Orchard’s a grower
As soon as one Jumps season finishes, another begins. Jeremy Grayson looks for horses that can make a successful start to the 2016-17 National Hunt campaign
2m148yds NH Flat Race (class 6)
Representatives from the yards of messrs Henderson,Swinbank,Longsdon,Skelton, Jefferson and Pauling ensured a depth to this bumper that belied its late-season status and mere seven-runner line-up;and it was BALLY GILBERT from the lastnamed handler that looks the one to recommend most strongly as the nexttime winner waiting to happen. Out of a niece of the classy Cyfor Malta, the Stowaway gelding ran with a little too much profligacy out in front, perhaps wanting to do more than permitted, and duly rendered himself easy enough to pass by the good-looking Jefferson debutant Mount Mews (from the family of Burton Port) a furlong out. He had the rest well held, however,and the raw material with which to make all in a similar contest when racing more sparingly is clearly there. Proving his effectiveness on drier surfaces, having never run on quicker than soft,could increase options for this twiceplaced Irish Pointer further still.
KELSO, APRIL 11TH (GOOD TO SOFT, GOOD IN PLACES) 2m2f25yds Novices’ Hurdle (class 4)
A heavier defeat but a better form effort than the last-place finish in a Carlisle bumper whenlastseensixmonthsearlier,BAKODELA SAULAIE shrugged off some mid-race interferencetoshapelikeageldingwithafuturefor most of this contest before a lack of matchfitness began to tell. Rose Dobbin wouldn’t beatrainertosendoutallthatmanyduringthe heights of summer, but this five-year-old gelded son of Balko has presumably been keptasideasmuchwithaspringcampaignin mind as much as to develop further physically, and this fair initial effort over hurdles is one that can doubtlessly be built on.A workaday sub-2m4f maiden around a Perth or Sedgefield can yet prove within his compass.
2m1f14yds 0-110 Handicap Chase (class 4)
Recommending a low-90s rated handicap chaser to score next time after no fewer than nineteen previous runs in the season isn’t the usual way this column does things, but it’s all about the ratings and ground with GIN COBBLER, and a 15length third here on ground still possibly an increment slower than absolutely ideal gave the strongest indication for a few starts that the Beneficial 10-year-old’s turn is nearing once more.Currently 5lb lower than for the second of two good-ground victories over Hexham’s extended 2m last summer, and never one to have scored any earlier in the year than the start of April, it’ll be surprising if Victor Thompson’s gelding fails to get himself on the scoresheet once again in the near future.
3m2f39yds Maiden Hunter Chase (class 4)
Regardless of whether he’d have repelled the upsides favourite Ardea when that one lost his rider at the last,the 25-1 about eventual 10-length winner NEW VIC still looks rather generous at this remove, considering that the Old Vic gelding had recorded a clear-cut maiden Point success at Kelso’s neighbouring (and topographically very similar) Friars Haugh course just 30 days earlier with a couple of subse-