Richards sends trio on Ayr raid
● Uncle Alastair eyes third course win ● Cockley Beck can defy top weight
Trainer Nicky Richards will launch another Ayr raid today with three runners at the track’s January Finale Raceday.
Two-time course winner Uncle Alastair looks to have a great opportunity to win for the fifth time on his sixth start in the Racing UK Free For A Month Novices’ Hurdle over two miles at 2:05 pm. This sixyear-old keeps improving and will be hard to beat with Craig Nichol riding.
Another lightly raced Richards horse is Cockley Beck, who carries top weight in the Trial Racing UK For Free Now Mares’ Handicap Hurdle over two miles three furlongs at 2:35 pm. Ryan Day takes the mount and she sets the standard here.
Another with a good shout is Irish visitor Cerca Trova. Her shrewd County Meath trainer Jim Dreaper looks to have found a nice opportunity for the 12-year-old, who claimed top honours in a handicap chase at Tramore on her last start on New Year’s Day.
Cerca Trova is, however, also a decent operator over hurdles, having won back-toback races at Fairyhouse and Clonmel this time last year. She runs off a 1lb lower mark than when successful at Clonmel and has plenty of archived form when the mud is flying.
Richards’ third runner is Un Noble in the two-and-ahalf miles handicap chase. If repeating the form he showed over the course to win in January 2016 he could be involved but Hills of Dubai for trainer Donald Mccain and jockey Brian Hughes won at Ayr in a similar contest earlier in the month and will be all the rage.
Keith Dalgleish introduces Sporting Press for his first race under rules in the two mile bumper that ends the card and with Hughes taking the ride this looks an interesting sort.
Punters can seize an early initiative by supporting Henpecked in the opening mile-and-a-half handicap at Newcastle today.
Alistair Whillans’ mare has been on a lengthy losing run and has yet to strike on an allweather circuit in 14 previous attempts. But there is hope she can finally do the business after catching the eye over this course and distance three weeks ago.
Henpecked finished runner-up to Esspeegee in an amateur riders’ handicap, staying on earnestly once daylight appeared passing the two-furlong marker and she only missed out by a length and a quarter. Even in spite of that decent effort, Henpecked runs off the same, humble-looking mark of 67 and, perhaps just as importantly, has the assistance of Paul Hanagan.
Hanagan can claim a Newcastle double with Windsor Cross. Owned and trained by Richard Fahey, the threeyear-old grey won nicely at this track on 11 January and has not been unfairly treated by the assessor ahead of this seven-furlong handicap.
Windsor Cross also claimed victory in a novice auction stakes at Newcastle in December so he obviously enjoys himself on the Tapeta. He could be a little better than a mark of 82 tends to suggest.
Buckland Beau would not be winning out of turn in a mileand-a-quarter handicap at Chelmsford.
Charlies Fellowes’ sevenyear-old has not got his head in front since he completed a hat-trick at Kempton last February. However, he is weighted accordingly and went jolly close over course and distance a week and a half ago and is seemingly coming to hand nicely for this assignment.