Fun’s over, boys and girls.
Back to the bread-and-butter stuff until Aintree now. Something’s happening at Doncaster at the end of the month, apparently, but if that was on in my own back garden I think I’d close the curtains. With the Dubai World Cup now looking a less likely option for my work partner Vicki, she can go and look at the little two year olds, and I’ll head off to Uttoxeter that day. Everybody’s happy!
This week kicks off with Plumpton and Ffos Las and between them they can’t muster a double-figure field. Which is a shame, but it is what it is.
At Plumpton, Park Annonciade is one to keep an eye on in the 14:45. A useful hurdler for Stuart Crawford a few seasons back, he looked like he'd lost his way a bit but a return to better ground saw him put in a better effort in a 0-120 at Ludlow last time, only beaten a length and a half. This is a drop in class, and the question to ask is whether he’s going to be fit, having not been seen since that Ludlow run in December. He’s presumably been waiting for better ground, but is handicapped to win one soon; it could be here.
Another I have an eye on is Ephyra in the 16:45. She wasn’t up to much on the Flat for David Menusier but a couple of her efforts whilst getting a mark hinted at some ability, and for all she only beat one home on her handicap debut here in January, she was only beaten 4½ lengths and ran with some promise. Going up in trip and better ground might both help, and the handicapper has dropped her 3lb for it, which is pretty generous.
Over at Ffos Las, Man Maid looks worth an investment now she goes up in trip in the opener at 14:30. She caught the eye in a big way at Chepstow in January, running a very solid race to be fourth to Charisma Cat, not beaten that far and well clear of the rest. Essentially, two miles around Wincanton last time was too sharp for her, and she was coming under pressure when falling, but this 2m4f should suit on breeding, the dam a winner at 3¼ miles over fences, and Callum Pritchard taking over from an amateur is no bad thing either.
I’ll be at Wetherby on Tuesday and I have a bit of a quandary, as two horses that are both on the Away From The Spotlight watching list meet in the 15:12.
Sweeper System is the first. Sam Allwood’s six-year-old had shown a bit of ability in novice hurdles, more than a bit, in fact, and looked of great interest on handicap debut here at Wetherby in January but he ran poorly and was pulled up. I can’t give up on him that easily - look how that Southwell third the time before is working out, the winner, fourth, fifth and sixth all winners since - and maybe better ground here will help (Timeform called it heavy at Wetherby).
The other is column favourite Roland Garros, who nailed the each-way money again at Southwell last time, finishing second at 25/1, and although the handicapper hasn’t been overly generous with a mark of 95, it isn’t awful. Let’s see what the market says on the day, and how they look in the paddock.
Exeter has plenty of runners and one that’s on the watching list is Dessie Haze in the 14:20. Fourth over this C&D last March in a novice hurdle that’s thrown up winners since, his opening mark of 91 looked workable and a close fourth at Ffos Las on handicap debut last May confirmed that; however, he wasn't seen out again until Chepstow in January where he badly needed the run (I was there that day) and he should strip fitter for that. Like all the family, he probably needs time too, so he’s not to be written off just yet.
I’ve had to concede defeat with Arctic Stream, she just doesn’t look like she fancies it, so that's her cue to win the 16:05 on the bridle; instead I’ll give Steal The Moves another go, he ought to have won at Leicester last time but got worn down late. Raised 2lb for that, but still looks fairly treated.
I thought I was going to Southwell on Wednesday but it turns out it’s another phantom fixture - there’s a few of these in the racing diaries - and so the choices are stay at home, or go to Huntingdon. I have a feeling it’ll be the former, as the grass needs its first cut of the year, and an afternoon sat on my backside makes a lot of appeal after last week (58000 steps according to the app, felt like a lot more.)
We’ll be just the quick side of good at Huntingdon if the forecast is correct, and that leads me to Mahler Moon in the novice handicap chase at 14:45. He’s only got his head in front once, but his autumn chase form reads pretty well and makes him look nicely handicapped here. He’s had a break since a pulled-up effort at Newbury in January on ground that was slow enough, and this is an easier contest. I can see him bouncing back.
Walk The Plank, in the 16:45, is the sort of horse that my good friend and work partner Mr Rory Delargy calls a “Massey Special”, which is usually a euphemism for something with little to no ability, but he’ll be getting a small swing of the bat in what is likely to be a frankly poor contest. Pulled-up on three of his last four runs, the argument for having a few quid lies on his fifth over this C&D in December, where held a squeak with two to jump before weakening out of it.
That was a 0-100, as this is, but seven of the ten runners were rated 90+, and you’ll be lucky to get two such rated horses here, so this is actually easier. He traded a tenth of his in-running price that day and maybe that’s the way to get a few quid out of him again, but as ever, if the price is right...
Couple worth a mention on Thursday. Gifted Angel is pretty ground-dependant, good ground brings out the best in him, and whilst he’s in at both Ludlow and Sedgefield I think it’ll be Shropshire that Jack Jones's gelding heads to. He dropped a big hint with a staying-on fourth at Warwick last time and having been a Kempton NH winner in the past, Ludlow ought to suit him well.
And let's see what Andrew Hamilton can do with Lennie Godber at Sedgefield, where he’s entered in a weak 0-95 at 14:40; paddock pick at both Southwell and Huntingdon, where he went off 11/4 and 9/4 respectively but ran poorly, the Twiston-Davies's have pulled stumps, but if his new yard can find the issue, he might yet get competitive. Definitely one to watch.
Published 09:12 GMT on 16/03/26
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