Friday, May 18, 2012

From the world's best racehorse to Bangor-On-Dee

At York on Wednesday The Fugue called the tune in the Musidora while a day later Dante winner Bonfire brought to mind Dante Alighieri's 14th century epic Inferno. Tomorrow Frankel, officially the best racehorse in the world, returns to action in Newbury's JLT Lockinge Stakes - a race for us all to savour (rather than bet on). It seems hardly plausible that four weeks ago his career was rumoured to be in serious doubt.

Having said that, I've been trying to find winners at Bangor... I still haven't quite recovered from not having taken an interest in an old favourite of mine, Hills Of Aran, who obliged at odds of 66/1 in the three mile handicap hurdle at Ludlow last night. So, the fallback plan was to have a good look at Sir Johnson on his hurdling debut at Aintree this evening but he's been taken out. As a colleague of mine regularly points out, 'racing, it's a game of regrets'.

Here's a couple of wagers I'm likely to regret...

Five of the eight runners in the novice chase (3.10) try regulation fences for the first time. Donald McCain's Golden Call is likely to be sent off favourite - his second to Ambion Wood at Perth reads well although the majority of his form in this country has been at three miles. Kauto Relko clearly posssess ability but didn't look the most reliable of jumpers when winning over course and distance last time while at least Kim Bailey's Mark Twain (by Rock Of Gibraltar!) has some reasonable chase form to his name, finishing third behind All For Free in a Class 3 handicap chase at Ludlow in December. Kim Bailey's charge isn't guaranteed to stay the trip; however, while Golden Call appears the percentage call, at the prices (6/1 in the tissue) I'm going to chance Mark Twain in a race where the favourite has only obliged once in the past seven renewals.

The same stable saddles up Mrs Peachey in the mares' bumper at 4.55 and she has the best form in the book but it's the newcomers that catch the eye. Nicky Henderson has entered Fabrika, Rebecca Curtis (50% strike rate with four wins from eight runs in the past fortnight) Gilded Article and Venetia Williams (31.58%  with six wins from 19 runs in the same timeframe) More Ballet Money. The Sporting Life Verdict makes a decent case for the latter-named, pointing out the mare is by Old Vic, cost £24,000 as a yearling and is the trainer's sole runner on the card; priced up at 14/1 in the tissue, I'll take an each-way interest in More Ballet Money.

Finally in the 4.20 I'll consider each-way terms about George Woolf who has had Richard Johnson in the plate for both his hurdle victories to date. The gelding ran no sort of race last time but is forgiven that run with Johnson back doing the steering - he has place claims at around the 14/1 mark. The good ground should suit and trainer Tim Vaughan boasts a strike rate of 26.09% in the past two weeks with six winners from 23 runners.

2 comments:

GeeDee said...

The weather took an unexpected turn for the worse which resulted in a number of non-runners on the card; the official going on the day was good to soft, soft in places.

Mark Twain was one of those withdrawn, with Golden Call (5/6f) collecting the spoils, although it's worth noting that on occasions he displayed a tendency to jump out right.

More Ballet Money (15/2) was held up but never looked like making up the ground, coming home fifth behind Mrs Peachey(15/2) who stayed on well to surprise odds-on chance Fabrika (4/6f) seven lengths.

Meanwhile George Woolf (16/1) lost his position at the sixth and came home a weary-lookng fifth, some 20 lengths behind winner Absinthe (6/5f).

Heri said...

Thanks for sharing this informative post! Horse racing is really so much enjoying moment. Last year when i had gone on trip with my family then I took it’s enjoy. I will always be missing those days.