John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Hurdles debut for half-brother to Jonbon and Douvan
Newbury’s maiden hurdle (13:40) looks like a contest that will throw up plenty of winners this season, possibly some very good ones, with all bar one of the dozen runners making their hurdling debuts. Several of these have been successful in bumpers, including Caballero Cliff, who fared best of the British when fourth in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, and Captain Hugo who looked one to follow over jumps when comfortably winning at Worcester in May for Philip Hobbs & Johnson White.
But this also sees the hurdling debut of Wilstar, a €250,000 store purchase as a three-year-old who has plenty to live up to on pedigree, being a half-brother to that top-class pair Jonbon and Douvan. All the rage for his debut for Olly Murphy at Warwick last March, he shaped with plenty of encouragement when third and duly improved on that when part of his stable’s bonanza at the Perth Festival the following month.
With Murphy having the ‘Hot Trainer’ flag, Wilstar shades preference over Captain Hugo with greater substance to his bumper form and he can make a successful debut over hurdles here, just like Jonbon did himself at this track nearly four years ago.
Return of Mares’ Chase contender Spindleberry
Dinoblue is currently ante-post favourite to retain her title in the Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for Willie Mullins, but stablemate Spindleberry is prominent in the betting too and could well advance her claims this season, beginning with her return in the listed T. A. Morris Memorial Mares Chase (14:22) at Clonmel.
Still lightly raced under Rules, Spindleberry took really well to fences last season when winning all three of her starts over the larger obstacles. She landed the odds against other mares in her first two starts at Cork and Fairyhouse, on the latter occasion comfortably getting the better of Bioluminescence in a listed novice. Gavin Cromwell’s mare takes her on again here on much better terms and looks her main danger, though Spindleberry’s last run last term suggests she’ll take all the beating again.
That came against mostly male rivals in the Grade 1 Willowwarm Gold Cup back at Fairyhouse in April, a novice contest her stable had previously won with the likes of Al Boum Photo and Galopin des Champs. Spindleberry may not be a future Gold Cup winner like them but she put up a smart performance even so, quickening to lead between the last two fences and well on top at the line from Firefox and stablemate Champ Kiely, a Grade 1 winner at the Punchestown Festival nine days later. This looks a good opportunity on her return before her sights are raised again.
Eye-catching jockey booking for chasing debutant Fat Harry
Most of the runners in Sedgefield’s novices’ handicap chase (14:30) are having their first start over fences and the most interesting of those is Fat Harry for Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith. While he didn’t win over hurdles, he showed promise more than once last term and is lightly raced for an eight-year-old.
Fat Harry was placed in his last three starts last season, running his best races when third at Catterick and second at Uttoxeter in March. He kept on well over today’s trip at Catterick and did well at Uttoxeter considering the shorter trip was patently against him.
Fat Harry had conditional riders for those runs, but Danny McMenamin is booked for his chasing debut, earning him the ‘Jockey Uplift’ flag. McMenanin has an excellent 40% strike-rate when teaming up with Parkinson & Smith, with six wins from fifteen rides. The stable had a winner at Wetherby last week, as well as some placed horses at the same meeting at longer odds, and Fat Harry is fancied to make a winning start over fences.
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