Midnightreferendum gets the vote at Exeter
MIDNIGHTREFERENDUM can strike gold at Listed level in the Join Racing TV Now Mares’ Chase at Exeter.
Alan King’s eight-year-old was good enough to finish second in the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree back in 2018 and while she did not really set the world alight over hurdles, she still won twice, albeit at a fairly average level.
Midnightreferendum has shaped with some promise over fences this term though, cantering home by 18 lengths on her initial outing, looking an absolute natural with a fine round of jumping.
However, she failed to build on that at Huntingdon as she came down at the third-last when still travelling well enough.
That proved a momentary aberration as she certainly made no mistakes in a Warwick Listed chase next time out, merely finding the classy Zambella too good - a similar situation to when third behind Annie Mc on her most recent outing.
Beaten 25 lengths at Doncaster, Midnightreferendum could have been a bit closer had she not been badly hampered by a faller, so her performance can be upgraded a notch and she might have the necessary improvement to make her mark here.
Findusatgorcombe can make his light weight tell in the Thank You NHS Devon National Handicap Chase.
The three miles and six furlongs will take some getting in soft ground, but Jimmy Frost’s charge has already proved this particular stamina test is his cup of tea with a narrow victory in December.
He beat the reopposing Dawson City a head and they meet on the virtually same terms, so you would think Findusatgorcombe could at least confirm that form.
The eight-year-old subsequently came off second best at Wincanton last month, but switching back up from a three miles and a furlong should help his cause.
ENGLAND boss Eddie Jones has been speaking to the media ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Wales at the Principality Stadium.
Here’s what he had to say on a wide range of subjects, including Louis Rees-Zammit, Alun Wyn Jones, Sir Ian Botham and the way the Triple Crown-chasing Welsh team are now playing under Wayne Pivac...
Q: Which team is under the most pressure this weekend?
A: That’s a good question.
You get to the third game of the series and for most teams it’s a make-or-break game. Both teams face similar pressure.
There is nothing more exciting, is there, than a Wales-England game?
Unfortunately, there are no fans, but the intenseness of the clash will still be there. I think over the last four or five years, with the games I have been involved in, the points difference is six points. They always go down to the wire, so the pressure is going to be on the referee to make the right decisions!
Q: Will there be the same edge without 75,000 fans?
A: There’s always an edge to the game. Wales v England means a lot to both countries.
They are always tough games and I think this is the allure of the Six Nations. They are tight contests. It goes down to the last moment.
We have won one back there in 2017 basically on the bell and we had the win on the bell at Twickenham last year.
So we are expecting a similar sort of game. It’s the sort of game you’ve got to win not once, but maybe two of three times.
They will keep coming, we will keep coming. It’s going to be a great contest.
Q: Do you feel Wales are now out of the slump they suffered last year?
A: You guys call it a slump. They had a new coach. They were rebuilding after the World Cup. They went through a transitional period, which is normal in teams after they have had a successful period, which they did under Warren Gatland.
They have found their feet. Tactically they are probably a little bit more similar to what they were under Gatland than when they first started under Wayne.
They are a tough competitive team.
Q: In what way are Wales now more similar tactically to the Gatland era than before?
A: They are kicking a lot more than they were initially under Wayne. That has been a big trend in their game. They are having fewer rucks, which is more efficient rugby, which has allowed them to be in better positions to win games.
We’ve done a good combination of the sort of training we’re going to need for a Welsh game, which generally has a lot of work off the ball episodes.
They tend not to kick out, so there’s a lot of kick, kick, run – kick, kick, kick, run scenarios. So we’ve been practising those to make sure we make good decisions and have players in the right positions.
Q: What have you made of Louis Rees-Zammit and do you have any special plans for him?
A: I know he’s a good player, that’s what I do know.
Like most players in the UK, when they become a good player, they get adulation, they get a lot of smoke. Some of it is deserved and some of it is maybe not so deserved.
But certainly he’s a player we are going to have to watch, especially when he gets the ball. We know he’s got good feet, he’s got good pace. Johnny May obviously knows him pretty well being a club mate at Gloucester with him. So we respect him a lot mate. I don’t know about his celebrity status. I haven’t checked his Instagram of late.
Q: Alun Wyn Jones has had a bit fun winding your guys up in the past. Is he still capable of that?
A: Yeah, well it’s his 146th Test, so he knows what he’s doing. He’s an experienced campaigner who has a good relationship with the referees.
Obviously, at times, he has targeted various players in our team. We’ve spoken about him and we understand what he’ll be trying to do. It’s just about making sure we maintain our composure and our control.
MORE BIG MATCH BUILD-UP IN TOMORROW’S ECHO
Q: Does his presence force you to be more streetwise as a team?
A: I think we are evolving into a more street-smart team, but the game is about pressure situations.
While we all like to think we can handle every pressure situation, we don’t and that is the great thing
about the game of rugby. I am sure Alun Wyn Jones is going to be looking for those situations and we’re going to have to deal with them.
Q: Ian Botham has said your team looks like an unhappy squad and you are there for the taking. Did you expect to be sledged by him?
A: Not really.
He’s entitled to his opinion. That’s the great thing about rugby; we’ve got so many opinions. We’ve got cricketers that want to talk about rugby. Fantastic.
Q: You have gone with continuity in selection. Can you explain your thinking there?
A: There’s nothing different there. We’re just picking the best 23 for this game. We’re in the midst of developing players.
George Martin has come into camp and done really well, therefore he deserves his spot in the 23. We’re looking at how we develop our other players and bring them through so we get great competition for places, but it’s always about picking the best 23.
Q: Has the Italy game had a major influence on your selection?
A: No, every game is looked at as a game in itself. Wales is a game where we have picked our best 23 for.
Obviously we take into consideration the most recent form, but that is not everything. It is about the players’ attitude, it is about the players’ physical readiness, it is about the sort of game we want to play against Wales, it is about the sort of game we think Wales might play and the sort of referee that we have. We look at all those sort of variables and try to weigh up what is the best 23 for us.
Q: What is the reason for Courtney Lawes’ absence?
A: He slipped over in training and felt something in his pec. He was scanned and unfortunately he’s got a little bit of damage to the pec muscle that needs further diagnosis and checking and then we will have a clearer picture of his further participation in the tournament.
Q: How will having Mark Wilson on the blindside flank change things?
A: When we play Courtney at 6, it’s more of a jumping, running role. If it’s not him, we have more of a work-rate 6 which is Mark Wilson, so a lot of good defence, a lot of good cleanouts, to be a bit of a glue player for the team.
Q: The inclusion of the uncapped 19-year-old George Martin on the bench is some story. What do you see as his attributes?
A: We have been watching him since we got him into camp this time last Six Nations. Unfortunately, he got a medial ligament injury which ruled him out in the autumn. But he’s back playing for his club now.
He’s very much an old-fashioned 6, with good defensive ability, carries the ball hard and is also a lineout option.
With time, he may mature into being able to play lock as well. He’s got a good body on him and he comes in with a good work ethic and good approach to his training. If he keeps working hard, he’s going to be a good player.
Q: Was Luke Cowan-Dickie close to retaining his place at hooker?
A: Luke has kept his place in the team, as far as I know. He is still in the 23.
We pick a squad of 23 and work out who is going to start and who is going to finish. It is always a decision of who we think should start and who we think will finish and looking at the type of game.
Q: What are your thoughts on the postponement of the FranceScotland game?
A: What it means is on Sunday at 2pm I will be watching football instead of rugby. There is nothing in my control there, there is nothing I can influence, I really have no interest mate.