Racing Chat - Sunday November 14th

[The Brigadier]

Seven terrestrial TV races today with ITV showing 4 from Cheltenham, a couple from Fontwell and the Morigana Hurdle from Punchestown. The ground is likely to be decent enough for all three meetings and here’s my thoughts on the seven :- 

 

Punchestown 2.05

Five quality hurdlers go to post for this years renewal of the Morigana Hurdle run over 2 miles on good to yielding ground. Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins saddle a brace each with Joseph O ‘Brien fielding the outsider Darasso. Elliott’s team comprises one of last seasons top juveniles in Zanahiyr who’s already been out and bolted up at Down Royal this season and Abacadabras, who won this last year as well as the Aintree Hurdle over further later in the season. Mullins’ pair are Echoes In Rain who was a top novice last season and will be ridden by Sean O’Keeffe presumably as Paul Townend would struggle to do the weight. Townend is on board Sharjah who without doubt has the best form in this field. He won the Matheson Hurdle first time out at Leopardstown last season and in a short season was runner up in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and at Punchestown behind the best  hurdler around in Honeysuckle.  He seems too big a price to me in relation to his stable companion Echoes In Rain and is worth a bet today. 

SHARJAH 2 points win @ 7/2 Boylesports

 

Cheltenham 1.45

With Forza Milan entered on Saturday this looks likely to cut up to just 5 runners. A 3m 3m 71yds handicap chase, the favourite is likely to be Northern challenger Empire De Maulde who comes here in top:form and will be ridden by champion jockey elect Brian Hughes. He’s off of his highest ever handicap mark however and I prefer the chances of the habitual front runner Yala Enki under Bryony Frost. He ran a stormer on his re-appearance in this very race last season when a short head second to stayer Ramses De Teillee off of a one pound lower mark and I expect similar tactics to be employed here. 

YALA ENKI 2 points win @ 3/1 BetVictor

 

Cheltenham 2.20

A small but select field of four go to post for the grade 2 Shloer Chase with officially only 2lb covering the quartet. Paul Nicholls saddles two in Politologue, the 2020 Champion Chase winner who started last season by scooting up in the Tingle Creek. He’s had his wind tinkered with since we last saw him but he’s getting no younger at ten, rising eleven. Nicholls also saddles Rouge Vif whom he’s acquired from Harry Whittington and is another to have had his wind done. The Skelton’s run Nube Negra who ran a stormer in the Champion Chase over course and distance in March when going down by half a length to Put The Kettle On and must run well. Preference however has to be for the Henry De Bromhead trained Put The Kettle On who is unbeaten now in four starts at Cheltenham, a novice chase at this meeting, the Arkle, this race last year and the Champion Chase last season. The 7 year old mare is sure to be ready and although the race looks tight is the most likely winner to me. 

PUT THE KETTLE ON 3 points win @ 7/4 William Hill

 

Cheltenham 2.55

An ultra competitive 20 runner Greatwood Handicap Hurdle. Nicky Henderson has only had a handful of runners at the three day meeting but he has solid claims here with his No Ordinary Joe who looks well handicapped off of 133. He’s been trained for this and despite his lack of experience I expect him to be bang there at the finish under Nico  De Boinville. The weights are headed by one of last seasons top juveniles in Adagio but the weight maybe his downfall today. The Irish landed a gamble in this race last season with The Shunter and they field four today. Charlie Byrnes had a winner here on Friday and his Advanced Virgo appears to have been laid out for this so has my respect whilst Noel Meade’s recent Navan flat winner Jesse Evan’s has been a market mover in the past 48 hours and is also interesting. I do like the look of the Brian Ellison trained Cormier who ran well on his hurdling comeback when 4th beaten 6 1/2L by the re-opposing Glory And Fortune  at Ffos Las in the Welsh Champion Hurdle and is now 9lb better off at the weights. Ellison won this in 2018 with Nietzsche and he will form part of my staking plan along with No Ordinary Joe who will be my main bet. 

NO ORDINARY JOE 2 points each way @ 6/1 1/5^th 123456

CORMIER 1 point each way @ 14/1 1/5^th 123456

 

Fontwell 3.10

An open looking field of 9 assemble for the Southern National Handicap Chase which has a very open look about it this year. Total rag Ballyegan Hero is impossible to fancy but the remaining 8 all have chances of sorts. I’m going to take a chance on an outsider in the locally trained Rose Of Aghaboe who creeps in here off bottom weight of 10-3 with the useful conditional jockey Tabitha Worsley in the saddle. She should be teed up for this following a well beaten effort in the fog at Exeter 26 days ago for which she was dropped 2lb to 115 which is the mark she won off of at Warwick last February (only a three runner contest mind). She’s relatively lightly raced and with her jockey knowing her so well I’ll play here small each way in a very tight handicap. 

ROSE OF AGHABOE 1 point each way @ 20/1 1/5^th 123 Bet365

 

Cheltenham 3.30

Another small field of four this time assemble for the 2m 87yds Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices Hurdle. Warm favourite is the Nigel Twiston Davies trained I Like To Move It who will be hard to beat. He has to shoulder a 3lb penalty here for his course and distance win over Tritonic (runs in previous race) in the Masterson Holdings Hurdle at the last meeting and his trainer thinks he’s smart. Paul Nicholls saddles Sonigino who’s  a John Hales owned hurdler bought from France where he won twice. He’s hard to assess whilst Olly Murphy who has a fine team of novices this season brings his unbeaten gelding Washington here. A winner at Bangor on his hurdles debut he can chase the favourite home. 

I LIKE TO MOVE IT 3 points win @ 11/10 Bet365

 

Fontwell 3.43

Gary Moore has made a sensational start to the National Hunt season and he appears to have a very well handicapped horse on his hands in Natural History who’s rated 101 on the flat but has a hurdles market of only 125. He misses the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle to run here and he looks one of the days best bets. Top weight Quinta Do Mar is in good form and looks the biggest threat. 

NATURAL HISTORY 3 points win @ 7/4 Bet365

 

 

 

 

[fd1972uk]

Boobed  with my free bets from today from PP, it automatically uses your free bet allowance and I stupidly forgot to mark it off (done that a few times).

So my moneyback and mostly all free bet allowance lumped on Yala Enki, pp. 

Used sky moneyback offer on Empire De Maulde.

Cheltenham treble 18/1 on Empire de Maulde, put the kettle on and I like to move it. 

Freebet win on No ordinary Joe 7/1.

Going to look out another couple of bets. 

Edited November 14, 2021 by fd1972uk