Our columnist reflects on some promising performances from his team over the last week and looks ahead to his weekend runners.
Keeper Hill probably produced a career-best effort to chase home Frodon in the Unibet Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton last week. I even thought he was going to win jumping the last.
I was amazed the handicapper left him on 153 afterwards and the plan was – and is likely to remain – to go back over hurdles for the Pertemps qualifier at Musselburgh on February 2. We’d then probably swerve Cheltenham, as I don’t think he likes big fields, especially over fences, and target Aintree.
I’d like to run him in the Grade One Bowl there. Whether he’s good enough to win it I don’t know but with so many horses aimed at the Gold Cup and then Punchestown, there’s a chance it might cut up and he could easily run very well.
I was delighted with all three of our runners at Newbury on Wednesday.
Martha Brae is getting better and better and the six pounds she had to give Bond’s Lover just proved her undoing. She’s very tough and her big target is the mares’ final at Newbury on March 21. She’ll get a mark now and is good to go. She’ll continue to improve and eventually be even better over a fence and three miles.
Another Tuco is another who now qualifies for handicaps after finishing fifth to Shishkin in what looked to be a very strong novice hurdle. His future probably lies in that sphere and he’ll be a better chaser but after a disappointing debut, he’s run two nice races. It will be interesting to see what mark he gets.
It also looked a good bumper in which Calvario finished fifth. He’s a horse I really like. He’s massive and has only just turned five and is a bit weak. We’ll gjve him plenty of time now and he’ll have one more run this season in another bumper for education. He’ll then be put away to go hurdling next season and will probably be at his best in two years' time when chasing.
I was a little disappointed that Young Lieutenant was beaten at Lingfield. He’d had a little hold-up with a sore foot and that slightly interrupted preparation probably just caught him out in the bad ground. I don’t think the winner, Black Gerry, is a bad horse either and we’ll look for another race for our lad in a couple of weeks. He’s come out of it very well.
We’ve three runners this weekend.
Madam Maline is first up in the British EBF 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle at Taunton. She’s another who will be better in handicaps and probably doesn’t really want this ground but it’s good to get another run over hurdles into her.
I wanted to take Gangster to Wincanton on Thursday but the meeting was called off so he heads to Haydock for the Old Boston Handicap Hurdle. He’s getting better and better with each run and I’ve put a tongue tie on him here which will hopefully bring about a bit of improvement. He’s more of a chaser but I wanted to give him a few runs over hurdles first and think he’s getting to a mark he can be dangerous from.
On Sunday, Another Emotion runs in the Only 1000 RacingTV Free Trials Available Handicap Chase at Ayr. He ran well at Sedgefield two starts ago and then for whatever reason was well below par at Chepstow last time. We want to get him qualified for a £35,000 race at Carlisle on March 22. You need to run in two qualifiers and this is his second. All being well he'll go close.
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