The Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle has been the source of several Festival winners in recent years and it would be a surprise if one of the first two in 2014’s running did not add to that record. Red Sherlock (9/4) and Rathvinden (6/4f) finished well clear of the useful Aubusson (7/1) on Saturday.
Red Sherlock remains unbeaten and has been priced at around 7/1 for the race of the same name at the Festival. His trainer David Pipe said afterwards: “He stays well and might get further so I'd imagine he'll have entries over two-five and three miles at the Festival.”
Saturday’s going at Cheltenham (heavy, soft in places) does add a complication to assessing likely Festival performance, when the going is usually better (although, given the UK weather in recent times, it could be anything).
A combination of the ground, age and lengthy absence from the racetrack accounted for Big Buck’s’ defeat in the Cleeve Hurdle. The 11-year-old led the field quite a long way from the finish and was only overtaken by Knockara Beau (66/1) and At Fishers Cross (5/1) in the final 75 yards of the three mile race.
Big Buck’s remains the favourite for the World Hurdle and will no doubt improve on better ground and with Saturday’s run. But he will have to improve to win the World Hurdle if Annie Power runs in the race. Willie Mullins’ mare won easily at Doncaster on Saturday (1/6f) and would receive a mare’s allowance in the World Hurdle. But her plans have not yet been confirmed for the Festival.
At Fishers Cross put in a much improved performance to finish second but it does not look like Festival winning form to finish behind an 11-year-old in Knockara Beau and less than a length ahead of Big Buck’s, who was giving him 4lbs.
The picture for the Cheltenham Gold Cup was made clearer in the sense that several contenders had poor performances on Saturday and look unlikely to win the main event in March.
The current ante-post prices for the Gold Cup tell the story of Saturday's runners: Boston Bob 25/1, The Giant Bolster 33/1, Rocky Creek 40/1, Harry Topper 50/1, Houblon Des Obeaux 100/1.
Le Rocher (Nick Williams) was a good winner of the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial but the gelding could have been one to benefit from the heavy going on Saturday. He has won twice now on heavy ground. If he runs at the Festival he will have to act on what will presumably be better ground.
There is much to ponder on over the next month or so.
28 January 2014
25 January 2014
If you’ve got it, flaunt it
I haven’t bought the Racing Post on a Saturday for a little while but got a copy today because it was a busy day of racing and I had time to watch it.
Reading through it, the classified pages made me chuckle.
Trainer Sophie Leech had taken an advert in the “trainers” section (I don’t know if it had appeared in previous weeks, not having bought the paper).
She was the trainer of Seven Summits, which was one of the four horses involved in Wednesday’s brilliantly audacious betting coup. Seven Summits’ last win was in 2010 and hadn’t raced since last June but was a game winner at Catterick last week.
The advert in the Racing Post was headed “proven record of rejuvenating horses who have lost their form”!
It listed several winners in her yard but not Seven Summits. I wonder when the deadline was for submitting the copy?
It would surely have given the gamble away to the newspaper’s copy editor if a winner was included in the advert that had yet to win the race! People talk about “after timing”….
Still smiling at the bravado of the advert I turned the page and saw… an advert for an integrity analyst at the British Horseracing Authority.
Reading through it, the classified pages made me chuckle.
Trainer Sophie Leech had taken an advert in the “trainers” section (I don’t know if it had appeared in previous weeks, not having bought the paper).
She was the trainer of Seven Summits, which was one of the four horses involved in Wednesday’s brilliantly audacious betting coup. Seven Summits’ last win was in 2010 and hadn’t raced since last June but was a game winner at Catterick last week.
The advert in the Racing Post was headed “proven record of rejuvenating horses who have lost their form”!
It listed several winners in her yard but not Seven Summits. I wonder when the deadline was for submitting the copy?
It would surely have given the gamble away to the newspaper’s copy editor if a winner was included in the advert that had yet to win the race! People talk about “after timing”….
Still smiling at the bravado of the advert I turned the page and saw… an advert for an integrity analyst at the British Horseracing Authority.
24 January 2014
Turf notes: 24 January 2014
Pearl Castle (17/2) was an eye-catching winner of the Sky Vegas App Novices' Hurdle (2m 110y) at Doncaster on Friday.
The four-year-old ran home 16 lengths ahead of his nearest rival on just his second start over hurdles after a career on the Flat.
Now trained by John Quinn, Pearl Castle seemed at home in a large field and showed an excellent turn of foot in the final furlong (perhaps remembering his Flat racing days).
He looked a little awkward at some of his hurdles, particularly early on in the race, taking some of them at an angle to the flight rather than head on. But he took a couple of hurdles at good speed in the home straight and jumped the final hurdle fluently.
No doubt his jumping will improve further with experience. One to watch if he is entered at Cheltenham.
The four-year-old ran home 16 lengths ahead of his nearest rival on just his second start over hurdles after a career on the Flat.
Now trained by John Quinn, Pearl Castle seemed at home in a large field and showed an excellent turn of foot in the final furlong (perhaps remembering his Flat racing days).
He looked a little awkward at some of his hurdles, particularly early on in the race, taking some of them at an angle to the flight rather than head on. But he took a couple of hurdles at good speed in the home straight and jumped the final hurdle fluently.
No doubt his jumping will improve further with experience. One to watch if he is entered at Cheltenham.
Eyes open for Festival clues
In seven weeks the Gold Cup will have been run and the Cheltenham Festival will be over for another year. The racing that takes place this weekend could provide a very useful guide as to the likely 2014 Festival winners.
Big Buck’s returns to action in the Cleeve Hurdle (3.35 Cheltenham). Paul Nicholls’ gelding is now 11 years old and was last seen on the track in December 2012. Ruby Walsh has been in the saddle for Big Buck’s’ last eight wins, so Sam Twiston-Davies has a lot to live up to.
At Fishers Cross is also in the race, looking to get his season going after unseating Tony McCoy last time in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. The winner that day, Reve de Sivola, lines up for trainer Nick Williams. Willie Mullins sends over Boston Bob, who fell at the last fence in the RSA Chase at last year’s Cheltenham Festival.
The Argento Chase (2.25 Cheltenham) is another hotly anticipated race on the Cheltenham card. The runner up in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury, Rocky Creek (Paul Nicholls), is the favourite and faces Houblon Des Obeaux (6th in the Hennessy but with two other wins this season) and Charlie Hall Chase winner Harry Topper.
At Doncaster the card features the Sky Bet Chase and the Grade 2 River Don Novices’ Hurdle.
Paul Nicholls’ Unioniste heads the betting for the Sky Bet Chase and carries top weight. But there could be some threats lower down the weights, such as Niceonefrankie (Venetia Williams) and Night In Milan (Keith Reveley).
Big Buck’s returns to action in the Cleeve Hurdle (3.35 Cheltenham). Paul Nicholls’ gelding is now 11 years old and was last seen on the track in December 2012. Ruby Walsh has been in the saddle for Big Buck’s’ last eight wins, so Sam Twiston-Davies has a lot to live up to.
At Fishers Cross is also in the race, looking to get his season going after unseating Tony McCoy last time in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. The winner that day, Reve de Sivola, lines up for trainer Nick Williams. Willie Mullins sends over Boston Bob, who fell at the last fence in the RSA Chase at last year’s Cheltenham Festival.
The Argento Chase (2.25 Cheltenham) is another hotly anticipated race on the Cheltenham card. The runner up in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury, Rocky Creek (Paul Nicholls), is the favourite and faces Houblon Des Obeaux (6th in the Hennessy but with two other wins this season) and Charlie Hall Chase winner Harry Topper.
At Doncaster the card features the Sky Bet Chase and the Grade 2 River Don Novices’ Hurdle.
Paul Nicholls’ Unioniste heads the betting for the Sky Bet Chase and carries top weight. But there could be some threats lower down the weights, such as Niceonefrankie (Venetia Williams) and Night In Milan (Keith Reveley).
22 January 2014
Turf notes: 22 January 2014
A quiet afternoon of mid-week racing on Wednesday was galvanised by a series of winners that could prove very costly for the bookmakers.
First was jockey Frankie Dettori’s return to the track after injury. He is still a favourite of the betting shop customers and he was victorious on his first two rides back in the saddle at Lingfield. Eco Warrior (8/1) won the opening maiden stakes race (1.00) and Gone With The Wind (7/4f) took the maiden stakes contest an hour later, giving Dettori-backers a near 24/1 double.
But, elsewhere, someone clearly had an expensive Christmas that they needed to pay for with reports of a betting coup involving four horses across the cards at Lingfield, Catterick and Kempton Park. Maybe Dettori’s return helped divert attention from their plans?
Many of the horses involved have links to the fearless gambler Barney Curley. Several share a similar profile of a long absence from the track and more zeros next to their name than an England batsman.
Eye Of The Tiger (1.30 Lingfield) WON 1/1f
Seven Summits (1.40 Catterick) WON 9/4f
Indus Valley (4.25 Kempton) WON 4/6f
Low Key (6.25 Kempton) WON 4/7f
All the horses were cut sharply by the bookmakers. Eye Of The Tiger was available at 10/1 last night, 4/1 this morning and returned the even money favourite.
Indus Valley had not run for 700 days and had a form profile of 830000 and yet at one point in the afternoon was 2/5 favourite for the first race at Kempton (4.25), having been 20/1, 8/1, and 2/1.
A similar coup occurred in May 2010 when three horses linked to Curley won at Brighton, Wolverhampton and Towcester – Agapanthus, Savaranola and Jeu De Roseau. A fourth horse – Sommersturm – was beaten but the odds of the other three (11/2, 4/1 and 25/1) was enough to earn winnings of almost GB£ 4 million.
First was jockey Frankie Dettori’s return to the track after injury. He is still a favourite of the betting shop customers and he was victorious on his first two rides back in the saddle at Lingfield. Eco Warrior (8/1) won the opening maiden stakes race (1.00) and Gone With The Wind (7/4f) took the maiden stakes contest an hour later, giving Dettori-backers a near 24/1 double.
But, elsewhere, someone clearly had an expensive Christmas that they needed to pay for with reports of a betting coup involving four horses across the cards at Lingfield, Catterick and Kempton Park. Maybe Dettori’s return helped divert attention from their plans?
Many of the horses involved have links to the fearless gambler Barney Curley. Several share a similar profile of a long absence from the track and more zeros next to their name than an England batsman.
Eye Of The Tiger (1.30 Lingfield) WON 1/1f
Seven Summits (1.40 Catterick) WON 9/4f
Indus Valley (4.25 Kempton) WON 4/6f
Low Key (6.25 Kempton) WON 4/7f
All the horses were cut sharply by the bookmakers. Eye Of The Tiger was available at 10/1 last night, 4/1 this morning and returned the even money favourite.
Indus Valley had not run for 700 days and had a form profile of 830000 and yet at one point in the afternoon was 2/5 favourite for the first race at Kempton (4.25), having been 20/1, 8/1, and 2/1.
A similar coup occurred in May 2010 when three horses linked to Curley won at Brighton, Wolverhampton and Towcester – Agapanthus, Savaranola and Jeu De Roseau. A fourth horse – Sommersturm – was beaten but the odds of the other three (11/2, 4/1 and 25/1) was enough to earn winnings of almost GB£ 4 million.
10 January 2014
Turf notes: 10 January 2014
Trainer Brian Ellison had a good day at Catterick on Thursday (9 January) with three winners on the seven-race card.
Yorkist (5/2) was a confident winner in the two-mile novices’ hurdle race (14.05). The winning margin of 12 lengths was a bit flattering because the gelding’s nearest rival, El Massivo (also trained by Ellison), fell at the last hurdle and then hampered Dark Dune (15/8f).
But, nevertheless, Yorkist, was still galloping at the line and now has a record of two wins (both at Catterick) from four runs for Ellison.
The trainer said, “When you consider [jockey] Nathan [Moscrop] said he hated the ground [heavy, soft in places], it was a good performance. We'll look forward to running him on a bit of better ground and he'll go novice chasing eventually. We've already schooled him and he jumps very well."
Yorkist (5/2) was a confident winner in the two-mile novices’ hurdle race (14.05). The winning margin of 12 lengths was a bit flattering because the gelding’s nearest rival, El Massivo (also trained by Ellison), fell at the last hurdle and then hampered Dark Dune (15/8f).
But, nevertheless, Yorkist, was still galloping at the line and now has a record of two wins (both at Catterick) from four runs for Ellison.
The trainer said, “When you consider [jockey] Nathan [Moscrop] said he hated the ground [heavy, soft in places], it was a good performance. We'll look forward to running him on a bit of better ground and he'll go novice chasing eventually. We've already schooled him and he jumps very well."
02 January 2014
Turf notes: 2 January 2014
Trainer Harry Fry has had a couple of notable winners in the first two days of 2014.
Mendip Express (7/1) was a ready winner of the Foundation Developments Ltd Handicap Chase (3m 2f 110y) in difficult conditions at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.
The King’s Theatre gelding now has three wins from four runs and has been climbing the classes in the quality of races he has contested.
At Huntingdon on Thursday (2 January) Bitofapuzzle (5/2) led for every yard in the Listed mares’ NH Flat Race (2m 110y) and barely saw a rival in the final furlongs.
That was the second NH Flat race she has won from the front and in strong galloping fashion.
Mendip Express (7/1) was a ready winner of the Foundation Developments Ltd Handicap Chase (3m 2f 110y) in difficult conditions at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.
The King’s Theatre gelding now has three wins from four runs and has been climbing the classes in the quality of races he has contested.
At Huntingdon on Thursday (2 January) Bitofapuzzle (5/2) led for every yard in the Listed mares’ NH Flat Race (2m 110y) and barely saw a rival in the final furlongs.
That was the second NH Flat race she has won from the front and in strong galloping fashion.
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