Trackside Live: Horses to Follow

Angel Gabriel (Ralph Beckett)

November 8, Doncaster - Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Cock O'The North EBF Maiden Stakes

We’re clinging on to the Flat season by the time November Handicap rolls around, but there was still plenty to see at Doncaster with 124 runners across an eight-race card.

In the Cock O'The North EBF Maiden Stakes, it was going to be a big ask for debutants to make an impact on the heavy ground and the second division yielded an eye-catching one-two – Karl Burke’s I’ll Be Back and the Ralph Beckett-trained Angel Gabriel.

It was Beckett’s colt who appealed for the purposes of the column. He started slowly, became outpaced at the half-way stage before showing a good turn of foot on the near-side rail. For a few strides, it appeared the colt might pass the more polished I’ll Be Back, but he struggled to find the extra required and finished one length behind.

Out of the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes winning mare Nahoodh, Angel Gabriel was a late April foal, not overly big and fit the easy ‘one for next year’ tag once he’s had more time to fill out and develop. Breeding would suggest heavy ground wasn’t his thing – half siblings Etes Vous Prets and Hawkesbury were Black Type winners in Japan and Abu Dhabi, a far cry from the Town Moor mud. Vicki Gibbins

Carlenrig (Dan Skelton)

November 5, Chepstow - Heckler And Koch No Compromise Maiden Hurdle 2m3½f

Whilst Vicki desperately clings onto what’s left of the Flat season, screaming and kicking as it’s taken away from her, I’ve been throwing myself with abandon into the jumps and with four maiden/novice races on the card at Chepstow I felt it was worth the journey down. It didn’t disappoint, with a whole raft of horses you could take from the day.

Carlenrig was paddock pick for the first. Attractive to look at, with size and scope but physique as well, he travellled like a dream into the race having been held up out the back for the first half, and looked a real threat to favourite Rocking Man with three to jump. Harry Skelton never really asked him for maximum effort though, preferring to give Carlenrig a considerate introduction in finishing second, but the pair pulled well clear of anything else and the form ought to work out well. There are winners in the family and on this, I’d say he’ll stay three miles in time, as his pedigree suggests it should. Looks nailed-on for something similar and he’ll keep progressing as the season goes on. David Massey

Good For You (Jane Williams)

November 5, Chepstow - Angela Nettlefold Memorial National Hunt Maiden Hurdle 2m

It would have been easy to put another Skelton inmate up here in the shape of Double Target, but instead I’ll go with Good For You, who hasn’t hit the heights his pedigree might suggest as yet, but looked more for now than a few of these pre-race and I think, with his under his belt, could be one to have a look at once he goes handicapping.

Physically not as imposing as some here (we got back to Double Target for that) but was athletic and well put together, he got himself quite warm in the paddock and on his toes, neither of which was that endearing, but ran a race of some promise, not able to go with the leaders from two out but far from knocked about in the process. Hopefully he’ll learn to settle better, which can only help his cause, but he’s one to keep an eye on once he steps into handicaps. Two miles and good/good to soft ground should be fine. David Massey

Jet Joe (Katy Price)

November 5, Chepstow - Angela Nettlefold Memorial National Hunt Maiden Hurdle 2m

Katy Price is a trainer I have plenty of respect for, she brings her horses along with patience and time, and that might pay dividends with Jet Joe at some point later this year.

He grew on me in the paddock, perhaps done no favours initially by walking in front of the giant Tennessee Tango in the pre-parade, who made most of them look small by comparison, but once out on his own in the parade ring it was clear he had some size to him, solidly built, and was easy on the eye.

He was green here, a bit clueless as to what it was all about, but I spotted him finishing off nicely enough back in the ruck and made a little note to put him in the tracker. He’ll want a lot further than this in time, dam Hollow Park (also trained by Katy) stayed all day, for all she was no star, and I think that’s going to be the case with Jet Joe too.

He goes into the tracker, to be revisited once he has a mark and more of a trip. David Massey

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