Hunter Chase - 3.15 Warwick

[Darran]

Only 4 runners which is a big drop of from the huge field we had for the race last year, but we still have a fascinating contest. I am going to put at the start in case you only look for the tip that for me this is a race to watch rather than have a bet on. 

Bob And Co is the horse Maxwell nominated as his Foxhunter horse on Racing TV a couple of months back so it will be interesting to see how he gets on in his debut in the UK. His highest Racing Post Rating is 138 for his 3rd in a Listed race at Auteuil in September 2018. The British handicapper has given a mark of 150 which seems plenty high enough to me based on what he has done. He doesn't strike as an obvious Foxhunter winner although we will learn more tomorrow. He really needs to be winning this pretty easily though in my view.

Minella Rocco finished 2nd in a Gold Cup 3 years ago, but he hasn't got anywhere near that sort of form since. He pulled up in 4 races on the bounce before finishing 8th at Ascot back in November. In theory this is a class drop although if Bob And Co is a likely Foxhunter winner then it isn't really a drop from that Ascot race last time. He looks firmly on the downgrade and he probably needs the favourite to under perform to win.

Kashmir Peak is a reasonable pointer, but is form isn't anything special especially in the context of this race. He's been off the track for 10 months as well so it looks an especially tough task on his seasonal return.

Roseyroo is a likeable mare who has clearly had her problems having not run since May 2018 and that she has only run 2 other times since April 2015. Those two dates she ran in the mares race at Cheltenham and was beaten a neck in 2015 before unseating 2 years ago when looking as if she was going to be a player. I'd love to see her win a hunter chase this season, but it would be a surprise if it was to be this one.

Bob And Co is the most likely winner, but I can't be backing him at 4/6 given there are question marks over him as there is every single runner in the field. Who knows Minella Rocco might spring back to life, but he has looked firmly on the downgrade. It wouldn't be the biggest surprise to me if Roseyroo was able to finish 2nd, but I certainly don't feel strongly enough to put it up as a bet. So a race to watch with interest going forward, but not one to be risking any of the hard earned.

[Darran]

Just when you think you have seen it all on a racecourse something else happens to prove that you haven't. I have been watching racing pretty much all my life and never have I seen a jockey have to pull a horse up because he has cramp! Bob And Co had shown his hard pulling tendencies in France and you could see that Maxwell was struggling to keep a hold of him and then when they past the winning post first time around you could tell something was up. He looked almost uncontrollable and you wondered if the saddle had slipped or something, but as it turned out he had to pull him up as he had cramp in his legs and it was safer for him to pull him up. Maxwell said after the race that he needs a strong pace, but that could buzz him up even more. Also given he wants to qualify him for Cheltenham he is likely to have run him in two small field races again so we could easily see a repeat. I guess now he has run once it might have taken the freshness off him and he will be less keen next time, but that couldn't be a given. There is a race at Wincanton a week on Thursday which could be an option as could Wetherby a couple of days later, but there aren't actually that many chances for him to get two runs in although of course his Shantou Flyer did do that last year after finishing 5th in this race. He won at Kelso and Fontwell on his way to finishing 2nd at Cheltenham. He clearly has ability, but even if he qualified for Cheltenham you have to wonder if he would see out 3m2f round there.

Minella Rocco looked beat as they left the back straight and Kashmir Peak went on. It has been suggested that his jockey allowed Kashmir Peak to kick on and she picked up the pieces, but I don't think that was the case. She was niggling the winner along to try and keep up and he couldn't at that stage. In the end he ran out a comfortable winner as Kashmir Peak faded badly after the last, but I don't there was anything special about the ride. The race fell into his lap somewhat and I find the fact he was cut into 12/1 for Cheltenham staggering. He beat a pretty average horse in 2nd and looked like he was going to be 2nd. I can't have him at all for Cheltenham on the back of this as with Bob And Co out of the way it was a race he should have won.

Speaking of Kashmir Peak it is hard to know what he actually achieved here, but he could find a race at the right level as it wasn't a bad effort. Roseyroo never got involved at all.

The next race is at Hereford next Wednesday.