Point-to-point bumper - Exeter 7.55

[Darran]

Sometimes in racing you get the story that you want and that was certainly the case yesterday when Garde Ville won at Ludlow. Yes it was great to get another winner, but that was very much secondary for me given the poignancy of the victory. As Immy said herself after the race she wished she hadn't have been the one to ride him yesterday, but she and the horse did Lorna proud. He really is a likeable horse who just doesn't seem to know how to run a bad race. He was out classed in the Stratford Foxhunters in 2019, but I would target that race with him again because I think he's in better form now. Bletchley Castle ran really well to finish a close 2nd and he does deserve to get his head in front again. Favorito Buck's didn't jump all that well and Call Me Vic jumped left at pretty much every fence and never looked likely. 

If you haven't seen the emotional interview with Immy after the race then it is here 

 

There should have been a hunter chase at Exeter today, but the chase races were abandoned so we are just left with the point-to-point bumper to end the card. There are only 5 runners this year and usually none of them have jumped a fence so far as they have all run in bumpers in points. They also all have either run against each other or have other horses you can use as a yardstick so hopefully that will make it a bit easier.

Crews Pitch is the market leader and he was well backed on his debut at Chaddesley Corbett in December where he traveled well for a long way before he dropped away quickly and was pulled up. My guess is that either there was something amiss or he hated the ground because he was clearly fancied to do well. With pointing stopping after he wasn't seen again until the day pointing resumed last month at Revesby where he quickened away nicely on the run in to win by 5L. He had been prominent in that contest and I imagine they will look to make the running with him here which in a small field could prove crucial.

Fountains Chief made his debut at Barbury in December where he was a 15L 2nd to He's A Knowall who looks a very promising horses. He stayed on that day to get up for 2nd after being outpaced. He then ran again on Saturday and because of that I haven't been able to watch the race, but the in running comments suggest it was a similar story as he stayed on into 4th beaten 4 and a half lengths. My concern about him here is that if this race is run at a crawl then it wont suit him as he will get outpaced if it turns into a sprint for home.

Fountains Chief ran in division 2 of the bumper at Barbury whilst in division 1 Rose Above It and Hinterleitenweg finished 2nd and 3rd. This contest was both horses 2nd start with the latter having run in the same race the year before when finishing 7th and the former was a well beaten 3rd at Maisemore in October. The winning time of the Barbury was was nearly 10 seconds slower than division 2 and having timed it I made it that Fountains Chief crossed the line 4 seconds after the winner, so he was clearly quicker than those two that day. The 1st and 4th have both gone under rules since and both have disappointed so it would seem that the bare form is not that strong. Now we also get a link to Crews Pitch because Granny Mags who finished a 5L 2nd to him at Revesby was 6th in the 1st division at Barbury. They did beat her by further, but she got hampered turning out of the back straight and she certainly would have finished closer if that hadn't happened. The 3 of them also get the fillies and mares allowance so they all ran off level weights whereas Crews Pitch carried 7lbs more. In my view that leaves them both with a bit to find with the favourite.

Optical Girl is the outsider and she traveled well behind Crews Pitch at Revesby on her debut, but then dropped away late on and was 17L behind him at the line. She also ran on Saturday in the same race as Fountains Chief, but she pulled up having gone wide on one of the bends. The jockey switch is a big plus, but it's hard to see how she will suddenly reverse both lines of form.

I think there is an argument to say that based on the form shown so far that Fountains Chief is best horse in the race, but give he doesn't seem to have a turn of foot that has to be a big concern in a small field and in a race that is likely to be run in a crawl. Therefore I think Crews Pitch is the one they have to beat. He was clearly highly thought of ahead of his debut and he thrived on good ground last time. I think Zac will be allowed to dictate things from the front and he is the only horse in the field who has shown they have a turn of foot so far. If it turns into a sprint I expect it to benefit him the most and that makes him the selection.

Crews Pitch 1pt @ 5/4 with everyone