How to play Far Hills

FIRST RACE 1. Fast Car 2. Elfitz 3. Must See The Doc

There have been few opportunities for 3-year-olds to race over jumps in the United States so far this fall and the first four home in the key exit race, a 3-year-old hurdle run at Shawan Downs on September 29, reoppose here. Although only 4th, beaten 5½ lengths, in that race FAST CAR maybe the value play here. A winner of his only start on the flat, a $40,000 Maiden Claimer over 1 mile at Colonial Downs, he traveled noticeably well on his hurdling debut before staying on strongly, under mild urging, from the final hurdle. He is open to considerable improvement on only his third career start. His stablemate, from the Jack Fisher barn, ELFITZ won the Shawan Downs race – making all of the running to score by 2¾ lengths. This half-brother to the 2013 Gladstone winner Schoodic was ultra-professional on that hurdling debut, but it is far harder to make all of the running here at Far Hills. MUST SEE THE DOC brings in solid winning form from Britain having won during the summer around the dead-flat tracks at Aintree and Newton Abbot. He is untried on a more testing track and he has to carry a 6lbs penalty for his two wins. COTTON HOUSE, who finished 3rd in the Shawan Downs prep, also merits respect especially as his trainer Ricky Hendriks has won this race four times this century.

SECOND RACE 1. Lethal Steps 2. Caldbeck 3. Zanzi Win

LETHAL STEPS from the barn of leading Irish-trainer Gordon Elliott (who has sent out a winner on this card for the last two years) looks the one to beat on the strength of his 2m½f Novice Hurdle victory at the famed Galway Festival in July. He ran a solid prep for this, when runner-up at Navan, at the end of last month, over 2¾ miles, but the drop back to this distance should suit him ideally. Former Elliott-trainee CALDBECK won the Gladstone on this card twelve months ago and went on to follow up that victory later in the fall at Charleston. He has recently finished runner-up in a couple of turf MSWs on the flat at Delaware and Colonial Downs. ZANZI WIN took a low-grade hurdle race (run at track with a stiff uphill finish) in the UK in April and has since gone on to finish 2nd, behind a tearaway winner, in an Allowance at Saratoga. It looks as though he will be suited by this track. CRACKER FACTORY won four hurdle races in Britain last year, but then his form badly petered out and note he has to carry the welter burden of 160lbs here.

THIRD RACE 1. Pravalaguna 2. Bercasa 3. Inverness

This race for Fillies and Mares is being run as an open handicap hurdle for the first time but should be dominated by two girls who are making their debut in the United States. PRAVALAGUNA trained by multiple Irish Champion trainer Willie Mullins has to concede weight all-round but she should still take all the beating. A slick jumper of European hurdles and fences, she recorded a 14 length Listed Chase win over 2m at Naas in February and her last run over hurdles resulted in a victory at Cork, over 3 miles, in August. Expect reigning Irish Champion Jockey Paul Townend (who rode the winner of this corresponding race in 2017) to make this a true test of stamina. Former Irish-trained BERCASA landed a 20 runner Mares Handicap Hurdle at the Galway Festival in July over 2m½f. She lost her rider when turned out again two days later at the same meet and since has gone through the sales ring. Her overall Irish form is a league lower than the top pick’s. INVERNESS may be a price play for exotics. She was third in the Maiden Hurdle on this card last year and was ridden as a deep closer to pick up the pieces late when 3rd in a Fillies and Mares Stakes race at Colonial Downs (since promoted to 2nd on a technicality) and a similar ride here should she her pick up a small piece.

FOURTH RACE 1. Markhan 2. Snap Decision 3. Belisarius

Looking for a possible price play here, to take on the likely short-odds favorite, in this competitive/classy field and MARKHAN fits the bill. A five-times flat winner in Europe, he won on his US debut, over hurdles, at the prestigious Iroquois Meeting (beating Snap Decision 4½ lengths) and went on to win a 1½ mile flat race for jump horses at Parx. Ignore his hurdles defeat at The Spa last time out as he was traveling well when virtually knocked over at the second last jump where his rider lost his irons. Without that bad luck he would nearly be favorite here. Also, love the fact that top Irish veteran Davy Russell gets back aboard. SNAP DECISION is likely to go off as the short-priced favorite given he has won his last three starts including the William Entenmann Memorial Novice Stakes at Belmont last time. The worry is that all of his winning hurdles form has come around flat, oval tracks (his other victories were at Monmouth and Saratoga) but he has come up short when racing around “Jumps” tracks, including when chasing home the top pick in May. He may be the class of this field, but he is also likely to be overbet. BELISARIUS won a division of this race twelve months ago, by 6¼ lengths, but this renewal looks stronger. However given his previous course form he is a must use in exotics.

FIFTH RACE 1. Surprise Twist 2. Douglas Road 3. Renown

This flat race is a new addition to today’s card (it used to be run as a Timber Race) and it has drawn a strong field. SURPRISE TWIST is a tentative top pick to secure a fourth career win. Last successful in December in a one mile AOC at Tampa he has been running well in 1½ miles Listed Stakes recently including when runner-up at Delaware and Monmouth. Last time out at Laurel, in the Listed Japan Turf Cup, he had a troubled trip before being promoted to 4th by the Stewards. On his one previous run at an undulating track, Kentucky Downs, he was a staying on, never nearer, 5th over a trip that was too short. The top pick is trained by Arnaud Delacour who also used to be the conditioner of DOUGLAS ROAD for whom he won two AOCs, at about a mile, at Laurel last year. Now with Todd Wyatt he won a 1 3/8th miles Training Flat race at Shawan Downs on September 29 (this form appears as a work in the PP’s) when with blinkers off he closed from a long way off the pace to win snuggly. RENOWN brings back class to this party having won the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland in October 2016 and twice has been successful in the 1½ miles Secretariat Stakes at Great Meadow – he appeals more than threetime Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes winner at Woodbine ALDOUS SNOW.

SIXTH RACE 1. Wicklow Brave 2. Scorpiancer 3. Jury Duty

The incredible WICKLOW BRAVE (best bet) bids to win his third Grade 1 having taken the 2016 Irish St Leger on the flat and the 2017 Punchestown Champion Hurdle. Willie Mullins’ veteran 10-year-old has won 17 races in all and is now a perfect three out of three over fences in Ireland including a Grade 3 victory, over 2¼ miles, at the Galway Festival in August. He has not always been fluent in those three victories but the smaller obstacles in the US should suit him and for a veteran he still possesses a potent finishing kick on the flat. Another 10-year-old, SCORPIANCER looks the best of the “home team.” A winner of the Foxbrook Champion Hurdle on this card in 2015 he went on to finish runner-up in this race the following year and was the Eclipse Award winning Steeplechaser in 2017. Having missed the ‘18 campaign due to injury he already owns a Grade 1 victory this year having taken the Iroquois in May. This looks a stronger renewal than the one won by JURY DUTY last year and he does not come into this race in anything like the same form he did twelve months ago. However his trainer is a genius at targeting races so it is impossible to rule him out of calculations. His stablemate THE STORYTELLER finished behind Jury Duty in their low-key prep run at Gowran Park recently but is a Grade 1 winner himself having taken the Champion Novice Chase, over 3m½f, at the Punchestown Festival in April 2018. Five-time British Champion Jumps Trainer Nicky Henderson is represented by the enigmatic BRAIN POWER. Runner-up in the 2m Arkle (Gr 1) at the 2018 Cheltenham Festival he won a Grade 2 hurdle race over 2m1f back at Cheltenham in December. There are however two major concerns about him – the distance and the fragility of his jumping.

SEVENTH RACE 1. Khafayya 2. All The Way Jose 3. Querry Horse

This is the fifth running of the Appleton as a Ratings Handicap and so far it has been dominated by low weights with 151 lbs being the highest impost carried to victory. KHAFAYYA is at the right end of the weight scale for his first run in a handicap and has a lot to recommend him given he was second in the Maiden Hurdle here twelve months ago and he finally won over hurdles in a two mile MSW at Shawan Downs, by 7 lengths, on September 29. The top pick receives 14lbs from the classy ALL THE WAY JOSE who has become a standing dish at this meeting. A winner of the Foxbrook Champion Hurdle in 2014 he has gone on to finish 3rd in the last two renewals of the Grand National (Gr 1). This is a marked drop in grade for him. QUERRY HORSE looks an obvious “underneath” play given he has finished runner-up in handicap hurdles on all three of his starts in the US to date, but appears to lack a finishing kick.