Simply Gorgeous
GORGEOUS NOORA should reap handsome dividends by stepping back up to six furlongs at Lingfield.
The lightly-raced filly is a nice horse, and produced an uplifting performance at Chelmsford at the beginning of the month.
Gorgeous Noora did not win, but she could not have got much closer.
The daughter of Raven’s Pass flew home in a five-furlong handicap but the line came too soon and she went down by a short head to You’re Cool.
Luca Cumani’s inmate has gone up 3lb for the Betway Sprint Handicap but she has only raced five times in her career and is clearly still progressing nicely.
And after having broken her maiden over this trip at Wolverhampton a year ago, this ascent in distance should work its proverbial oracle.
There are good races to be won with Middle Kingdom, who can shrug off the burden of top weight in the Betway Handicap over a mile and a quarter.
John Gosden’s colt did the business on his first two career starts, which included a no-nonsense debut success on the Newcastle all-weather 12 months ago, and hardly lost much in defeat at Chelmsford on November 9.
Middle Kingdom could not quite justify short-priced favouritism in mile-and-a-quarter handicap but he was only beaten three-quarters of a length in a better race than this.
That was his first start since April so he is entitled to come on a bundle with that run in safe-keeping.
The handicapper has also left him untouched on a mark of 94.
Forth Bridge can take advantage of a drop in class to open his account over fences in the Porto Racing Saddlery Novices’ Chase at Southwell.
The four-year-old, owned by the Queen, was given a stiff task on his introduction to the bigger obstacles but acquitted himself well when fourth to the smart Sceau Royal at Warwick six weeks ago.
Charlie Longsdon’s charge was a Listed winner over hurdles last term and if he can transfer that form to fences, he should pay his way. And being a four-year-old, Forth Bridge gets weight from his rivals.
Bardd shaped well on his first run for six months and now looks ready to strike in the East Rudham Amateur Riders’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at Fakenham.
The Nick Henderson-trained fiveyear-old was sent off the 9-2 favourite for a competitive handicap hurdle at Ascot and finished fourth of 15 behind Brown Bear. HIGHLAND ACCLAIM (4) D O’Meara 6 9-9 (D6) ........... S Levey KODILINE (35) C Cox 3 9-8 (D) ..................................... A Kirby SUPER JULIUS (19) Eve J-Houghton 3 9-7 ................ C Bishop SIR OTTOMAN (15) I Furtado 4 9-6 (D3) .............. T Marquand SHAMSAYA (72) S Crisford 3 9-5 (D) ...................... S De Sousa GORGEOUS NOORA (19) L Cumani 3 9-5 (D) .............. L Morris MEDICI BANCHIERE (24) K Burke 3 9-5 ................. B A Curtis SHORT WORK (21) D O’Meara 4 9-5 (D5) ....... Daniel Tudhope DIAMOND LADY (34) W Stone 6 9-4 (CD3) ..... Hollie Doyle (3) ROSE BERRY (14) C Dwyer 3 9-2 (C2) ............ Nicola Currie (7) JUST AN IDEA (28)HDunlop39-1(CD) ................. SDonohoe BETTING: 9-4 Short Work, 3 Gorgeous Noora, 8 Kodiline, 10 Super Julius, Shamsaya, 12 Rose Berry, Sir Ottoman, 14 Medici Banchiere, 16 Others. MIDDLE KINGDOM (12) J Gosden 3 9-4 (BF, D) ......... R Havlin BREX DRAGO (52) M Botti 5 9-3 ......................... T Marquand BELIEVE IT (73) R Hughes 5 9-2 (C) ...... Stephen Cummins (7) RED TEA (18) P Hiatt 4 9-2 ..................................... Fran Berry VETTORI RULES (54) Miss G Kelleway 4 9-1 (D2) ...... J Gordon CAPE PENINSULAR (63) J Tate 4 9-0 (BF) .................. L Morris FIRST FLIGHT (13) Mrs H Main 6 9-0 (D) ........ Hollie Doyle (3) FAYEZ (28) D O’Meara 3 9-0 ........................... Daniel Tudhope COILLTE CAILIN (31) D O’Meara 7 9-0 (CD) .......... K Shoemark EMENEM (51) S Dow 3 9-0 (CD) ............................. S De Sousa CELESTIAL SPHERES (18) C Appleby 3 8-11 (D) ......... W Buick AY AY (41) D Elsworth 3 8-10 (C, D) ............................... S Levey GOTHIC EMPIRE (27) R Rowe 5 8-8 .............................. R Tate SIR TITAN (10) M Tregoning 3 8-8 ........................... B A Curtis BETTING: 11-4 Middle Kingdom, 9-2 Celestial Spheres, 5 Cape Peninsular, 7 Ay Ay, 8 Fayez, 16 Gothic Empire, Red Tea, Emenem, 20 Others. UNFORGIVING MINUTE (73) J Butler 6 9-7 (D4) ........ A Kirby NEZAR (14)DIvory69-6(D) ................................. JOsborn(7) LUNAR DEITY (12) S C Williams 8 9-5 (C4) ....... Milly Naseb (7) LETMESTOPYOUTHERE (10) P Evans 3 9-4 (D) ..... M Cosham (3) OUTER SPACE (12) J Osborne 6 9-3 (D3) .................. D Costello YEEOOW (69) K Burke 8 8-13 (C) .............................. B A Curtis DUTIFUL SON (14) S Dow 7 8-12 (D) ..................... S De Sousa AL KHAN (21) K Ryan 8 8-11 (CD) ................................. K Stott BINGO GEORGE (8) M Rimell 4 8-11 ................... T Marquand MORACHE MUSIC (29) P Chamings 9 8-11 (D) .......... L Keniry FULLON CLARETS (29) Mrs L Mongan 5 8-9 (C) ..... N Currie (7) PLAY THE BLUES (91) R Ingram 10 8-6 (C) ................ K O’Neill BETTING: 11-4 Unforgiving Minute, 9-2 Nezar, 5 Lunar Deity, 7 Letmestopyouthere, 8 Outer Space, 10 Al Khan, 12 Morache Music, 14 Dutiful Son, 16 Others. WHAT A WELCOME (19) P Chamings 10-0 (C) ........ C Bennett I’M RUNNING LATE (34) D Ivory 9-13 (C) ................... J Duern RELEVANT (17) K Burke 9-12 ..................................... P Pilley ODE TO GLORY (45) R Guest 9-12 (BF) .... Sebastien Woods (7) KOHINOOR DIAMOND (40) Sir M Prescott 9-9 (BF) ... H Crouch ENOLA (132) Miss Amy Murphy 9-9 (CD) ............... K Shoemark WIDNES (28) A Bailey 9-8 ............................................ T Clark DESERT SONG (27) P Phelan 9-3 ....................... P Bradley (3) BIRD FOR LIFE (13) M Usher 8-9 (D) ............. Nicola Currie (5) RIPPER STREET (19) Mrs C Dunnett 8-7 .......... Jane Elliott (3) BETTING: 3 Kohinoor Diamond, 9-2 What A Welcome, 5 Relevant, Bird For Life, 7 Desert Song, 8 Ode To Glory, 12 I’m Running Late, 14 Widnes, 20 Others.