Hunter Chase - 4.15 Fakenham and 4.22 Kelso

[Darran]

I will look back at the two hunter chases yesterday in due course, but it was good to finally get on the scoresheet proper for the season even if it was a bit closer than I thought it would be! Today we have two hunter chases in the space of 7 minutes and Tom Ellis has the favourite in both races.

I still start at Fakenham where Dubai Quest heads the market at the time of writing. He fell on his debut for the stable when in front in a Restricted at Larkhill last January, but soon made amends at Thorpe Lodge later that month. The real interesting piece of form though is when he was impressive in winning at Brocklesby in an Intermediate. He beat Omar Maretti by 12L that day and that one landed a maiden hurdle at Catterick a couple of weeks ago so the form looks strong. He then had little problem in winning a 4 runner race at Dalton Park before the season ended last March. He looks a promising horse and could easily make a winning hunter chase debut.

Rocklander has been placed at a Cheltenham Festival albeit it 3 years ago now and he clearly retains a fair bit of ability based on his two pointing runs for new connections last season. He was a 15L 2nd to Hazel Hill first up and then won fairly easily at High Easter in March although that was a race for horses 10 and older. There is every chance he can still be up to winning a hunter chase this season although at his age he might need it first up and he comes up against a couple of promising younger horses.

Getting Closer is the other youngster in the field and for me the only other one that has a chance. The stand out piece of form for me is actually when he finished 2nd to the very promising Fumet D'oudairies at Horseheath a year ago. His next run was in December when he won his Intermediate at Wadebridge by a head, but he was getting 10lbs by the 2nd that day and although Waterloo Warrior is a useful yardstick it leaves him with a bit to find with the other two for me.

So in summary I like Dubai Quest here. He looks a very promising horse who has age on his side and although Rocklander could well be up to winning this season he comes up against a tough opponent here.

Dubai Quest 2pts @ 13/8 with Betfair and BetVictor

Onto Kelso and I think there is a strong chance it will be a quickfire across the card double for Tom Ellis. Kalabaloo is already a hunter chase winner having won the mares race on Cheltenham's hunter chase night in 2019. She disappointed in the John Corbet Cup at Stratford on her next start, but came back in good form last season winning two Opens at Alnwick. Both were easy successes and the 2nd of them was won in a quick time despite the fact there were only 4 runners. She then went to the Foxhunter and ran with great credit to finish 8th. I'd imagine she would be heading back to Cheltenham in a months time and could well take this contest on the way.

On what she has done so far African Belle is a bit short in the market. Granted after losing her first two races she has won her next 3 which not that many horses manage to do, but on ratings she still has a lot to find with a horse who finished 8th in last season's Foxhunter. Her win at Alnwick in December did she her finish 13L ahead of Cousin Pascal who obviously did boost the form yesterday, but I can't help but think that wasn't his true running. Fair play if she turns out good enough to win this, but if she doesn't there will be easier opportunities for her.

Carter McKay won two weak hunter chases at Sedgefield and Cartmel in 2019 very easily, but he seems to have gone backwards since. He was 3rd at 4/9 in a point last March and was then 2nd at Maisemore on his seasonal return losing to a 14yo and then pulled up at Alnwick last time. I suspect that wasn't his true running and he does have first time cheekpieces here, but he's hard to fancy on what he has shown this season.

What can you write about a 13yo who hasn't run for 4 years? It's obviously complete guesswork about how much ability Tango De Juilley still has, but Venetia Williams doesn't send too many hunter chasing and obviously he must be showing something to run him again. He was 2nd off 149 at the Cheltenham Festival in 2016 and then pulled up in the same race on his only other run since a year later. If he wins you just have to take it on the chin and say what a training performance it was, but how can anyone really back him. Also to me they might have qualification for Aintree in mind and a first 4 finish will be the priority.

Kilkishen was showing useful enough form in Ireland when last seen in September and October, but it wouldn't be good enough to win this in my view.

The one other horse in with a chance is also one that is over priced and shouldn't be a double figure chance. I wrote after the Scottish Foxhunter that I thought Senor Lombardy had run a really good race when finishing 4th. Yes he was 23L behind Salvatore, but a mix of the class of horse in front of him and the trip meant he finished that far behind. It was certainly a big improvement on his previous rules form over fences and backed up the very good win on pointing debut for Brian Harding at Alnwick. Now that was on the same card that African Belle won on and he clocked a faster time by just over a second whilst carrying 7lbs more. Clearly on that the two horses should not be that far apart in the betting and this drop in trip should help as well. I'm not sure he can beat Kalabaloo if that one runs to form, but he has a very good place chance and is worth having onside along with the market leader.

Kalabaloo 2pts @ 11/8 with Bet365

Senor Lombardy 0.75pts e/w @ 11/1 with Bet365

Also at Fakenham in the 2.42 Organised Solution makes some appeal. I must admit the trip is a slight concern and the mark of 105 is not lenient based on his Irish form, but on his pointing form since coming over from Ireland there has to be scope off this mark. He won at Maisemore in October and the 2nd and 3rd both ran well at Leicester yesterday in division 2 of the hunter chase. He was then a long way behind Highway Jewel and Hazel Hill when 4th which isn't a surprise and he ran pretty well all things considered. He has had a wind op since and he looks over priced to me at double figure odds.

Organised Solution @ 10/1 with Bet365