Both Frankel and Willie Carson bow out tomorrow. Everyone will be sad to see Frankel disappear but the same comment wouldn't necessarily apply to Carson; nonetheless Matthew Norman's piece in today's Daily Telegraph strikes a rather querulous tone which in my opinion does not reflect particularly well on the author. Of course, at the time of writing, I haven't seen Carson's farewell interview...
Cheltenham racecourse managing director Edward Gillespie is another to enter into retirement after tomorrow's action; he's been at the job for 32 years and the opener marks the occasion in appropriate fashion, being named the 'Edward Gillespie Hands Over The Reins Novices' Hurdle'.
The card looks anything but easy with two 20 runner chases on offer as well as a handicap hurdle in which 24 are set to face the starter; just 17 contest the concluding bumper. Nigel Twiston-Davies and Paul Nicholls both recorded doubles at the track earlier today, the former with The New One (even money favourite) and Hunters Lodge (7/2f) and the latter with Sire Collonges (4/1) and Dark Lover (9/2f).
Rated 137, Talkonthestreet sets a decent standard in the opener. Rendl Beach has two bumpers and a maiden hurdle to his name and could have a fitness edge having won at Fontwell 15 days ago but a couple of his leaps at the Sussex track were less than fluent. Talkonthestreet came home third behind Ambion Wood at Perth in April where the three mile trip seemed to bring out some improvement; the Philip Hobbs team is in decent form at the moment so at 3/1 Talkonthestreet rates a play against the favourite Rendl Beach and gets the vote.
Only five go to post in the 3.05 - it looks to concern Dodging Bullets, Baby Mix and High Note. Captain Sharpe was withdrawn from the Free Handicap at Chepstow last Saturday on account of the ground. The conditions of the race favour Dodging Bullets who finished fourth in the Triumph in April and he is currently priced up at even money. I like Tom George's course and distance winner Baby Mix (ninth in the Triumph) but he looks to face a stiff task giving weight to all his rivals. The filly High Note receives her weight allowance and may be sharper than the other two market principals having won as she liked at Stratford 22 days ago. Dodging Bullets is the form choice and the selection.
The novice chase at 4.55 is trappy; Third Intention is likely to be near the head of the market but this rates a stiff introduction to chasing. Normally I wouldn't entertain backing a four-year-old in a contest such as this but His Excellency has more experience over the larger obstacles than several in the field - he ran 15th in the Galway Plate when trained by Gordon Elliott. He has two runs for the Pipe yard under his belt now and, although he has shown some attitude in the past, a comment from Tom Scudamore in a post on Exeter Racecourse's blog makes me think connections may be making some progress. Rated 142, His Excellency is the tentative suggestion at 6/1 or bigger.
I'll give both handicap chases a miss. For those who can't resist, Tim Vaughan has been quite bullish about Tartak in the build-up to the 2.30; the handler says he thinks the horse goes there 'with a winning chance' in this week's Weekender. The horse was never the easiest to catch when with Tom George but I believe he shows his best form on good ground so tomorrow should not be a problem. Three of the past five winners have carried 11-10 or more to victory so at 16/1 (BetVictor) some may think he's an each-way play...
In the 3.40 Philip Hobbs' course and distance winner Balthazar King usually goes well fresh and likes top of the ground.
Finally, with all the Frankel stories likely to take top-billling, it would be all too easy to overlook Kempton's jumps card this Sunday. In particular the 3.20 should prove useful for future reference - I'll be interested to see how Spirit Of Shankly fares. In the finale I still haven't quite given up the ghost on Colin Tizzard's Xaarcet - around this time last year the handler described his charge as 'our best unraced horse for the season'.
Showing posts with label frankel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frankel. Show all posts
Friday, October 19, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
From the world's best racehorse to Bangor-On-Dee
At York on Wednesday The Fugue called the tune in the Musidora while a day later Dante winner Bonfire brought to mind Dante Alighieri's 14th century epic Inferno. Tomorrow Frankel, officially the best racehorse in the world, returns to action in Newbury's JLT Lockinge Stakes - a race for us all to savour (rather than bet on). It seems hardly plausible that four weeks ago his career was rumoured to be in serious doubt.
Having said that, I've been trying to find winners at Bangor... I still haven't quite recovered from not having taken an interest in an old favourite of mine, Hills Of Aran, who obliged at odds of 66/1 in the three mile handicap hurdle at Ludlow last night. So, the fallback plan was to have a good look at Sir Johnson on his hurdling debut at Aintree this evening but he's been taken out. As a colleague of mine regularly points out, 'racing, it's a game of regrets'.
Here's a couple of wagers I'm likely to regret...
Five of the eight runners in the novice chase (3.10) try regulation fences for the first time. Donald McCain's Golden Call is likely to be sent off favourite - his second to Ambion Wood at Perth reads well although the majority of his form in this country has been at three miles. Kauto Relko clearly posssess ability but didn't look the most reliable of jumpers when winning over course and distance last time while at least Kim Bailey's Mark Twain (by Rock Of Gibraltar!) has some reasonable chase form to his name, finishing third behind All For Free in a Class 3 handicap chase at Ludlow in December. Kim Bailey's charge isn't guaranteed to stay the trip; however, while Golden Call appears the percentage call, at the prices (6/1 in the tissue) I'm going to chance Mark Twain in a race where the favourite has only obliged once in the past seven renewals.
The same stable saddles up Mrs Peachey in the mares' bumper at 4.55 and she has the best form in the book but it's the newcomers that catch the eye. Nicky Henderson has entered Fabrika, Rebecca Curtis (50% strike rate with four wins from eight runs in the past fortnight) Gilded Article and Venetia Williams (31.58% with six wins from 19 runs in the same timeframe) More Ballet Money. The Sporting Life Verdict makes a decent case for the latter-named, pointing out the mare is by Old Vic, cost £24,000 as a yearling and is the trainer's sole runner on the card; priced up at 14/1 in the tissue, I'll take an each-way interest in More Ballet Money.
Finally in the 4.20 I'll consider each-way terms about George Woolf who has had Richard Johnson in the plate for both his hurdle victories to date. The gelding ran no sort of race last time but is forgiven that run with Johnson back doing the steering - he has place claims at around the 14/1 mark. The good ground should suit and trainer Tim Vaughan boasts a strike rate of 26.09% in the past two weeks with six winners from 23 runners.
Having said that, I've been trying to find winners at Bangor... I still haven't quite recovered from not having taken an interest in an old favourite of mine, Hills Of Aran, who obliged at odds of 66/1 in the three mile handicap hurdle at Ludlow last night. So, the fallback plan was to have a good look at Sir Johnson on his hurdling debut at Aintree this evening but he's been taken out. As a colleague of mine regularly points out, 'racing, it's a game of regrets'.
Here's a couple of wagers I'm likely to regret...
Five of the eight runners in the novice chase (3.10) try regulation fences for the first time. Donald McCain's Golden Call is likely to be sent off favourite - his second to Ambion Wood at Perth reads well although the majority of his form in this country has been at three miles. Kauto Relko clearly posssess ability but didn't look the most reliable of jumpers when winning over course and distance last time while at least Kim Bailey's Mark Twain (by Rock Of Gibraltar!) has some reasonable chase form to his name, finishing third behind All For Free in a Class 3 handicap chase at Ludlow in December. Kim Bailey's charge isn't guaranteed to stay the trip; however, while Golden Call appears the percentage call, at the prices (6/1 in the tissue) I'm going to chance Mark Twain in a race where the favourite has only obliged once in the past seven renewals.
The same stable saddles up Mrs Peachey in the mares' bumper at 4.55 and she has the best form in the book but it's the newcomers that catch the eye. Nicky Henderson has entered Fabrika, Rebecca Curtis (50% strike rate with four wins from eight runs in the past fortnight) Gilded Article and Venetia Williams (31.58% with six wins from 19 runs in the same timeframe) More Ballet Money. The Sporting Life Verdict makes a decent case for the latter-named, pointing out the mare is by Old Vic, cost £24,000 as a yearling and is the trainer's sole runner on the card; priced up at 14/1 in the tissue, I'll take an each-way interest in More Ballet Money.
Finally in the 4.20 I'll consider each-way terms about George Woolf who has had Richard Johnson in the plate for both his hurdle victories to date. The gelding ran no sort of race last time but is forgiven that run with Johnson back doing the steering - he has place claims at around the 14/1 mark. The good ground should suit and trainer Tim Vaughan boasts a strike rate of 26.09% in the past two weeks with six winners from 23 runners.
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