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Northern racing round-up: Lewis Tomlinson on what's coming up and his horses to follow this week

By Lewis Tomlinson

Horse Racing

Thu February 06, 2025 · 1M ago

Timeform's Lewis Tomlinson has Aintree on his mind for one horse after last weekend's racing before he looks ahead to what's coming up on the northern scene.

It’s a real stroke of luck that we had the likes of Galopin Des Champs, Kopek Des Bordes or Final Demand to perk me back up this weekend because my head was still on Mars come Saturday morning.

Thursday night. Timeform Darts Championship debut. Most important night of the year. Long slog, almost midnight. Six darts for big money missed in the final. Started sulking. Beaten in a tie-break leg by Jimmy The Punt. Heartbreak not seen since Goshen’s Triumph.

Well done Jimrod. I hope you enjoy your £35. Don’t spend it all on 8,000/1 keeper card trixies at once!

WHAT’S HAPPENED

Scottish Cheltenham Trials’ Weekend is perhaps named more so in theory rather than in practice, but Musselburgh’s two-day meet is amongst the better pre-Festival cards in the North, with the headline Scottish Champion Chase attracting a competitive weekend.

I was positive about the chances of SAINT SEGAL in last week’s column heading into that contest and he ran another fine race from the front, again making fewer mistakes under tactics that allow him little chance to think about things, but as feared, he proved no match for an upwardly-mobile sort in THE KALOOKI KID. The winner has quickly developed into one of the most likeable novices in the North, more than holding his own against experienced chasers with another flawless round of jumping. Nicky Richards is often happy to keep his better youngsters in the North rather than head towards Cheltenham and I’d be particularly keen to see this lad have a crack at the Topham at the end of the season, his strong-travelling style and aforementioned nimble jumping looking tailor-made for the demands of Aintree.

The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup | Festival Focus Episode 1

Perhaps the likeliest of the Musselburgh winners to make an impact at the Festival is INTENSE APPROACH, who booked his ticket to an open-looking Albert Bartlett by notching his fourth win of the campaign in the Scottish Stayers’ Hurdle. It’s a tried-and-tested route by connections – their Bardenstown Lad won this before reaching third at Cheltenham in 2022 - and with current market leaders The Yellow Clay and Final Demand remaining under strong consideration for the Turners, it’s easy enough to envisage the declared field for the Spud Race lacking a real stand-out on the day. Whether there’ll be a handful too classy for John McConnell’s gelding remains to be seen, but he’s battle-hardened enough to be confident the Bartlett won’t prove a culture shock and stamina is clearly his strong suit - it’s never the worst race to have a bit of a swing at in any case.

Intense Approach didn’t produce the only useful performance from a novice at the meeting; CLOONAINRA was only a half-length from landing the Rossington Main the previous month but was given an 11-length beating by TRIPOLI FLYER in the Scottish Supreme on Sunday, form which would more than entitle Fergal O’Brien’s gelding a crack at the Cheltenham equivalent and though for all the strong gallop of the Supreme should play to the strengths of this fluent-moving type, a best price of 40/1 is a fair indication of the step forward he’ll need to take to mix it with the likes of Kopek Des Bordes.

Veteran MAGNA SAM carried bottom-weight to victory to repeat his 2023 success in the Edinburgh National, though it’s perhaps fourth-placed ANGLERS CRAG who’ll make most appeal next time. The Brian Ellison-trained gelding has edged back down the weights and seemed to pay the price late on having made rapid headway into contention from rear; all in all, an encouraging prep for a defence of his Eider title.

The preceding Frodon Novices’ Chase perhaps wasn’t quite as informative as it may have looked on paper, a furious gallop set by ASTA LA PASTA rather blowing the race apart. The Skelton-trained favourite couldn’t sustain such aggressive tactics, though, rather setting the race up for another raider from a leading Southern yard in INSURRECTION, who returned to the form that saw him finish a close second to Springwell Bay on chase debut.

It was good to see James Ewart on the scoresheet at one of Scotland’s biggest meetings, THISTLE ASK producing an accurate round of jumping to make all in the 2m handicap chase, whilst, shock horror, Harry Derham has improved another hurdler; PYFFO producing a career-best effort and confirming form with BUGISE SEAGULL to land the Pertemps Qualifier.

Unfortunately, there was a really sad post-script to the weekend’s Musselburgh action with the loss of BOOMSLANG. Rebecca Menzies’ chaser had proved himself one of the biggest success stories in the North this season but reportedly suffered a serious injury after the post, having finished a short-head second in the 3m handicap chase. Gutting.

The Patrick Mullins UK Tour took another pitstop at Carlisle, with MORE COKO landing odds of 1-5 take his record to 3-3, though the riding performance of the day surely came from Gavin Sheehan aboard GOLDEN MAVERICK. Jamie Snowden’s five-year-old came off the bridle before halfway and still had every rival to pass entering the straight but produced a power-packed finish up the run-in to cut down HAARAR. Eight wins from 24 career starts represents a fine strike rate for one so quirky.

I’d also give a mention to DEMOISELLE KAP, who made a successful debut for Jennie Candlish in Sedgefield’s concluding mares’ handicap on Wednesday. Whilst it’d be hard to argue there was much depth to the contest, it was hard to not be impressed by the comfortable manner of her success and she should remain well handicapped given the pick of her French form for Sophie Leech. She’s another for the My Stable tracker.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING?

It’s another quiet week in this part of the world.

Bangor host their North Wales National card on Friday ahead of blank weekend of Northern action.

Catterick’s Monday card is given a bit of a boost by the presence of LAVENDER HILL MOB. James Owen notoriously claimed earlier in the season that this lad was “better than East India Dock,” and though he’s still a long way from justifying that assessment, it’d surely be disappointing if he couldn’t defy an opening mark of 121.

I’d also be interested to see the prices of a couple entered at Ayr on Tuesday; Lucinda Russell’s hat-trick seeking WALK ON QUEST promises to benefit from the return to 2½m and should go close to maintaining his unbeaten start over fences in their 2.10 handicap chase, though I’ve also been positive about Martin Todhunter’s TOMMY COMBATS in this column and he’s another young chaser I think we’re yet to see best of.

Formerly trained by Christian Williams, MONTYS SOLDIER makes his debut for Stuart Coltherd in the 4.20 and he’s another I’ll be keeping an eye on the price of – an Irish point winner, he chased home a rival that went on to follow up on chase debut and a real test of stamina at 3m looks right up his street. Still unexposed in handicaps, he’s another I’m hoping will prove a backable price after declarations.