all weather
Ian Heitman counts down to the All-Weather Finals’ day with the races shaping up nicely
Ian Heitman continues his countdown to finals day
One of the four meetings affected by the outbreak of equine flu was the one Chelmsford was due to stage, with the third Fast Track Qualifier in the Fillies & Mares category due to be the feature race. As there is plenty of time before Finals Day at Lingfield on April 19, this race will be rescheduled and held at a later date.
There isn’t a lot of strength to the Fillies & Mares category with a number of valuable handicaps being run at quite a low level, Happy Escape was bidding for a hat-trick of wins in a 090 handicap at Lingfield on January 30 carrying joint top weight off a mark of just 82. She was unable to land a blow, finishing third behind the better placed winner MADE OF HONOUR and front runner TREASURE ME who looked in good shape on her first start since the end of October.
One mare who will be a contender for the Final is CASTLE HILL CASSIE who gave upwards of 10lb to her five rivals at Wolverhampton on January 28, comfortably beating pace-setting PRIDE’S GOLD by three quarters of a length. She had finished second to ISLAND OF LIFE at Wolverhampton in the second of the qualifiers at the beginning of January, beaten three quarters of a length. Castle Hill Cassie is very consistent, with six wins to her name from 18 starts (including a Listed win in 2018) and only out of the frame four times.
SPRINT
One of the best performances seen on any all-weather course in recent years came at Lingfield on February 2 when KACHY won the Listed Cleves Stakes, the third fast track qualifier, lowering the course record Tarooq set in December 2013 by 0.43 seconds. Kachy now has three of the top seven quickest recorded times over 6f at Lingfield. Quickly away from the stalls, Kachy was soon in control and clear turning into the straight, his eight rivals all hard at work, and only had to be pushed out by Richard Kingscote beating GORGEOUS NOORA by three and a half lengths with STONE OF DESTINY running on well to grab third. MOKARRIS shaped well on his first start since May 2017, he looked on good terms with himself in the paddock beforehand and finished well in the straight having been steadied to race towards the rear from his wide stall. He was a smart two-year-old in 2016, finishing second in the Gimcrack to subsequent Group 1 winner Blue Point and showed he retains plenty of ability here.
There were a couple of disappointing runs, CORINTHIA KNIGHT lost his chance at the start and never got involved, whilst 2017 winner, LANCELOT DU LAC faded in the straight having chased Kachy to the turn in. He didn’t look that great beforehand.
Kachy is a very warm favourite to go one place better in the Sprint Final than he did in 2018 when beaten by City Light, currently the 5/4 favourite. It is hard to see what will beat him
given how well he runs at Lingfield, three wins and a narrow second from four starts. One challenger will be ENCORE D’OR who won the second of the four qualifiers at Newcastle on January 22 comfortably beating inform ORNATE by a neck with Stone Of Destiny in third.
Encore D’Or hasn’t raced over 6f since finishing third in the 2017 Final and has only won one race over six furlongs back in 2014. Despite being rated 109, Encore D’Or will have to step up to get close to Kachy on Good Friday.
Gorgeous Noora was having her third start for her new connections, she was bought for 200,000 at the December Sales, and with a win and a Listed place already to her name, her trainer Archie Watson will no doubt be looking at the programme book in search of a winnable Listed race in the early part of the turf season. She has the option of stepping up to 7f for the Fillies & Mares final where despite only having had one previous start at the trip, would be one of the leading contenders given the form she is in.
SHAMSHON would be an unlikely runner let alone winner of the Sprint Final, but he gained a valuable win at Wolverhampton on January 29, getting up close home to beat EXCHEQUER by a length to win his first race over 6f from 14 starts and gave Stuart Williams a fifth valuable winner of the all-weather season so far. JAMES STREET, the only three-yearold in the line-up, was a strong favourite and well placed but couldn’t quicken inside the final furlong finishing fifth.
MILE
PINNATA is another of the Stuart Williams class 2 winners in recent weeks and he continued his excellent progress landing a hat-trick of wins when making the step up to class 2 company at Newcastle on January 22 beating a back to form STRAIGHT RIGHT by a length and half. BATTERED ran well to be fourth on his first run for Ralph Beckett and his first start for 493 days, keeping on from the rear but never managing to challenge. He will get a lot more involved on his next start.
Levi Williams will remember January 26 for a long time as he rode his first winner aboard MR SCARAMANGA for his boss Simon Dow in a competitive 0-95 handicap at Lingfield getting the better of INSURGENCE, first ride back after injury for Daniel Muscutt, by a head with BALLARD DOWN making good progress from the rear to third. AL JELLABY was well supported for the second successive race and had every chance, but he couldn’t quicken inside the last furlong finishing fifth. The gloss was taken slightly off Williams’ first win as he received a three-day ban for allowing his mount
to drift left hampering a couple of his rivals inside the last furlong.
One of the leading contenders for the Mile will be the Jamie Osborne trained HATHAL who made it back-toback wins at Wolverhampton on February 4 when he got the better of OH THIS IS US inside the last furlong to win by a length and half. ARCANADA who had impressed at Lingfield on New Year’s Eve, was very disappointing, sent off the 7/4 favourite, he dropped out very tamely with two furlongs to go and trailed home last of the five runners beaten 39 lengths.
Hathal has yet to race on the allweather at Lingfield but has won three races from five at left-handed tracks and at his current odds of 16/1 looks good each-way value.
MIDDLE DISTANCE
One of the bankers for Good Friday, WISSAHICKON, proved his well-being with an easy win in the Listed Winter Derby Trial at Lingfield on February 2 beating BIG COUNTRY, who was 8lb better off with the winner on their meeting on December 22, by three quarters of a length. Frankie Dettori, having his first ride in the UK in 2019, had the odds-on favourite close to the pace set his stablemate COURT HOUSE with Big Country also chasing the leader. Wissahickon travelled strongly throughout the contest and he made progress with a couple of furlongs to go, Dettori going for a gap that didn’t exist between Big Country and Court House and had to switch around those two with a furlong to go. Given a shake of the reins, Wissahickon quickened well and took the lead with 100 yards to go, Dettori motionless inside the last 50 yards and eased in the last few strides.
It will be a major surprise if Wissahickon is beaten in either the Winter Derby, for which he is the 4/9 favourite or the Middle-Distance Final for which he is the 4/6 favourite.
Big Country won’t be taking Wissahickon for a third time in the Winter Derby his trainer Mick Appleby revealed a couple of days after the race. He will be aimed at the Listed Magnolia Stakes at Kempton on March 30, where he should have a good chance of adding to the Listed success at Pontefract in July 2018.
Charlie Fellowes has always believed CHIEFOFCHIEFS is a useful horse and despite going into the Winter Derby Trial only rated 93, he ran an excellent race to be fourth. He travelled well racing a few lengths off the pace but couldn’t go with the first three in the straight beaten five lengths. His handicap mark was raised to 100 following this good run and he should win again before too long.
MARATHON
Mick Appleby is only a few winners behind John Gosden in his quest for a third all-weather Champion Trainer title and has his string in excellent form, leading the way so far in 2019 with 15 winners at the time of writing. BUSY STREET was one of the 15 winners, when he made the most of receiving 12lb from STARGAZER over two miles at Newcastle on January 22 winning by three quarters of a length with a three-length gap to LOUD AND CLEAR in third. This was Busy Street’s first race over two miles and he should win again off his revised mark of 91.
Stargazer is already guaranteed a place in the Marathon Final having won the first of the qualifiers at Newcastle in December and he made the journey from his North Yorkshire stable to the home of Finals Day, Lingfield Park, for his next start, a conditions race over two miles on February 1.
Despite there only being four runners, it was a good quality contest with all four rated 100 or above. Top rated with a BHA mark of 106 was GREY BRITAIN who was also the 7/4 favourite having won impressively on his previous start at Wolverhampton in early December. WATERSMEET, who has an excellent all-weather record was second favourite ahead of
Stargazer and outsider of the quartet LORD GEORGE.
Ryan Moore set off in front aboard Lord George and probably went a bit too quickly as he was headed with three furlongs to go and dropped right out of contention, beaten over 25 lengths. Watersmeet who had travelled well for Joe Fanning, took the lead and kicked for home with a couple of furlongs to go. Stargazer was under pressure two furlongs from the finish and couldn’t quicken in the straight finishing third. Grey Britain, having his first start over two miles, was held up by Adam Kirby and made good progress two and a half furlongs from the finish, running on strongly in the straight to take the lead with 100 yards to go and ran out a length and a quarter winner. Watersmeet ran well but he isn’t the force he was in the last couple of all-weather campaigns and looks likely to find a couple too strong in the Marathon Final.
Grey Britain boosted John Ryan’s hand in the Marathon, he also has the 5/1 favourite for the final, Aircraft Carrier who won at Wolverhampton on his previous start. Despite there being 6lb difference in BHA ratings between the pair, Aircraft Carrier looks the more progressive of the two, however Grey Britain has always been well regarded by his trainer with 10 of his 24 races coming in Listed or Group company.
SOGHAN overcame a 238-day absence to win at Lingfield over a mile and a half on January 19 with a length and a half covering the first five. PRIMERO met trouble a furlong from the finish but finished off strongly and was only beaten a neck. Well-backed favourite, REDICEAN was disappoint- ing, held in by SEAFARER in the straight, he never managed to challenge finishing fourth. Soghan needs a couple more runs to qualify for the Final but would have only minor claims. Another with minor claims is four-time winner FEARSOME who won twice in five days at Wolverhampton and Lingfield in January, comfortably beating THREE WEEKS for the latter success.
THREE-YEAR-OLD
While there have been plenty of maiden and novice races for threeyear-olds over the last few weeks, there has only been one class 3 handicap which took place at Lingfield on January 16.
Top weight DEEP INTRIGUE bounced back from a below-par run at in the Fast Track Qualifier at Kempton in early January with an all-the-way win. Breaking smartly from the stalls, he travelled strongly in the lead for PJ McDonald and stayed on well inside the last to beat JAMES STREET by a length with the Archie Watson trained pair, ISAAN QUEEN and BELEAGUREMENT in third and fourth
“One of the best performances seen on any all-weather course in recent years came at Lingfield when KACHY won the Listed Cleves Stakes ”
respectively. As mentioned earlier, James Street took on older horses for his next start but could manage only fifth.
Deep Intrigue has now had the three required runs to qualify for the Final and he should give a good account, currently available at 16/1.
CHARMING KID became the second horse to win next time out from the Kempton race when he easy won at Dundalk on January 18 in a minor event. Barely off the bridle, he took the lead over a furlong from the finish and only had to be pushed out by Barry McHugh to win by two- and threequarter lengths. There wasn’t a lot of depth to this race, but Charming Kid could do no more than win easily and like Deep Intrigue is a big price for the Final at 33/1.
Red Impression heads the betting at 5/2 having won her only two starts impressively but she needs to run twice more or to win the remaining qualifier at Newcastle on February 20 to be eligible to run in the Final. The three winners of the qualifiers, Concierge, Deputise and No Nonsense are all around the 8/1 mark and will be much shorter if Red Impression fails to get qualified.
MAIDENS/NOVICE
There was plenty of money around for ALLOCATOR to make a winning debut at Lingfield on January 18. Backed into 5/4 favouritism in a field of six, he certainly looked the part in the paddock, a strong colt by Kendargent, a slow start put him on the back foot and he was never able to challenge the all the way winner MARHABAN who got off the mark at the second attempt. GANTIER, not for the first time, also lost ground at the start but he finished well to get to within three quarters of a length of Marhaban at the line. Both Marhaban and Gantier have won since, both on February 4, Marhaban at Wolverhampton and Gantier at Chelmsford. Having had a couple boosts to the form, Allocator should have little trouble getting off the mark at the second attempt.
ALMOST MIDNIGHT stayed on strongly to make a winning debut for David Simcock over a mile and a half at Kempton on January 23. Taking the lead with a furlong and a half to go, he only had to be pushed out to beat NATSOVIA who ran on well from the rear by two and three-quarter lengths.
David Elsworth and David Probert teamed up for their second maiden winner of 2019 when SONGKRAN overcame some early trouble in running to make a winning debut at Kempton also on January 23. Easy to back due to strong support for Richard Hughes’ newcomer CHARLIE ARTHUR, Songkran stayed on well from a furlong and a half out and grabbed the lead in the last strides. ASSIMILATION improved on his debut run to be beaten a short hear with TULLONA running a very promising debut in third for Tom Clover. I’M AVAILABLE lost ground with a slow start but finished well in the last furlong and a half to be fourth. Charlie Arthur also stayed on from the rear but never managed to land a blow, he was quite green in the paddock beforehand.
TURN TO ROCK was second favourite on his debut at Lingfield on January 23rd but was very edgy in the preliminaries, banging his head whilst getting saddled. A strong gelding, he was too green to get involved, chased along in the rear early on by Nicola Currie he was 11 lengths behind the allthe-way winner ST PETERS BASILICA who got off the mark at the seventh attempt. Turn To Rock should do a lot better next time.
Having been out of luck with Turn To Rock, Ed Walker visited the winner’s enclosure in the final race on the card when four-year-old CAPRIOLETTE gave 20lb to her three-year-old rivals, winning by three and a quarter lengths from heavily backed favourite VANDELLA. LOCH LADY wasn’t knocked about on her third start finishing seventh and she will start off on handicaps off a mark of 60 and is one to keep a close eye on stepped up in trip to a mile and a quarter.
Another handicap debutante to keep an eye on next time is HAMMY END. He didn’t run that well on first two starts but there was more promise on his last run at Lingfield when fifth behind easy winner HARVEY DENT on
January 25. He travelled well in the rear and should get involved in handicaps off a mark of 55.
Gay Kelleway’s GLOBAL SPECTRUM was one of the best backed horses of the all-weather season to date at Kempton on February 2, 100/30 the night before the race, he was sent off the 4/6 favourite. He didn’t let his supporters down, leading all the way under Gerard Mosse, he only had to be pushed out inside the last furlong to beat DERRY BOY by a length and a half with CHOP CHOP improving on her only run at two to be third.
Oisin Murphy had an excellent 2018 and carried that on with an impressive stint in Japan during December and January. He had his first ride back in the UK on February 1st and wasted no time getting off the mark the following day at Kempton aboard YIMKIN for Roger Charlton. Racing close to the pace, Yimkin took the lead with a fur- long to go and beat John Gosden’s VEGATINA by a length and a quarter. There was promise from a couple of newcomers, ANY SMILE in fourth and ELISHEBA who lost many lengths with a very slow start but kept on well in the straight under hands and heels.
Marco Botti holds DON JUPP in quite high regard and he made an impressive winning debut at Kempton on February 6, travelling well close to the pace set by GOLD FLEECE, he took the lead with a furlong to go and ran on strongly to win by two lengths. While this wasn’t a particularly strong race, Don Jupp won well and there should be improvement to come from this strong son of More Than Ready.
Looking ahead to March, the following trainers have good records with three-year-olds first time out: Andrew Balding, three winners from seven runners, Charlie Appleby, five from eight, Hugo Palmer, two from four and William Haggas three from seven.