Racing Chat - Friday 9th April

[ipswich45]

Jockey Champs scores on the doors are:  Hughes (137), Skelton (134) and Cobden (123), The 2 Harry's continue at Aintree while Brian Hughes goes to Sedgefield 

Harry Skelton (Aintree)
1345 - Wilde About Oscar
1420 - Third Time Lucki
1450 - Shan Blue
1640 - Midnight River

Harry Cobden (Aintree)
1345 - Amour De Nuit
1420 - Houx Gris
1450 - The Big Breakaway
1525 - Politologue
1605 - Magic Saint
1640 - Bravemansgame

Brian Hughes (Sedgefield)
1400 - Bellaney Gem  WON
1430 - Court Jurado
1505 - La Mystere
1622 - Wind Of Hope
1655 - Agent Valdez  WON
1730 - Getaway Jewel  WON

Other Race Notes:

Sedgefield :- 1400 Taste of fear for Dr Newland could be the one to beat in this race with 7lb claimer Cillin Leonard on board and won last time out at Hexham against Tara Mill who meet again in this race however i marginally side with Brian Hughes mount Bellaney Gem who finished 2nd at Kelso in a 7 runner event   -  WON 5/4f

Leicester :- 1440 Trinity Lake finished 2nd at Wolverhampton last time out but hasnt been seen since (6 months) and Zak Wheatley takes 7lbs off for this race, Soaring Star last seen also 6 months ago at Doncaster finishing 2nd  and has had wind surgery during that time could make the frame however i like Dirty Rascal who won earlier in the week at Wolverhampton which was helped by a fast pace up from 9st 2lb to  9st 12 on ratings but jockey Mark Crehan negates half of that with a 5lb claim  WON 11/8f

Sedgefield :- 1622 Ciarabella lightly raced mare comes into this following a C&D 2nd place in February finished ahead of Wind Of Hope who also runs in this race, i however like Gameface to be ridden by Richie McLernon finished 3rd over C&D 2 weeks ago and will be off the same mark for this contest and re-fitted cheekpieces could be the answer for this horse  WON 11-10f

Leicester :- 1630 Modmin won last year as a 3YO and last seen finishing 2nd at Newmarket 6 months ago and looks like a possible decent 4YO this season, Mars Landing (nap) space this horse was seen last season finishing 2nd at Chelmsford under Oisin Murphy and i feel has a decent chance in this race to win under Pat Dobbs and has finised in top 3 in each of last 4 starts  WON 5/2

Sedgefield :- 1730 Conundrum won over C&D 2 weeks ago and rises 6lbs for this race might be just about right for that success I shall take that on with Getaway Jewel for Brian Hughes has finished in the places in all 4 starts in handicaps goes down in trip from 2m 3f to 2m for this  WON 9/4

Edited April 9, 2021 by ipswich45
Jockey Champs update, final results

[The Brigadier]

Day 2 of the Grand National meeting starts with the ground remaining on the slow side of good.

Here's hoping for a better day than Day 1 !!

And here's my thoughts, in race card order:- 

 

1.45

A fiendishly hard 22 runner 2m 4f handicap hurdle to start proceedings. My shortlist comprises of top weight Wilde About Oscar, an exciting novice who’s done little wrong for the Skelton’s this season. Tronador, the only Irish horse in the race, and we know what they can do at these big festivals! And Monte Cristo who ran a blinder last time in the Coral Cup when looking booked for third place until stopped in his run by a faller at the last eventually finishing 11th. I would be keeping stakes small and looking for enhanced place terms here but it’s the latter that appeals most.

 

MONTE CRISTO 1 point EW @ 9/1 BetVictor 1/5th odds 12345

 

2.20

The 2m novice hurdle has attracted 10 runners with the top rated For Pleasure and Third Time Lucki rated 144. Both have obvious chances on the book but it’s the lightly raced Nicky Henderson trained Dusart that appeals to me most here. Held in very high regard by the Seven Barrows team he’s only been seen the once which was back in November when comfortably beating the subsequent Betfair Hurdle victor Soaring Glory 2 1/2L receiving 6lb at Newbury. That horse is now rated 143 so you can see that Dusart is already on the cusp of running to a mark higher than the 144 needed to win this. The one thing that holds him back is inexperience with the reason he’s been missing because he injured himself in the paddock by running into a fence cutting himself. Related to the owner Ronnie Bartlett’s smart hurdler/chaser Simonsig he is thought to be a chaser of some stature for next year and I have to admit to have backed him already for next season’s Arkle Chase at 20/1. Here’s hoping he can do the business today.

 

DUSART 2 points win 9/4 Bet365

 

2.50

The Mildmay Novices’ Chase is run over 3m 1f and has attracted 5 horses who ran at Cheltenham. Heading the market for the layers is Nicky Henderson’s Chantry House who won the Marsh at Cheltenham with Shan Blue (who was given a much too forceful ride from Dan Skelton) behind. With Envoi Allen falling early that may not have been the strongest Novice Chase ever run at Cheltenham and at around 7/4 and the dead 8 declared feel there’s value to be had by opposing him with an each way selection.

Colin Tizzard bows out at the end of the season handing the reigns over to his son Joe and although he’s had a generally disappointing season may take this with his consistent Fiddlerontheroof. Only out of the first two once in his last 13 starts he looks sure to run his race and his 6 1/2L runner up to Monkfish in the Brown Advisory Novices Chase at Cheltenham is comparable to the favourites Marsh Novices’ Chase win. He holds stable companion The Big Breakaway on that run and can run a big race here.

 

FIDDLERONTHEROOF 1 point EW 6/1 Bet365 1/5th 123

 

3.25

The 2m 4f Marsh Chase (more commonly known as the Melling Chase) has attracted a small but selective field of eight. Politologue missed Cheltenham due to an unfortunate incident on the day of the race but that means he comes here a fresh horse and won this in 2018 and was 2nd (well beaten  by Min) the following year. He is the joint oldest horse in the race now though and I’m happy to take him on. My two against the field were both pulled out recently due to the drying ground so here’s hoping there’s sufficient juice in the ground for them to compete at their best. Dashel Drasher has progressed throughout the season winning three times at Ascot and is still on the upgrade. He should run well but the horse I prefer is Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’oudairies who was pulled out at Fairyhouse last Sunday due to the drying ground. This intermediate trip looks ideal for him as he showed when chasing home Allaho in the Ryanair at Cheltenham and at only 6 years of age and the youngest in the field may actually still have improvement in him.

 

FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES 2 points win 3/1 Bet365

 

4.05

The Topham Handicap Chase is run over 2m 5f of the National course and with a maximum field is sure to be a thrilling contest. The current joint favourites are the Irish pair Livelovelaugh and Visioman trained by Messrs Mullins and De Bromhead. The latter finished 11th in the last running of the Grand National but hasn’t actually won a race for over 3 years whilst the former was 20/1 two days ago and has collapsed in price since ATR presenter Kevin Blake made him his nap of the meeting in an Aintree preview. An outsider that can run well is Court Master, who’s lightly raced and hails from an in form stable. My main bet though is Nicky Henderson’s Caribean Boy who was badly affected by the standing start of the Paddy Power Plate at Cheltenham where he couldn’t get into a rhythm. He’s better than that and Henderson has an excellent record in this race having won it 5 times previously.

 

CARIBEAN BOY 1 point EW 10/1 Bet365 1/5th 12345

 

4.40

The Doom Bar Sefton Novices’ Hurdle is a grade 1 contest run over 3 miles  and nearly a furlong and has a warm favourite in Paul Nicholl’s Bravemansgame who will be hard to beat and I’m loathe to oppose here. Talked up by his trainer after winning the Challow Hurdle at Newbury over Christmas as the new Denman he was a tad disappointing in the Ballymore at Cheltenham when finishing third behind smart sorts Bob Olinger and Gaillard Du Mesnil beaten some 12L. That’s still top form though and he steps up in trip to 3 miles for the first time today which should, as a former 3 mile point winner, suit well. On official ratings he’s 7lb and more ahead of his rivals today and he should be winning this. Best of the rest maybe Nicky Henderson’s Gallyhill who’s going to love the step up in trip.

 

BRAVEMANSGAME 3 points win 7/4 Bet365

 

5.15

We finish Day 2 with a 2 mile handicap hurdle for conditional and amateur  jockeys. A maximum field of 22 go to post with my shortlist comprising of  Copperless who impressed when winning last time and has creeped in here off of a nice low weight for Olly Murphy and his conditional Lewis Stones. He’s been well found in the market however so the bet is the David Pipe trained Leoncavallo. This dual purpose 9 year old has plenty of experience and will be ridden by the useful conditional Fergus Gillard. Last seen when a credible 6th in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham and dropped 2lb since. That was his first run for 160 days and he should be sharper today. As with all the big field handicaps this week shop around for those enhanced place terms.

 

LEONCAVALLO 2 points EW 11/1 Paddy Power 1/5th 12345