Racing Chat - Saturday 2nd March

[The Brigadier]

Newbury 1.20

The first of nine races covered by ITV today is the 3M 2F veterans handicap chase with nine horses going to post. The race has an open look about it and it maybe worth chancing last year’s winner Cyclop from the David Dennis stable. He’s two from three here and although he’s hard to fancy on his last three starts when he’s been well beaten he has dropped 9lb in the weights for that run of bad runs. He’s now 7lb lower than his win last year so is without doubt well handicapped and in the hope the track may spark him back to form is worth a speculative each way bet.

 

CYCLOP 1 point each way @ 20/1 bet365 1/5 123

 

Kelso 1.42

A competitive class 2 handicap hurdle is next run over 2M 4F and 189 yards with nine horses lining up. Many can be given chances with the one that stands out to me being the Nicky Richards trained The Kalooki Kid in his first handicap. A winner of novice hurdles at Musselburgh and Newcastle this season he certainly wasn’t disgraced when fourth of five in the Grade 2 Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster in January won by Nicky Henderson’s Jeriko Du Reponet. The second and third, Lump Sum and Fiercely Proud have since finished first and second in the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton to frank that form. The Kalooki Kid has been allotted 124 for this handicap which may be lenient and is worth backing here.

 

THE KALOOKI KID 1 point each way @ 11/2 bet365 1/5th 123

 

Newbury 1.55

Just nine go to post for the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase run over 2M 3F and 187 yards. Paul Nicholls has an excellent record in the race over the years and his representative Kandoo Kid, who may not have stayed 3M last time, has to be respected. I’ll take him on mind with Ryan Potter’s top weight Jetoile who brings some good pieces of form to the table. A good winner of the Old Roan Handicap Chase at Aintree on his re-appearance he wasn’t totally disgraced when fourth of 13 in a Premier Handicap won by GA Law at Cheltenham in January. Dropped a pound for that run he can give weight all round with the booking of one of the best conditional jockeys around Dylan Johnston a positive one with his 5lb claim a bonus.

 

JETOILE 1 point each way @ 10/1 bet365 1/5th 123

 

Kelso 2.17

The Grade 2 bet365 Premier Novices’ Hurdle has attracted a dozen promising hurdlers with Nicky Henderson’s Jango Baie bringing the best form to the table with his Grade 1 victory at Aintree on Boxing Day. He does have to shoulder a 5lb penalty mind and a horse who was very impressive here last time out over a two furlong shorter trip is Anthony Charlton’s Alnilam. He coasted through the race and won easily by 13L. This is obviously tougher but his connections were taking him up afterwards and he can step forward again and take this with Bradley Harris despite the fact he can’t claim his 3lb here.

 

ALNILAM 1 point each way @ 13/2 William Hill 1/5th 1234

 

Doncaster 2.35

Seven chasers go to post for this 2M 78 yard class 2 handicap chase which has an open look to it. Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero’s seven year old Homme Public appears to have as good a chance as any having won his first two starts over fences at Wetherby and Cheltenham last autumn. He’s not been seen since running a respectable 3 1/4L second to Persian Time at Ascot just before Christmas and remains with plenty of scope for the chasing game. Regular rider Henry Brooke rides and he looks sure to be thereabouts.

 

HOMME PUBLIC 1 point win @ 3/1 William Hill

 

Kelso 2.50

The day’s big betting handicap is the bet365 Moorebattle Handicap Hurdle run over the minimum trip of two miles. A maximum field of eighteen have declared for tis valuable £120,000 prize with southern raider Under Control the standout horse. Trained at Seven Barrows by Nicky Henderson she comes here having split two useful Willie Mullins mares in a Grade 2 mares hurdle at Doncaster in the shape of Ashroe Diamond and Gala Marceau. The handicapper could easily have reacted by raising her 7lb or more but only put her up one pound. She’s the favourite here and bids to win this before going to Cheltenham where she has three entries, the County Hurdle, Mares Hurdle and Champion Hurdle. She is the one horse in the race who is maybe capable of taking the field apart and is a strong fancy despite the numbers even if the Henderson stable could be in better form.

 

UNDER CONTROL 1 point win @ 7/2 William Hill

 

Doncaster 3.10

The 3M 84 yard listed mares novices’ hurdle is up next and has attracted a field of eleven. The best in at the weights is James Moffatt’s Lunar Discovery and it would be great to see him and his jockey Charlotte Jones take a race of this nature. They should run well but preference is for Tom Symonds’s Gaye Legacy who’s a consistent staying hurdler who’s stepping out of handicap company here. She’s hit the frame on all five of her starts this season with her latest effort coming at Newbury when winning a sixteen runner 3M handicap hurdle. Ben Poste is her regular rider and is on board the bay mare today.

 

GAYE LEGACY 1 point each way @ 5/1 bet365 1/5th 123

 

Kelso 3.25

Just seven go to post for the 2M 7F 96 yard bet365 Premier Chase with Jonjo O’Neill’s Monbeg Genius teeing up for the Grand National for which he is one of the market leaders. Last seen when third in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury back in December he looks sure to run well even if he does come third on official ratings behind Minella Drama who’s not firing at the moment and Aye Right who looks a big danger to the pick. Jonjo O’Neill Junior takes the ride.

 

MONBEG GENIUS 1 point win @ 7/4 bet365

 

Doncaster 3.40

A good sized field of thirteen face the judge for the Grimthorpe Handicap Chase run over 3M 2F and 1 yard. Richard Hobson’s Some Scope looks the one to beat but he won’t enjoy slowish ground and is worth taking on for that reason alone. One horse who has a good record here which reads 1U2 is Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Undersupervision who was just touched off in this very race a year ago by Moroder. He’s now 2lb higher and we also have to take a chance that he’s in the same form as last year as he’s pulled up on three of his four starts since although he did show up well when third in a amateur jockeys handicap chase at Cheltenham in November. He’s not the most genuine of horses but has ability and is worth chancing each way.

 

UNDERSUPERVISION 1 point each way @ 6/1 bet365 1/5th 123

 

 

[White Feather]

Cannock Park 10/1 WH - 14:17 Kelso - 4 places

Rewired 14/1 WH - 14:50 Kelso - 6 places

2 x singles - each way double.