John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Tuesday.
Columbo still looks on a good mark
The likes of Nicky Henderson, Joe Tizzard, Harry Fry, Anthony Honeyball and Jamie Snowden all have runners in Taunton’s novices’ handicap chase (13:50) but the representatives of the bigger yards might find Fat Faced Columbo hard to beat further down the weights.
The five-year-old is one of just two horses sent out so far this season by local Somerset trainer Richard Mitford-Slade. Runner-up in his completed start in Irish points, Fat Faced Columbo had just the two runs over hurdles last term, beaten a good way both times but making the frame in both those starts at Ffos Las which qualified him for a handicap mark. He reappeared this season in a three-mile novices’ handicap chase at Exeter last month and looked ahead of his opening mark, deserving plenty of credit for pulling clear with another chasing debutant and only going down by a short head to Special John.
Fat Faced Columbo earned the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag for that effort, and while he has been raised 6 lb since, he is open to improvement and still looks on a good mark, heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings. Also, the Exeter form has been boosted since with the winner following up at Wincanton.
St Irene can give Nick Scholfield his biggest win as a trainer
Nick Scholfield retired from race riding after taking part in the Grand National in April, a race in which he had twice made the frame in a professional riding career which spanned 19 years. Among his 670 winners over jumps in Britain were four Grade 1 wins, including a Fighting Fifth Hurdle on Irving for Paul Nicholls, three Cheltenham Festival handicap wins and the 2023 Betfair Hurdle aboard Aucunrisque.
Scholfield has now taken up training from a base in Lambourn and already has three winners on the board since sending out his first runners at the beginning of last month. His first winner was St Irene who landed the odds in a mares’ maiden hurdle at Wincanton and the same mare heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings in the listed Byerley Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Taunton (14:20).
St Irene was trained by Ben Brookhouse in bumpers last season, winning on her debut at Southwell and later finishing third in a listed race for mares at Huntingdon. She made a promising start to her hurdling career for her new trainer when second at Newbury and while she didn’t need to show the same form to go one better in a weaker race at Wincanton, she did impress with her jumping as she made all the running to win by 13 lengths. She’s one of several in the field open to improvement and can follow up.
Course winner Egbert to put best foot forward for new yard
2023 Grand National runner-up Vanillier brings a touch of class to Haydock’s Last Fling Handicap Chase (15:05), carrying 12-1 and racing from a BHA mark of 146, but he didn’t go with much enthusiasm back at Aintree in the spring and has been doing most of his racing lately in the cross-country discipline.
Others make more appeal therefore, notably Egbert, who is not the most straightforward of individuals, admittedly, but makes appeal if on one of his going days. Formerly with Alan King, he has the ‘Horses For Courses’ flag as he gained his latest win just over a year ago at Haydock in the Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase. Typically racing lazily, he looked held on the home turn but rallied in the straight and ended up well on top at the finish.
Only 3 lb higher now, Egbert hasn’t run since pulling up in the Midlands Grand National in March, but he has won first time out in the past, and he has joined Christian Williams since last season whose yard is going well with three winners from its last four runners.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.