Out in sticks
Jeremy Grayson with his latest selection of eyecatchers from the byways of British racing
Jeremy Grayson with his latest selection of would-be winners
CATTERICK, 6 March (Soft)
3m1f54yds Novices’ Hunters’ Chase (class 5) Regardless of the presence of a Philip Hobbs/David Maxwell hotpot in the line-up, the 6-1 about PATH TO FREEDOM was not ungenerous, considering efforts such as a fair second to Hazel Hill at Leicester last year and an entirely on-merit defeat of Aintree Foxhunters third Greensalt at Duncombe Park on his most recent start. The leader everywhere barring the final heartbreaking half stride here, Cherry Coward’s seven-year-old Mr Dinos gelding surely cannot remain winless in this sphere for very much longer, and while the temptation to return between the flags for another visit to Sheriff Hutton (3-4 there) at the end of March may prove too great for connections, later targets such as the Buccleuch Cup at Kelso or the Timico Mixed Open Final at Cheltenham (for which he’s already qualified) must enter the reckoning on this strong showing. This season’s previous winning form gives all the reminder needed that a sounder surface than today’s doesn’t inconvenience.
CARLISLE, 7 March (Soft, heavy in places)
2m3f61yds 0-100 CJ/AR Hands and Heels Handicap Hurdle (class 5) There weren’t many young horses that Philip Rowley couldn’t get victories out of during his 2017-18 pointing championship-winning campaign, but THE STING proved to be one such, with even the shorter Open Maiden trip of 2m4f proving well beyond him on a couple of occasions late last term. It’s possible that the son of Scorpion was just too weak to do himself justice back then, however, and although still beaten 14l on this handicap hurdle debut his was a staying-on rather than fading effort this time. A pair of pointing/chase winners (one prolific) among his siblings, plus a further chase scorer in his unraced dam’s immediate family, all point towards a switch to chasing sooner rather than later for Micky Hammond’s gelding despite only five runs under rules so far, with something such as the 2m5f trip here at Carlisle taken to prove nearer to his optimum requirement over fences.
LEICESTER, 8 March (Good, good to soft on Flat crossings)
1m7f201yds 0-110 Handicap Chase (class 4) Thought enough of to be bought back into the Tom Gretton yard in July 2017 but limited to just three starts since (today’s being the third), SNOW RESCUE may be about to make up for lost time if this promising near-4l second in first-time cheekpieces is any guide. The Stowaway gelding didn’t curl up once headed, having raced on or close to the speed throughout (more so than on either previous chase start), and although from a distaff side featuring plenty of winners mostly over 2m-2m2f - not least greatgrandmother, Arkle heroine Anaglog’s Daughter - a longer trip than today’s could yet prove within compass. A spring of dryish ground, plus a drop, at least initially, back to the 0-100 grade his current mark will allow, can give him the best opportunity to record a first career success.
HEREFORD, 9 March (Good to soft)
2m3f147yds Novices’ Hurdle (class 4) Taking on Esprit Du Large (a decent fourth in the Rossington Main Hurdle the time before) off level weights was never going to be that easy a task for NEWTOWN BOY, notwithstanding previous winning course form (albeit at 2m) and proven effectiveness after an even longer layoff than the one from which he returned here. Not for the first time, however, an initial reluctance to settle left the impression of having impaired his finishing effort, and a 10l margin of defeat does the Beneficial gelding a disservice. Proven on a genuinely good surface, and still very lightly tried for the time of year, Paul and Clare Rooney’s six-year-old appeals as one who could drop on a very nice handicap in a few weeks’ time, if he can be trusted not to fight the rider quite as much. Alan King does of course run relatively few over jumps during the core summer season, but anything kept on the go as late into the spring as May warrants serious consideration – his tallies of 13, 11 and nine winners for the past three Mays have been run up at a combined strike-rate of 34%.
2m4f194yds 0-120 Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (class 4) A pedigree that speaks more of proficiency on the Flat at 1m1f and below proved no bar to SAINTEMILION scoring over hurdles in France for German trainer Waldemar Himmel in summer 2016. Similarly, although betraying his inexperience of fences sufficiently to hit two of the final three obstacles, the son of Diamond Green still showed easily enough on this chasing debut behind the thriving Kings Monarch to suggest Paul Nicholls can enjoy some fun with him this summer. The subject of a couple of lengthy absences since acquired by the Ditcheat handler, this was just the six-year-old’s fifth outing since that 2m1f good-ground score at Nancy, and perhaps significantly just the second on a surface quicker than soft in the meantime. Time will tell whether he can make up into the sort of tool Nicholls would aim at the likes of the Summer Plate (the jumping will need to improve), but stamina did not appear an issue on this first step beyond 2m2f and options regarding
“Cherry Coward’s sevenyear-old Mr Dinos gelding surely cannot remain winless in this sphere for very much longer ”
trip have increased if nothing else.
WARWICK, 10 March (Soft, good to soft in places)
2m5f 0-115 Handicap Hurdle (class 4) Clearly effective enough around a turning track to have made a winning debut in a mares’ bumper here two years previously, DIVA RECONCE has nevertheless twice since given plenty of indication that a sharp 2m5f falls short of her optimum requirements over hurdles, even on a soft surface. Time may be running out to do too much about that this season, which is a shame considering how little racing Kim Bailey’s daughter of Kap Rock has stood since that initial success. Assuming sufficient dig underfoot can continue to be sourced, however, a staying-on 20l fourth on this latest outing can certainly be stepped up on significantly next time – perhaps over Warwick’s 3m2f trip.
TAUNTON, 11 March (Good to soft, soft in places)
2m7f198yds 0-100 Handicap Hurdle (class 5) URTHEONETHATIWANT’s rise of 3lb for a success in the same grade to this at Kempton six weeks earlier (2m5f) was entirely fair, and the impression given by this next-time half-length second with the front two well clear was that the winner’s career-low mark was all that made the difference. Jeremy Scott’s son of Shantou already appears a significantly stouter stayer than anything else in his immediate family, and it’s worth mentioning that this race was actually run over 3m214yds once rail movements were factored in, rendering this a step up of half a mile in practice. Trip options duly increased, and still just seven runs into his career, the six-year-old can continue to be placed to advantage in similar company for a while longer by a handler just one success short of a best-ever seasonal win tally at the time of writing. Good or quicker ground remains an untried option. 2m104yds Maiden Hurdle (class 4) MOAYADD’s career on the Flat for Neil Mulholland took off majorly upon the switch to handicaps, with four successes out of five between February and May 2017 seeing his Official Rating shoot up from 45 to 82. A similar scenario may yet pan out in handicap hurdles over the coming months, not least if the fast turf of his best success on the level, a 1m4f victory at Chepstow, can be sourced. Too onepaced to finish any closer than 24l adrift on this fourth hurdling start, albeit on softer going than ideal and behind a winner already looking full value for a high-120s rating, the son of Street Cry was already being talked about as a summer hurdling project by Mulholland nearly two years ago and can yet prove as much over 2m-2m4f at the right level. Perhaps significantly for Moayadd’s future prospects, his handler has netted 27 successes at the summer jumping mainstay of Worcester in the past five seasons – a tally he has bettered at only one other course in the same period. 2m12yds 0-100 Handicap Chase (class 5) This season has constituted a bit of an unceremonious crash back to Earth for Zoe Davison, with a tally of just one winner (and that back in May 2018) comparing most unfavourably to the previous season’s best-ever figure of fifteen. On the other hand the Hammerwood handler now finds herself entering the spring with several animals easily well enough handicapped to go in again once they turn the corner, and BROTHER BENNETT’s encouraging 6l third here under regular pilot Page Fuller represents his closest finish since his last-gasp Plumpton success (2m1f, good to soft) off 2lb higher in April of last year. Clearly no great shakes and a bit of a martyr to breathing issues, but evidently best suited to a sharp 2m-2m1f over fences and ground no worse than today’s, Davison’s grey Martaline gelding had sat out two months of the winter ahead of this reappearance, and will presumably be afforded plenty of opportunity to drop on an equally modest event back at one of the two Sussex tracks’ many forthcoming spring fixtures.