John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Monday.
So Grateful knocking on the door
Sondad was a popular local winner of the Constantine Handicap for Mick and David Easterby at York on Saturday with their smart sprinter proving better than ever in winning his third good handicap of the summer under Joanna Mason.
Stablemate So Grateful isn’t in Sondad’s league but can give the same stable and jockey another sprint handicap success in the class 6 five-furlong contest at Musselburgh (16:15). Now aged eight, So Grateful has been a fine servant to the yard, winning six of his 67 races, with his most recent successes coming last year at Newcastle and Thirsk. He has now dropped to a lower mark than for either of those wins, and having been runner-up in his last three starts, he’s knocking on the door to win again.
In his last couple of starts he has gone very close in an apprentice race at Thirsk and an amateur riders’ contest at Yarmouth. He was partnered by the very experienced Serena Brotherton at Yarmouth, but a dropped whip at a crucial time might well have made the difference between victory and defeat as So Grateful went down by just a head to Luminous Wave, only just failing to make all. Joanna Mason gets the leg up on So Grateful for the first time this year, having ridden him to three wins at Southwell in his four-year-old season, and they look capable of renewing that successful partnership.
Loughnane an eye-catching booking
Tony Carroll added to his excellent record at Brighton with four winners at the track’s three-day festival earlier in the month, but the stable has been quieter since and even has the ‘Cold Trainer’ flag at present which would normally be a worry.
However, Carroll rarely leaves Brighton empty-handed and looks to have a good chance with River Wharfe in the mile handicap (16:30). River Wharfe has a good record at the track, winning six times at Brighton, and was one of his stable’s winners here earlier in the month when getting up under apprentice Molly Gunn for a short-head win in a classified stakes over today’s trip. He was then turned out under a penalty under the same rider 24 hours later for a similar event over seven furlongs and finished third but was carried across to the rail by the winner in the closing stages.
River Wharfe has been apprentice-ridden in all his races this year, his earlier win this season coming under Myla Coppins at Southwell in March, so it looks very significant that Billy Loughnane takes over in the saddle this time. Back in handicap company, River Wharfe comes out on top on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and looks capable of another course win.
Bunting goes chasing at Ballinrobe
Ballinrobe’s conditions chase features (19:00) some above-average jumpers in the line-up, though a couple of these were in action at Killarney on Saturday so it remains to be seen if all of them stand their ground. One who will set a good standard if he does is Cian Collins’ smart chaser Jazzy Matty who was beaten a nose at the Cheltenham Festival on his last start over fences when bidding to win the Grand Annual for the second year running. He had his stamina stretched over hurdles when returning from a four-month break on Saturday so this shorter trip will suit him better if he’s turned out again quickly.
However, the interesting runner here is Bunting making his debut over fences for ‘Hot Trainer’ Willie Mullins. Bunting is a useful dual-purpose performer for Tony Bloom who finished third in last season’s Cesarewitch and is entered in that race again, as well as in next month’s Irish Cesarewitch.
Bunting hasn’t won over jumps since making a successful debut over hurdles at Limerick on Boxing Day 2023, though he has been highly tried on occasions, failing to make an impact at any of the last three Cheltenham Festivals. On the other hand, he shaped as though back to something like his best when sixth in a listed handicap hurdle at the Galway Festival early this month, taking a strong hold in front and not quite lasting home over a longer trip. He earned the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag for that effort and might be worth a chance back down in distance on his chasing debut.
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