Horses to follow this week away from the spotlight including Flowing Cadenza

By the time you’re reading this Monday morning I’ll be heading to that there London for the HWPA Awards Lunch. I wasn’t planning on going this year but then my fragrant and wonderful work partner Vicki got herself nominated for the Emerging Talent Award and so I’ll be going to give her some support on the day.

She makes herself outsider of the four nominated to win it, but odds aren’t her strong point - only her geography is worse, she’ll be doing well to find London, to be honest - so maybe she can cause an upset. I’ve told her if she wins, technically half of it is mine. Technically.

That means, of course, that I’ll not be racing early on this week, not even at Southwell. Missing a jumps fixture at Rolleston is basically sacrilege, and means I’ll have to have some form of re-initiation ceremony when I go back next week, possibly involving getting a round of Southwell Soup in. I was right last week; Leek & Potato the first winning jolly of the day on Tuesday. I was asked this week how long I can keep mentioning the soup and the answer is a simple one; until they stop serving it, which is usually March. So buckle up for more crouton-based adventures, consomme lovers.

Enough chat, let’s crack on and try and find a winner or two.

With Bowenspark blotting his copybook at Bangor last time, I think I’d rather be with As Legends Have It in the first at 12:52. The angle of a Ben Pauling hurdler going chasing is always one to be respected, and he should be spot on after two very solid runs this autumn. Callum Pritchard might just have done a bit too much too soon at Cheltenham last time, and that effort can be marked up a touch.

Livy’s Lad would look an obvious one in the next at 1:22, but if the price is right - and a visor goes back on, more pertinently - I could give Take Centre Stage a chance. He just needed that first run back at Newcastle after the best part of a year away from the track, weakening late after making most, and that should just put the edge on him for this. Won’t mind Monday’s rain either, having won in heavy ground last year.

Lennie Godber - the latest in a longish line of Porridge characters from the Twiston-Davies yard - looked head and shoulders above his rivals in the paddock at Huntingdon last time and was backed accordingly, sent off a well-backed favourite but was disappointing, pulling up before two out, seemingly with no excuses. He must be better than that, I feel, and it’ll be interesting to see if the money comes again for him in the lucky last.

On to Ludlow Wednesday, which if I’m in front work-wise, I might well go to. I do enjoy a visit to Ludlow, for all it’s a long way; an excellent course for viewing and they don’t charge a fortune for decent food and drink either. By far the most interesting horse on the whole card is Flowing Cadenza in the 1:20, from a family that, if you love your slowboats like I do, you’ll know well, Flowing Cadenza being a half-sister to the 2018 Midlands National winner Regal Flow. (2018? Seems like yesterday. I am so old.)

And that’s where I could see her ending up too, if things go well this season as she was going places once Venetia Williams took over the training from Bob Buckler back in 2022/23, but (I presume) injury has meant we haven’t seen her much as and as such, she’s thrown in here. Need to see the yard in better form, but she’s one to follow if they can keep her injury-free this year.

I ought to give Walkadina another chance in the Mares Handicap hurdle at 1:50 too, as I was keen on her chances at Cheltenham on her reappearance but she seemed not to stay the 2m5f trip there (replay below). Back to two miles today, I do worry that first time up was the time to catch her, but she ought to be capable of a bit better and this drop back in trip could be what she wants.

I’ll be heading to Sandown Thursday night in readiness for the Tingle Creek weekend, but I’m spoilt for choice beforehand; north to Rasen, or south to Leicester? To be honest, Rasen’s card looks very short on runners - 15 the most entered for any race, so as long as Leicester’s on - always a worry in the winter - I’ll probably head there.

Scottish King (1.00) is going to be a price due to his unfashionable trainer, Richard Armson, but there’s definitely a handicap chase in him based on his two efforts so far. That second to the rejuvenated Faitique De L’Isle at Uttoxeter in October is a cracking effort (third and fourth winners since) and he basically found the drop back to 2m4f against him last time, plugging on for an 11-length fourth. If he goes here, and the ground isn’t desperate on the chase course, he’ll be a bet.

I’ll throw in Cast’s Tasha in the next at 1:30, as she goes well fresh and trainer Ben Clarke knows what he’s doing (from me, that’s a massive compliment) and this might be the third run for Roland Garros in the 2:00, one you should already have on the tracker (update - goes at Southwell earlier in the week.) The hurdles-to-fences angle is always of interest with one of Laura Morgan’s, so keep Forsa Bay onside in the 2:00 and Urblereagh starts off on a mark of 90 in the lucky last at 3:30. So much entertainment on one card!

See you all at Sandown at the weekend.

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