Trackside Live: Horses to Follow from Sandown and Huntingdon

Kaldoun Des Rocs (Dan Skelton)

December 5, Sandown - Introductory Juvenile Hurdle

A good-looking lot for the 3yo Hurdle, and there are a few you can take forward, including the impressive winner Macktoad. I rather liked King Al in the pre-parade ring, quite an un-Alan King like sort (he tends to like them on the compact side) and he ought to be up to winning a race or two, but it’s Kaldoun Des Rocs I’ll be taking forward from this with something better in mind.

A really imposing sort that looked a bit more forward than a few physically, he tanked his way around at the rear but couldn’t quite pick his feet up out the ground when asked, and merely plugged on for third. He wasn’t best positioned the way this panned out, but he’s definitely one to bear in mind come the spring, as better ground might suit him too.

Java Point (Lemos De Souza)

December 5, Sandown - Betfair Handicap Chase

It was pretty clear, once the rugs came off, that Java Point would be needing his first outing for Lemos De Souza after a 233-day break and for much of the contest it looked very much that way, Java Point looking more likely to tail off once the race developed in anger but to his credit he stuck on well up the hill and would have grabbed fourth in another stride.

Sandown is a track he acts well at and on this the engine appears still to be there, so he’s one to keep in mind back here in the New Year as he’s on a mark he can now win off. Should strip a lot fitter next time.

Soldier Reeves (Dan Skelton)

December 6, Sandown - Betfair Exchange Claremont Novices' Hurdle

We’ve been really taken by Soldier Reeves in two sightings this season and he feels like a gelding who could fall under the radar on his next few outings.

Tall and angular, the son of Soldier Of Fortune is a horse who is going to improve mentally over the next few months and it’s where the paddock becomes key. He’s been keen, both at Cheltenham and Sandown, in the early preliminaries but has settled to the task once he’s had a few introductory circuits round the parade ring - indicating that there’s a level of inexperience that could be negated as the season goes on.

He’s still making mistakes when over his hurdles which also buys further room for improvement - this is a horse who is potentially only running at 60-70% of his capabilities, if all aspects are fine-tuned.

Sense Of Reason (Charlie Fellowes)

December 7, Huntingdon - Sky Bet Super Sub Novices' Hurdle

It was a double-take moment when walking past Charlie Fellowes at Huntingdon as it wouldn’t be his usual stomping ground, but the team appear to have a smart hurdling prospect in the shape of Sense Of Reason.

Focus was elsewhere in a potentially hot novices’ hurdle with Ambiente Friendly and Wondering Why battling out the finish, but Sense Of Reason’s useful fourth at 66/1 needs to be included in the notebook. He’s a typical Flat-bred: small, muscular and looked a little like a lost Paddington Bear in multiple rugs that dwarfed him.

Ridden by Tom Cannon, the son of Iffraaj took keen hold in the early stages and went to make a challenge with two to jump, becoming outpaced when making a mistake at the last. The staying-on Eastern Shores stole third on the run-in but it was a credible performance all-in for a hurdle debutante - he’s very capable of winning a race and might shape into a useful performer.

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