BARADAR A STAR
THE start of the Flat season is always an exciting time and the prospect of some very testing ground hasn’t kept good horses away from Doncaster.
There is one in the Cammidge Trophy I think will be particularly well suited by conditions.
BARADAR (3.00) enjoyed a highly successful campaign last season, winning twice towards the end of the year.
What we know about these early-season races at Doncaster on testing ground is that stamina plays a big part in success, but Baradar’s staying power is proven at further than this six-furlong trip.
George Boughey (right), his trainer, also boasted a 24% strike rate last March, suggesting he is more than capable of getting his horses finely tuned for the return of the turf.
In the meantime, we also can’t forget that we still have five weeks of the jumps season left.
At Newbury, in the novices’ handicap hurdle, I am expecting IDY WOOD (2.10) to take advantage of the calmer waters and a step back up in trip.
He proved he stays two and a half miles when landing a novice hurdle at Plumpton over a furlong and a half further than this trip, where he was also carrying a penalty.
At Kempton over two miles last time, he wasn’t able to quicken up like the first two, only registering a Finishing Speed Percentage of 101.52% compared to the winner’s 104.83%. His jumping also didn’t stand up to the step up into Grade Two company, losing -2.32 lengths.
In comparison, he gained a +9.25 length advantage through his jumping when he won at Plumpton.
In the two-and-a-half mile handicap chase, HELTENHAM (2.40) was a very cosy winner at Newbury last time and the handicapper has only nudged him up 6lb, which I think is very fair.
One thing this horse does is jump and gallop.
He travelled strongly into the lead turning for home last time, and kept on strongly all the way to the line with an FSP of 103.09%. It is also arguable he won his race through jumping, since he beat Kandoo Kid two lengths and gained a 2.57 length advantage on him across the race.