After a flurry of recent winners including Shoeshine Boy (11/2), Big Zouk (11/8), Matiwo (15/8) and Top Target (7/2), David Massey guides us throug the week ahead.
There’s some good racing coming up at the weekend, with Trials Day at Cheltenham now on the horizon and I’m expecting some bigger fields after the cold snap, which seems to have been the case in the past week or so. Amazing, isn’t it - less racing one week has resulted in bigger fields the week after! Who could possibly have seen that coming, eh?
Anyway, I digress. I’ve not been out much recently so am looking forward to getting out on the road again, but for this week it’s slim pickings on the jumps front, with all-weather racing taking the lion’s share of the cards. That means three visits to Southwell for me this week and also, with racing on consecutive days, Thursday and Friday, the old add-an-ingredient-to-the-soup trick to pass it off as something different. Expect leek and potato Thursday and winter vegetable on the Friday.
We'll cover Monday’s Lingfield card on the Punting Pointers this morning - I’m fully expecting us to be putting My Silver Lining up for the Surrey National, and if not I’ll be having words with Delargy, as I think she’s starting to get back to something like her best form, and I was very taken with the way she finished off at Haydock last time, strong from the back of the last, really putting her head down, and although she had no chance against the fast-improving Grand Geste, she was clearly best of the rest. The handicapper has left her alone, and I reckon she has to go close here.
I’ve just found “one of those” on the tracker that I know Delargy won’t like, so I’d better mention Arctic Stream in the 15:50 as I know we’ll not be making that a joint bet. From a family both slow and in need of time, I spotted her making late ground up at Chepstow (this time last year, funnily enough, I’ll be at that meeting again next week) and thought she might have a race in her, but she gave up the ghost too quickly on her only other start eight months later and she’s clearly not straightforward. On go some cheekpieces, and it is still early days - offer me some 33s and I’ll be throwing a couple of quid her way.
It’s Leicester on Tuesday - I won’t be going, as stated it’ll be Southwell for me - and in truth I don’t think I’m missing a lot punting-wise. I want to take Tigers Moon on in the 15:02, he’s been well placed to win two of his last three but the horses he’s been beating have hardly advertised the form, and similarly when beaten at odds-on between those runs at Fontwell, that’s hardly worked out either, so a 10lb rise for that latest win looks plenty.
I’ll try Razzle Dazzle Boy, who always impresses in the paddock and is doing nothing wrong at present, having had his pocket picked by Another Fine Mess at Chepstow last time. He’s got a lot of weight to carry here but he’s built for it, and this slightly easier race can see him home in front.
Surely there’s a race in Kapamazov (15:32) for Laura Morgan and the booking of Danny McMenamin catches the eye; an extra couple of furlongs looks a positive too. Might have to have a saver on Nine Nine Nine, who isn’t the most consistent but saves his best efforts for Leicester, his C&D record reading 13322, they look the pair to concentrate on, with Hall Lane, having a first start for Fergal O’Brien, likely to need the run after more than a year off.
Just keep an eye on Pearl Smoke in the last at 16:02, who hasn’t shown a lot so far but has looked a handicap project from the outset and has been crying out for a step up in trip, from a family of out-and-out stayers (that include Captain Cattistock and Bretney, to name a couple). If this turns into a stamina test, which it has the potential to do, she could come into her own, and could do a lot better on her handicap debut.
There’s even less on Wednesday at Catterick at this stage, as far as a bet goes. Useful Flat horse Two Brothers makes his handicap debut after just the two runs over hurdles for the Easterby’s in the 2:20 and a mark of 110 looks very workable on Flat form.
He’ll not mind soft ground either, which looks likely, and the bigger question is whether he’ll get the trip, twelve furlongs seemingly as far as he wants to go in that sphere. Worth a small bet. Elsewhere, I’ve one eye on winning pointer Whispering Dancer in the handicap chase at 14:50; that wasn’t a terrible effort at Ayr after a year off last time, he plugged on to be beaten fifteen lengths and after just a handful of starts, is open to improvement.
Huntingdon on Thursday has a bit more interest as regards horses for the future, and heading up my list is Hans Lippershey (12:58), who I liked on looks when fourth in a Cheltenham bumper in October. He’s not done a lot wrong since, two solid efforts in races won by (very) good horses in Glance At Midnight and Klub De Reve. He needs this for a mark and I expect him to be going up in trip (family stay well), so get him in your trackers and see how he performs here. He’s also in at Wetherby, but I’d say more likely to go here.
Connections appear to have pulled stumps with Gold For Alec (14.40) as a chasing project and that’s probably the right thing to do, he hasn’t enjoyed himself at all in either of his last two starts but a return to hurdles could see him bounce back to form, and he dotted up from a 7lb lower mark in this last year. His Cheltenham third on his reappearance back in October told us the engine was still very much intact, and with some iffy-looking form figures now, he could be a decent price.
My long-term fancy for the Pertemps Final, Long Draw, goes in another qualifier at 15:15 (you do know he’s already qualified, Olly, yes?) after missing Windsor at the weekend; I wish I was going so I can see how fit he is, but there’s still some 33s around for the Final in March and for all the handicaps are crap-shoots at present, I do think there’s potential for him to shorten up between now and the big day.
Over at Wetherby, Sweeper System (14:30) was a big eyecatcher both in the paddock and the race at Southwell last time, and my fiver each-way was well spent, Sweeper System rocking in third at massive odds. He’ll appreciate a step up in trip on his handicap debut here (only beaten half a length in a point to point last year) and although a mark of 99 is no gimme, he’s open to tons of improvement.
Warwick on Friday is a good little fixture too. If Bel Ombre runs again under a penalty in the 3.12 he’ll probably win, but if he doesn't show his face, keep an eye on Midnight View, who is one that’s on my tracker. I was really taken with him physically when fifth in a novice hurdle here last year and whilst he’s taken his time to find form over hurdles, it was better when fourth at Windsor last time, only weakening late on. The second dotted up at Ffos Las next time and the form looks okay, and after probably being handicapped too high initially, he’s dropped 9lb and now looks more realistically treated.
See you at Cheltenham, and then I’m very much on the road next week. Have a good week!
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