Friday 4:40: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

[Sir Puntalot]

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[beaker1]

Re: Friday 4:40: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle Just four years to work off so trends are thin on the ground. The most striking factor so far is that all four winners were second-season hurdlers in a race that has so far been dominated by the up-and-coming brigade. Of the 16 horses to pay a place dividend, only two were not in their first or second season over timber (both were third-season hurdlers). The majority will be first or second season hurdlers so I will list the minority that are not and who therefore don’t interest me from a trends perspective; Solix, Toner D’Oudairies, First Avenue, Havingotascoobydo, Act Of Kalanisi, Stopped Out, Nagpur, Harry Hunt, Art Professor and Paint The Clouds. To all intents and purposes, this is basically a limited handicap with less than a stone covering the whole field for all four runnings. Therefore there has to be an argument for keeping it simple and attempting to identify the best horse in the race as attempting to plot one up like for the novice chase version of this race ion Tuesday which was won by the top weight. For example, 24 runners faced the starter last season and it was two horses in the top six in the weights that fought out the finish. The previous season’s top weight, Son Of Flicka, came desperately close to giving weight away all round only being reeled in within 20 yards of the winning post by Sir Des Champs and, 12 months earlier, Pause And Clause, carried second-top weight of 11st 10lbs to victory underlining the class angle again. On that basis, I would say give extra attention to those in the top third of the weights. Nicky Henderson has had a right crack in the first four runnings where he has already notched up as many as six top-five finishers including taking the inaugural running with the runaway winner, Andytown, before preparing the second, fourth and fifth the following season. Two third-place finishes in the last two years have cemented his extremely good start to this race and it is also worth highlighting that four of the six Henderson-trained horses to have recorded a top-five position also had winning course form so pay particular attention to those. This time he runs his mares, Kells Belle and Ma Filleule. Not quite the 13 he said he might run at his media day! How David Pipe must wish for a similar record to Henderson in what he calls “Dad’s Race” but it just hasn’t fallen right for him so far. For understandable reasons there will be plenty of focus on the yard’s entries again but just one Pipe’s 13 runners has hit the frame. His only runner this year is the likely favourite, Gevrey Chambertin. Irish-based stables haven’t tackled this race in numbers as yet with just eight runners in four years but Sir Des Champs was their sole representative when successful two years ago and their two raiders finished second and fourth 12 months ago so they should be kept very much on your radar and especially if owned by Gigginstown House Stud as all three carried their maroon and white silks. Make Your Mark and Edeymi represent Gigginstown this year in addition to last season’s second Toner D’Oudairies. I wouldn’t go too mad on this but, for the record, jockeys claiming 3lbs were responsible for the 1-2-3-4 last season meaning that they dominated the race for the second year running as they also filled eight of the first ten places in 2011. Short List Edeymi Ma Filleule Make Your Mark Salubrious (Toner D’Oudaries) Conclusion EDEYMI appeals on trends being a second-season hurdler that has run well at the course before (second in the Fred Winter last year) like two other winners and represents an owner whose three runners in the race have finished first, third and fourth and he is also in the top third in the weights. The on-fire Willie Mullins won this for Gigginstown two years ago so his MAKE YOUR MARK (who ran in the Neptune last year) is also interesting. Let’s go for the Gigginstown full house and also short list last year’s narrow runner-up TONER D’OUDARIES even if he is a third-season hurdler as he was cruising coming to the final flight but was just beaten by a neck and he is only 2lbs higher this years. Given Nicky Henderson’s record, we should one his pair and I prefer the younger MA FILLEULE who his trainer suggested as his best handicap chance of the week at the Sandown Preview Evening on Saturday. Paul Nicholls’ SALUBRIOUS towards the top of the handicap would be my other short listed horse. He is open to improvement on just his sixth hurdles start and he is a last time out who have won approximately 50% of all handicap hurdles at the Festival since 1993 and looks well handicapped on his second to At Fisher Cross at the Hennessy Meeting.