight x Lazary (Bobinksi) – Trainer: Milton Harris.
Fakir is winless since his debut for Milton Harris last September, and hasn’t pulled up too many trees in the process with a 9L third of four at Doncaster his best effort. That was until he was dropped to C5 company at Sedgefield on Sunday, where a better jump at the last might’ve seen him closer than the eventual four length gap. That was his best performance since his win and he’s some 20lbs lower now. It might be the right time to catch him after that effort, and I’d be keen on backing him in this grade especially if Bradley Harris is brought in to claim 5lbs off.
14:20 Kempton – Spago (4/7) Sageburg x Davids Delight (Kalanisi) – Trainer: Fergal O’Brien.
The winner (Arclight) deserves all the plaudits for an excellent chasing debut (bar the last jump), but through her success I imagine the ones in behind will be overlooked for their efforts next time out. All of the next four home could have ended up in this column, but Spago made the cut based on how quickly he finished after jumping the last. Connections wasted no time with him over hurdles given he only had three starts in that discipline, and that’s no surprise given how well he jumped. The sharp nature seemed to catch him out however, and he’ll be of larger interest next time out granted a galloping (sticking right handed) track. He’ll no doubt come on for the experience and should be up to breaking his NH maiden off a mark of 112.
17:15 Kempton – Oscars Moonshine (1/8) – Oscar x Scrapper Jack (Whitmore’s Conn) – Trainer: Paul Nicholls.
I often try and steer clear from the ‘powerhouses’ of racing, instead looking for the unobvious types who may go under the radar, so I’m somewhat going against my morals with a second Paul Nicholls horse in here. However, the way in which Oscar’s Moonshine demolished a trappy looking field meant it was impossible to exclude him in here. He racked up a hattrick in fifteen days this time last year and despite seemingly looking weighted to the hill, he has blossomed once more in first time cheekpieces. Though the handicapper hasn’t been too kind, he was massive value for the three length margin at Kempton having drawn clear two out with one beaten an eventual thirty lengths before going on to win eased down comfortably. I’d say he’s almost certainly got plenty left in the tank and can rack up a second hattrick next time out.
10 To Follow – Matt Sutcliffe’s Horses To Follow For The 23/24 Jumps Season
The 2023/24 Jumps Season is underway and we’ve got all our team to give their ’10 to follow’ for the NH season. Matt Sutcliffe is the next to give his selections, which include an old favourite of his from the Syd Hosie yard, plus a Nicky Henderson horse he’s backing to win the 2024 Triumph…
Thu 19 Oct 2023Weekend Punts
FRIDAY
4.30 Cheltenham – Close Brothers Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (Class 3)
STRICTLYADANCER (2pt win – 11/2 William Hill)
I’m hoping that the yard form and bounce factor will form a value price for Strictlyadancer, who was a pointer from last weeks column when a 13L 6th in a strong C2 at Chepstow. Despite racing from 2lbs out of the weights and from a 637 day layoff, he still jumped and travelled strongly throughout, and only weakened up the run in. He was up against the likes of Stolen Silver (150r), Eva’s Oskar (141r) and Tea Clipper (138r) and he’ll face nothing of that calibre in here with the top weight rated 125. This race will no doubt have been the target given he won it in 2021 albeit off an 11lbs lower mark, however that did come after being beaten a length more over the same C&D as last time out, from 13lbs lower in a much weaker race. So while he’s not as well obviously handicapped as he was this time last year, he’s clearly a much better animal, exemplified when beaten Empire Steel off a pound higher in 2021, who won a listed chase off 141 in March. His record in 3m-3m1f handicap chases reads 1341114 so he’s back within his prime conditions, and the excellent Gina Andrews, whose record at Cheltenham reads 52-7-11 (£19.10+), has been booked for her first ride for the yard.
SATURDAY
12.55 Newbury – BetVictor Horris Hill Stakes (Group 3)
TELEMARK (1pt win – 12/1 generally)
Yarmouth maiden winners have took this contest the last twice including Knight for Simon & Ed Crisford, who was a comfortable winner last season. Telemark progressed from the promise of his Leicester debut with a 3L success at Yarmouth on very soft ground last time out, drawing clear impressively in the closing stages and taking an age to pull up. Night of Thunder’s progeny are famed for revelling in the mud and Telemark will surely relish conditions this Saturday. While there’s little form to go on, the same can be said for the majority of these in a very open looking renewal, but visually it was hard not to be taken by Telemark who can hopefully rack up the double for the Crisford’s in this contest.
2:25 Cheltenham – Epic Jumps Season At William Hill Handicap Chase (Class 2)
CASTLE ROBIN (0.5pt E/W four places – 14/1 generally) *NOT DECLARED*
WAYFINDER (0.5pt E/W four places – 22/1 generally)
Unfortunately Castle Robin wasn’t declared in here, nor was he at Kelso so hopefully all is well with him. However, I’ve struck upon Rebecca Curtis’ Wayfinder to make amends for the absentee, whose handler won this race in 2018 with one from a layoff. A risky selection given he pulled up in three of his five runs last season, but I wouldn’t be pandering to his chances if I didn’t think there were excuses. He bled at Chepstow in the Welsh Grand National trial, then given is only previous ‘PU’ was over 3m6f, it’s sufficient to believe the trip in the Welsh National stretched him, as it likely did at Taunton in March. In between two of those lettered finishes, he was a creditable 4th in a Class 2 at Uttoxeter where despite bleeding again, the form worked out somewhat well with the 6th finishing a 5L 9th next time out in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival and won last time out, and the 2nd (Mister Coffey) was subsequently 3rd in the G2 National Hunt Chase then 8th in the Grand National off 145.
Wayfinder’s mark has dropped to 124, just 2lbs above when winning by eight lengths first time up last season at Chepstow, and if the wind surgery in the interim has ironed out those issues, then he’ll be a danger to all off his low weight. His record in October reads 14211 so now may be the time to catch him, and his record with ‘good’ in the going description reads 162111PU4, with the ‘PU’ having excuses, and his best form has come on left handed, galloping tracks (Chepstow, Uttoxeter, Ffos Las) so conditions will suit, as will his prominent style.
2.45 Doncaster – Kameko Futurity Trophy Stakes (Group 1)
GOD’S WINDOW (1pt win – 8/1 generally)
The market has the Futurity as a two horse race between Diego Velazquez and Ancient Wisdom. The former won the same race Auguste Rodin did en-route to taking the Futurity last season, while the latter took the Emirates Autumn Stakes in classy style on soft ground at Newmarket last time out. I think they could prove tough to beat, however they are priced accordingly and the favourite will be tackling very different conditions this time around, which as we saw on Champion’s Day, can throw up an odd result or two.
If there’s any who can spring a surprise in here it could be course and distance winner God’s Window, who was a pointer for the column last time out when winning impressively at the St Leger meeting. Visually it was a taking win, coming from the rear under minimal urging and was merely pushed out for a cosy success, hitting the line strongly under Kieran Shoemark. I’d noted that “the next three home had all either raced prominently and/or on the nearside” so he overcame somewhat of a pace/draw bias, and he “was quicker throughout the last two furlongs than any of those in the proceeding C2 mile handicap on the card won by the 97r Liberty Lane”. While the noting of the latter isn’t a concrete form of analysis to determine to ability of God’s Window, it states that his visual performance was backed up by the clock, and gives us a clear indicator that he is quite a nice type given that was his debut. The form of the race has worked out well enough, with the fourth winning cosily since recording an OR of 92, the 3L 5th was only beaten 4L in the G2 Royal Lodge, racing on the unfavourable far side and the 6th has also won since.
With the going looking set to be tough this weekend, stamina will be drawn out of these talented two-year olds who bid to throw their hat in to the Classic picture next season. God’s Window is a half-brother to a listed placed filly over 1m4f, and his dam (by Nathaniel) won over 1m3f, so there’s hopes through the pedigree that he’ll be able to unearth any stamina reserves required, and hopefully he can step up to the tough task ahead.
SUNDAY
4.34 Wincanton – Bet Goodwin Handicap Chase (Class 5)
BALLYMAGEE (2pt win – odds TBC)
You probably didn’t expect the last race at Wincanton on Sunday to pop up in this weeks column, but Ballymagee was also a pointer from last week and he can’t go unbacked after that. The selection was going great guns until four out where he made a colossal error, the type where on another day Connor Brace may have pulled him up, but he regathered his stride and rallied back strongly for 3rd. He was only beaten 7L there giving 20lbs to the well backed winner, who has since followed up cosily off a 5lbs higher mark. Ballymagee has been dropped a pound for that effort and I noted that he’d look more comfortable on a right handed track given he jumped that way throughout, so Wincanton will suit. That was only his 3rd run over fences under rules but he has plenty of good form in point-to-points, finishing behind the likes of Sholokjack (135r), Brorson (130r) and the excellent Ferns Lock. He’s well handicapped in this sphere off 87 when putting it all together, and the booking of Liam Harrison bodes well who is 6-4-0 all time for the yard.
Matt Sutcliffe’s Weekend Bets
FRIDAY
4.30 Cheltenham – STRICTLYADANCER (2pt win – 11/2 William Hill)
SATURDAY
12.55 Newbury – TELEMARK (1pt win – 12/1 generally)
2.25 Cheltenham – CASTLE ROBIN (0.5pt E/W four places – 14/1 generally) *NOT DECLARED*
2.25 Cheltenham – WAYFINDER (0.5pt E/W four places – 22/1 generally)
2.45 Doncaster – GODS WINDOW (1pt win – 8/1 generally)
SUNDAY
4.34 Wincanton – BALLYMAGEE (2pt win – odds TBC)
10 To Follow – Matt Sutcliffe’s Horses To Follow For The 23/24 Jumps Season
The 2023/24 Jumps Season is underway and we’ve got all our team to give their ’10 to follow’ for the NH season. Matt Sutcliffe is the next to give his selections, which include an old favourite of his from the Syd Hosie yard, plus a Nicky Henderson horse he’s backing to win the 2024 Triumph…
Thu 19 Oct 2023Looking For More Racing Info? Check Out Our Racecards & Top Tips Sections
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