boru loves the summer

Jeremy Grayson with his latest batch of horses to follow at the smaller venues

NEWTON ABBOT, JULY 7 (GOOD TO FIRM, GOOD IN PLACES) 3m1f170yds 0-115 Handicap Chase (class 4)

All bar two of PATRICKTOM BORU’s combined 13 Rules and point-to-point successes to date have been gained later in the year than mid-April, and as in 2015 his characterful owner Roger Willcox has passed him over from his own care to that of Evan Williams for the purposes of summer jumping.The Brian Boru gelding could never draw upsides the younger and now highly progressive Fort Gabriel, who duly completed the hat-trick, but he certainly kept him honest, and this sub-1l second off his highest ever mark rates a clear career best.A hat-trick scorer himself between the flags in May (the first time he’s ever done that),with each leg gained on good or faster ground, the ten-yearold is in the form of his life and clearly has a similar staying contest in him in the near future, albeit he’ll likely have to contest 0120 or higher next time up.

MARKET RASEN, JULY 9 (GOOD) 2m5f89yds 0-135 Handicap Chase (class 3)

An extensive itinerary is never usually something that concerns where a Bowen horse is concerned, so the fact that FLYING EAGLE was taking in this contest after eight point-to-point outings for Peter Bowen’s son Mickey between February and June (winning the last five) shouldn’t be held up as the obvious cause of his 26l defeat here. Instead, look to the decent gallop and shorter trip which between them conspired to coerce him into errors as the fences came at him too quickly – this is a gelding whose previous outing was a successful one over four miles at Trecoed. Back up in trip, or at the very least sent to a Rules track where he can get into a better rhythm, the son of Oscar looks to have just enough in hand of his mark to gain a first chase success this summer. Previous evidence points to equal effectiveness with or without give underfoot.

2m148yds 0-100 Lady Amateur Riders’ Handicap Hurdle (class 5)

A ten-year-old with a record of 3-50 over jumps ought not be one to go overboard about,but TIRADIA could be worth a small investment next time out, having shaped with a degree of purpose in the first-time cheekpieces here in finding just a pair of Olly Murphy runners too good. Previous career successes at Huntingdon (twice, including in March of this year) and Taunton lay bare his effectiveness granted a sharp right-hand track, and although a small rise from the four-year low rating he ran off here might yet follow this improved effort he’s still likely to remain on an historically feasible rating. All ground appears to come alike.

WORCESTER, JULY 10 (GOOD, GOOD TO SOFT IN PLACES) 2m Maiden Hurdle (class 5)

Sired by Double Trigger out of a mare in Suntas whose longest chase win was gained over an extended 3m6f,it’s actually faintly amazing that TRIGGITAS has enough speed about him to have been able to place twice in three 2m hurdles starts, on both occasions beaten no more than two and a half lengths.

This summer’s podium finishes at Huntingdon and nowWorcester also constitute very good returns considering the sevenyear-old had been off the track for nearly two years before them; all his previous ability remains intact, plus plenty more besides. It wouldn’t be terribly surprising if PaulWebber opts to make up for lost time and goes chasing next with a gelding that must have had his issues,but whether he’s next seen out over the smaller or larger obstacles the interest in him will be increased markedly if that appearance coincides with a step up to 2m4f or even 3m.

UTTOXETER, JULY 11 (GOOD, GOOD TO SOFT IN PLACES) 2m4f 0-100 Novices’Handicap Chase (class 5)

Figures of 2122121 at the time of writing this suggests that Olly Murphy has very much hit the ground running where the jumps arm of his fledgling training operation is concerned, and time may prove that his only chaser to run so far,SKILLED, faced a tough enough task here against a wildly progressive type in Bestwork, who duly followed at Stratford up five days later.

This Flat-bred Mastercraftsman gelding’s jumping wasn’t without fault on this chasing debut, nor was he especially inclined to settle in the debuted hood early on, but there was enough about his