Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Interesting book of rides for former champion
‘Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.’
The Mexican artist Frida Kahlo probably wasn’t talking about horse racing, but her words resonate with the current status quo of British jump jockeys. Sean Bowen has been dominating headlines both this season and last, but it was as recent as the 2023/24 season that Harry Cobden was being lauded as the next Richard Johnson or AP McCoy.
Cobden recorded 164 winners that season, and though unlikely to get near that figure this campaign, has already recorded 45 at a strike-rate of 24% despite generally forgoing quantity in favour of quality when it comes to his riding plans.
That isn’t quite the case at Taunton on Thursday, however, with Cobden booked for five rides for four different stables.
Miss Altea Blue was a creditable two lengths second to odds-on stablemate Fasol over C&D last time and could have too much speed for her rivals in a novices’ hurdle (12.35) that her trainer Paul Nicholls won last year with Jackpot Des Bordes, while the yard’s Wicked Thoughts has always shaped like a future staying chaser and gets his opportunity to raise his game now switched to fences at 1.40.
Cobden has a 31% strike-rate for David Pipe and bids for a sixth winner for Pond House aboard Bashful Boy at 2.50. A talented stayer on the Flat, he could prove well-treated now back over hurdles.
Even more impressive is Cobden’s record for Polly Gundry who saddles King Of The Story (3.22); although a small sample size, two wins and a runner-up finish from just four rides for the yard hints that better is expected from the nine-year-old who found the ground too slow when pulled up at Plumpton last month.
Finally, it may prove that some of the Rules debutant(e)s are too good, but Arms Park holds the strongest form claims in the closing bumper at 3.52. Trained by Evan Williams, for whom Cobden has finished in the top three on 12 of his 21 runs for the yard, the Walk In The Park gelding shaped well when chasing home Masked Mistress at Plumpton and has leading claims here as a result.
With seven wins from his last 13 rides at the time of writing, Cobden is proving that Bowen is not the only jockey to follow at present.
Mid-week treat at Thurles
Salvator Mundi’s pre-noon chasing debut (11.45) should serve as a tasty amuse-bouche at Thurles as the Top Novices’ Hurdle winner bids to lay out his own early-season claim to the Arkle or Brown Advisory (who knows, given the yard’s history?), however the more competitive affair is likely to be the following listed Racing TV Club Day Chase at 12.17 despite the presence of another odds-on favourite in the form of Affordale Fury.
Assisted by Jesse Evans, Affordale Fury is flying the flag for Noel Meade and a repeat of his second to Envoi Allen in Down Royal’s Champion Chase would surely be enough to secure a first win since October 2023, however it should be noted that he has now finished second on five of his 11 starts under rules and all three wins have come on ground described by Timeform as soft or heavy.
That isn’t the case for Appreciate It who possesses some eye-catching form of his own, most notably when chasing home Gaelic Warrior at Sandown in April, but also including a course win where he beat his re-opposing stablemate Classic Getaway by six lengths. The last-named also ran at Sandown, but has nearly 10 lengths to find on that effort.
With an excellent record fresh - and his trainer Willie Mullins not just bidding for a seventh win in the race since 2015 but keen to support the racecourse before its planned closure in March – it would be no surprise to see Appreciate It find the 8 lb of improvement needed (according to Timeform weight-adjusted ratings) under Paul Townend and give Affordale Fury a real race.
Jockey uplifts galore
Like the previously mentioned Cobden (on Bashful Boy) and Townend (on Appreciate It), there are several other notable bookings on Thursday which are worthy of the Timeform ‘Jockey Uplift’ flag.
The booking of Sean Bowen for Ginderella’s first start for Tim Vaughan at Uttoxeter (2.40) catches the eye, while the same rider replaces Ben Bromley on Talap at 3.15, but it’s Broomfield Aderra who ticks the most boxes in a maiden hurdle at Lingfield at 1.50.
Trained by Dan Skelton and ridden by brother Harry for the first time, the former point winner has some solid form to her name having shown promise in two bumper starts for Philip Dempsey prior to her eye-catching hurdling bow last month where she shaped well when 9½ lengths third of 14 to Kocktail Bleu at Fontwell, not knocked about by jockey Tristan Durrell.
Sure to progress for her ‘Hot Trainer’ yard with that experience under her belt, especially now stepped up in trip, she is fancied to see off newcomer Afancy Getaway and Sea Presenting who has shown plenty in three starts but has a tongue-tie on after a wind-op over the summer.
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