Talking Points: David Ord looks ahead to Wednesday's action
David Ord looks ahead to Wednesday's action with an interesting hurdling debutant for a Middleham trainer thriving at the moment.
YEATS CAN LORD IT OVER RIVALS
These are exciting times for Middleham trainer Jedd O’Keeffe.
He’s currently overseeing his largest ever string, numbers bolstered by several years of sustained success. Sam Spinner, his flagbearer on the National Hunt scene, makes his eagerly-anticipated reappearance at Newbury on Friday but before then they’ll be a few long faces at Highbeck Stables if Lord Yeats doesn’t go well on his hurdling debut at Wetherby.
A Listed winner on the level at Newmarket last season, he has preformed with credit this term including when 11th in the Sky Bet Ebor at York. There are jumps winners in his pedigree and with his love for soft ground, something in alarmingly short supply all year, it’s no surprise to see him switch to the winter code.
His schooling has gone well under Wednesday’s rider Joe Colliver and he was all set to start out in the decent novice at the Charlie Hall meeting but the ground was deemed too fast.
It’s all-systems-go now though and while it’s a tough introduction in against the likes of Encore Champs and Smiths Cross, it will be disappointing if he’s not in the shake-up.
O’Keeffe said: "We've all had to be very patient with the dry autumn. His owners have been very patient. We've been waiting and waiting for the right conditions - and we think we've got them at last.
"He had a really good start to the season, but life got really difficult with the ground. He still ran a fantastic race in the Ebor - who knows where he'd have finished if it had been soft ground? We're very hopeful about him. He's got sporting owners, and there is jumping in his pedigree - his dam (Bogside Theatre) was pretty useful, he's bred to stay and he likes give in the ground.
"He's a big, strong horse - and his jumping at home has been excellent - so we are very excited about him, but he's got to get it all together on the track."
Lord Yeats – over to you.
DAARIK CAN DELIVER
When John Gosden took Without Parole to Newcastle in deep December last year for a belated racecourse debut it raised an eyebrow or two. The rest – as they say – is Group One history.
The champion trainer rates the Tapeta surface at Gosforth Park as the best artificial one in the country so any juveniles heading up the A1 this winter will be under close scrutiny. On Wednesday there are two.
St Peters Basilica has had four starts so far so clearly isn’t an unknown quantity but ran well enough in a nursery at Doncaster last time to suggest he’s the one to beat in division one of the Ladbrokes Bet 5 Get 20 EBF Novice Stakes.
However, of more interest is Daarik in division two. He’s tempted Jim Crowley into a 'night on the Toon' and was too green to do himself justice on debut at Nottingham. He was strong in the market there though and the subject of good reports from the Newmarket gallops.
A 325,000 guineas purchase for Shadwell, expect much, much better here.
DANNY CAN GO BANG
Paul Nicholls sends a trio of his youngsters to Hereford and all warrant close inspection.
Dr Sanderson is first up in the Sri Lanka The Jewel Of Asia Novices' Hurdle and he’s unbeaten in two starts to date (a Carlisle bumper for Stuart Crawford and Worcester novice for his current team). He was very impressive in the latter and looks capable of defying his penalty.
Danny Whizzbang is next in the Sri Lanka Awaits You Maiden Hurdle. He was a six-figure purchase at Punchestown in April – a day after winning his Point-To-Point at the second attempt. He’s seen very much as a staying chaser of the future by the Ditcheat team but is thought capable of winning a race or two over timber this season first. Stamina will be his forte.
Finally, Nineohtwooneoht makes his debut in the closing Magic Of Sri Lanka Standard Open NH Flat Race. He cost 38,000 guineas and is bred to make the grade. He carries the silks of JP McManus. Stick all three in your My Stable tracker for the weeks and months ahead - whatever happens at Hereford.
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