COPPER SO STURDY
SOMETIMES two people look at the same painting and see different things.
A runaway victory in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse last weekend meant that I AM MAXIMUS
leapt to the head of the betting for the Grand National at Aintree in May.
But I couldn’t fancy him even if you offered me a free bet! While he looks to have the engine to compete at the top level, his jumping will surely always be his Achilles heel.
Anyone who watched last weekend’s race will have noticed how ponderous his jumping was and our Lengths Gained Jumping (LGJ) data backs that up.
He lost -3.56 lengths through his jumping across the duration of the race – but that’s hardly his first offence.
In his two starts at Leopardstown this season, the
Irish Gold Cup and Savills
Chase, he lost
-14.83 LGJ and -8.76 LGJ respectively.
Even when he won the Drinmore Novices Chase he still lost -4.81 LGJ.
Maybe he’s being careful, but it’s too careful for me to ever warm to his prospects of landing a big steeplechase.
It seems to be Old Boys’ Day today and my first fancy lines up at Newbury in the Veterans’ Handicap Chase.
COPPERHEAD (1.20)
has struck up a good partnership with his young jockey Freddie Gingell (above) – who is not even twice his age – and having been placed in all three races together, I believe they can get the job done.
In recent years, he has seemed better suited by a flatter track, and his run at Wincanton two starts ago was very encouraging.
That day the sectionals suggest he just got outpaced by the winner and then stayed on best at the end. He recorded a final furlong 0.7 seconds quicker than the winner but that was only because he couldn’t go as quick when they turned in. Today’s extra furlong should suit. We are not short of talent at Kelso either, and in the Premier Chase there is a horse good enough to compete in the Gold Cup a couple of seasons back.
AYE RIGHT (3.25) has been running some fine races in defeat in veterans’ races this season, but here he finally has a chance with the weights.
Last time out, he led for a good part of the race and just got caught in the final furlong by Sam Brown, who possibly just outstayed him when registering a final furlong time 0.6 seconds quicker than Aye Right’s.
Perhaps this slight step back in distance will suit the selection here. On top of all of that, his jumping was notably impressive last time, gaining +17.16 LGJ compared to Sam Brown’s +9.01 LGJ. He may be an old boy, but he’s still got it!