CHRISTMAS BONUS COMES JUST IN TIME
Ben Morgan is saved by a weekend to remember
The Ladbrokes Trophy weekend at Newbury, for me, is always the short, sharp, fast gear change as the National Hunt season moves from second swiftly into third. Rarely do you hear trainers complain about the fast ground at this time of the year but a remarkably dry autumn has left many a handler bemoaning the dry weather.
For a punter who doesn’t have to answer to an owner who is asking why their £80k unbeaten point to pointer is jarred up after a below par fourth at Ludlow, this is very frustrating. Only because once we get into December, January and February when the ground is horrendous, the very same trainers use the soft ground as an excuse as to why their horse gets beat.
Frustration aside, I managed to enjoy a fine end to November. Fanion Destruval (£20 at 5/2) proved to be too good for his rivals as he relished the step back into handicap company. Often outclassed in Graded company he proved to be more than a handicapper with a facile success. A step back up to graded company awaits and he might just fare better after that confidence-boosting win.
A speculative punt on Thomas Darby (£10 at 7/1) in the Long Distance Hurdle reaped reward and I felt that was the least I deserved after backing him in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby last time out.
The big race itself was a slight disappointment as Demachine, who carried a good deal of my free bet allocation for the past six weeks, finished fifth with my bookmaker paying just four places.
I thought I was being incredibly shrewd when I managed to lump some money on Chacun Pour Soi and Nube Negra to win the Tingle Creek at 5/2 and 5/1 respectively within minutes of the news breaking that Shishkin would not run. I thought surely one of these two high quality chasers would take the Grade 1 prize.
Unfortunately it was actually one of last month’s bets, Greaneteen, who came on leaps and bounds for his comeback run at Exeter, who took the honours much to my disgrace.
My Saturday afternoon didn’t get much better after that as Vieux Lion Rouge (£10 e/w at 14/1) came to grief in the Becher Chase at Aintree. Although he didn’t fall or unseat and instead stumbled over a faller already on the ground, he was far enough back at the time and didn’t look to be at his best. I found it hard to believe given he had won the race twice already and connections would surely have had him spot on for a hat-trick attempt but clearly it wasn’t to be.
To compound the day my main fancy of the day, Midnight River (£25 e/w at 6/1), ran no sort of race in the concluding handicap hurdle at Aintree. Reverting to the smaller obstacles off a mark of 137 I thought Dan Skelton’s horse would take some stopping given how well he travelled into the Grade 1 Sefton Novices Hurdle last Spring. But despite travelling powerfully he didn’t pick up at all up the straight, possibly due to the soft ground, and I was left nursing some pretty sore wounds.
With a busy Christmas period just around the corner I was hopeful of landing a big pot to set me up for the next few weeks. A bookmaking mistake was all I was waiting for and I thought there might be one when Risk D’Argent was declared for a maiden hurdle at Uttoxeter. This was just the type of horse I was waiting for, a horse who ran well on season debut but
tired and faded over the 2m 4f trip at stamina-sapping Chepstow. Eagle eyed viewers would have noticed he travelled strongly that day and was clearly aiming to win the race rather than play damage limitation on his opening mark. He ran a lot better than the finishing position suggested.
Back down to two miles in a race where it looked like only three could win he seemed a really safe each way bet. When he opened up at 33/1, he looked a stonking choice and I duly waded in £25 each way.
I was clearly the only one who noticed him at Chepstow as he remained at that price until late the next morning when the move really began.
Punters pumped him into 7/1 SP before Nick Scholfield produced a wonderful front running ride. Always in control, he eased off and kicked on at the right times and it soon became clear up the straight that he had them on the run. A solid leap at the last put the race to bed and I was left in a state of satisfaction for many hours. Is there a better feeling than a big punt landing?
The irony of this particular punt is that Risk D’Argent’s trainer will receive the majority of these winnings when he sends me the next training bill! A cruel world, don’t you agree?
I thought William Hill left the apprentice to price up the Saturday races as Hardy Du Seuil opened at 5/1 for a novices handicap chase at Hereford. He had been unfortunate to not complete two of his three starts but in between had accounted for a smart type at Carlisle albeit in a match. Off a mark of 129 receiving his four-year-old allowance I made him the bet of the weekend. I lumped £30 on the nose believing he would be 5/4 SP.
An hour before the race, he was openly available at 9/1. My face would have been a picture had anyone seen me open my betting app that Saturday afternoon as I genuinely couldn’t believe it.
He remained hard on the bridle until turning for home when a sketchy jump and a faller hindered his momentum but once they turned in you could see he had every chance of bridging the five-length gap. Coming to the last, Gavin Sheehan was desperate to kick him into it but with two uncompleted starts out of three firmly on his mind, he decided to let him pop it and then throw the kitchen sink at him after.
The horse responded in ‘Hardy’ fashion (not even sorry for the pun) and got up in the shadows of the post rather cosily in the end.
Before I had time to celebrate this win, my next bet, Tommy’s Oscar who I managed to get £30 on at 5/1 was due to run at Doncaster. He hosed up at Haydock last time out and I thought he was definitely a graded horse in a handicap.
Again, he travelled like he would bolt in but after the last he was made to fight for the victory as Geronimo kept finding for pressure.
Brian Hughes always looked confident however and after some vigorous movement in the saddle he was well on top at the line.
A hugely satisfying Saturday afternoon which rounded off a hugely satisfying week. I’m savouring it because they don’t come along too often.
Hope you have a happy New Year and a lucky 2022.