Near-miss at Rasen, no joy at Uttox
Two of the four runners intended to take their chances at Market Rasen on Friday did so in the end. Unfortunately DIAMOND CUTTER failed the vet before running; a shame, as the ground - officially good, but riding more like good to soft after biblical storms in the Midlands that day - would have suited him infinitely better than the good to firm he did turn out on at Uttoxeter two days later (see below). DAN DE LION was a non-runner on account of the ground, apparently - odd, as he too prefers give.
Those that did run were REEDSMAN in the selling handicap hurdle and JIMMY BYRNE in the novices' handicap hurdle. Reedsman once again did himself few favours by refusing to settle early on, and had defeated himself by three from home. He trailed in 36.5l adrift in eighth place, and the modicum of promise shown at Hexham a couple of runs ago hasn't been built on since. Jimmy Byrne, however, put in a very encouraging performance on his first run for Richard Guest since being moved by Keith Middleton from Brian Ellison. Lit up by a first-time visor, and appreciative of the rain-softened going, he was sent clear by Henry Oliver three out, and was only headed by a progressive James Hetherton mare on the run-in. He is engaged again at Worcester on Wednesday, and if the forecast rain does arrive by then and ensure going no faster than good, he makes obvious appeal.
The same rain that had doused Market Rasen on Friday took any jar out of the going at Uttoxeter today, and the Summer National meeting was played out on perfect summer jumping ground, i.e. safe good to firm. Richard Guest sent three horses into battle, and came back home with four, but alas no prizemoney - frankly none of his runners came close to scoring.
The most disturbing performance was that of BEAVER in the opening hurdle. A Group 1 Flat horse in Australia two years ago, he would have won on his hurdling debut at Southwell in January but for taking the last hurdle by - um, well, if portable hurdles had roots he would have taken the last hurdle by them, suffice it to say he blundered it particularly badly. On his only run since then, at Kelso in May, he pulled up with a breathing problem and, alas, it resurfaced today despite the application of a first-time tonguestrap. He trailed in eleventh, a comprehensively beaten favourite, and connections have a bit of head-scratching to do here.
What should be less of a problem for them to get their heads round is this; a short trip on fast ground is NOT what Pequenita needs. She ran in the Class C two mile handicap chase and put in a performance very similar to that she did on fast ground at Southwell over just a furlong further three runs ago; basically scaring herself silly on a surface she didn't like and pulling up after seven fences. This was her first run for four weeks, and I had presumed she'd been put away in anticipation of a soggy autumn. Was Guest pot-hunting in running her here? If so, why didn't something like BILL'S ECHO or LIK WOOD POWER, who would both have got into the race on their ratings and would have liked the prevailing going, even get a five-day entry in Pequenita's stead?
DIAMOND CUTTER ran as well as could be expected in the handicap hurdle, given that the ground here wasn't nearly as favourable as it would have been at Rasen. He was there with every chance entering the straight, but was thereafter outsprinted by horses happier on the surface and finished eighth in the end.
As expected, Richard Guest's lead in the trainer's championship has been overhauled now by That Bloke From Nicholashayne during this past fortnight of few runners, but at least last weekend's haul at Hexham helped delay the inevitable until a few days ago. That the big £40,000+ prize at Uttoxeter today went to Charlie Mann's Rheindross helped stop any of the big guns sprint away, as his season's prizemoney wins prior to that were still only in the low £20,000s. Up until today's racing, the table looked like this, and judging by today's results won't have altered significantly;
Pipe £156,483.21
Guest £148,565.50
Nicholls £119.869.30
Hobbs £116,619.88
Speaking of money, and going back to the £6,000 Guest shelled out today, he is now the proud owner of ASTRONAUT, claimed from Martin Pipe (who also owned him) after finishing third in today's 2m 6.5f selling handicap hurdle. Although a 3yo maiden winner on the all-weather for William Haggas in 2000, he had been of very little account subsequently until landing a selling handicap hurdle - again at Uttoxeter, but over 2m 4.5f this time - in August 2003. Pipe paid £6,000 for him that day, and the horse has improved for the discipline of hunting and point-to-pointing, winning three opens this year (since the Easter weekend, at that) having had a season off since that hurdle win. He is completely unraced over regulation steeplechase fences so makes obvious appeal as an animal to pitch into moderately-contested summer novices' chases, albeit with the caveat that he's got rotten legs and will need all of Guest's talents to keep him sound.
This coming week has started much like last with FIENNES missing the cut of yet another race, this time a 0-55 6f handicap at Wolverhampton. He was fully 9lb away from the cut this time, and it's looking increasingly unlikely he is going to find an opportunity outside of Banded Racing in the near future, with every Class 5 and 6 handicap so well patronised by trainers of moderate horses. No such problems with the jumps, however, with cards at Perth on Wednesday and Thursday and Worcester on Wednesday likely to offer Guest plenty of opportunities for the barrel-load of runners he has declared;
WORCESTER, Wednesday
====================
Entries for BALLYBOE BOY, DIAMOND CUTTER, DONOVAN, HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW, JIMMY BYRNE, PEQUENITA, WHAT'S A FILLY and XAIPETE (2).
PERTH, Wednesday
================
Entries for BALLYBOE BOY (2), NOSAM, PEQUENITA, WHAT'S A FILLY and YORK RITE.
PERTH, Thursday
===============
Entries for APADI, BALLYBOE BOY, BEAVER, COLLEGE CITY, DONOVAN, DRUMOSSIE, HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S A FILLY and XAIPETE.
There are some major points of interest here. Firstly, ALL of the declarations for WHAT'S A FILLY are over fences, and would therefore represent a chasing debut for her were she to take up any of them. BALLYBOE BOY, DONOVAN and HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW are engaged in chases only as well, Donovan's return to chasing - one feeble attempt at Hereford fifteen months ago his only attempt to date - having been mooted by Guest a few weeks ago. Conversely, all of XAIPETE's entries are over hurdles; one of these in a Class C handicap, but the others in a selling and claiming hurdle. I know the chances of a 13yo with pins in his leg actually being claimed in one of these races is very remote, but I wish Guest would stop tempting fate by entering him in these races - it's not good for my nerves! Finally, DRUMOSSIE is another ex-New Zealand animal, and one whom Guest first advertised for sale to a potential owner or syndicate of owners by the innovative bloodstock.tv website last autumn. The Racing Post website, however, indicates that he will start out as an owner-trained animal.
Those that did run were REEDSMAN in the selling handicap hurdle and JIMMY BYRNE in the novices' handicap hurdle. Reedsman once again did himself few favours by refusing to settle early on, and had defeated himself by three from home. He trailed in 36.5l adrift in eighth place, and the modicum of promise shown at Hexham a couple of runs ago hasn't been built on since. Jimmy Byrne, however, put in a very encouraging performance on his first run for Richard Guest since being moved by Keith Middleton from Brian Ellison. Lit up by a first-time visor, and appreciative of the rain-softened going, he was sent clear by Henry Oliver three out, and was only headed by a progressive James Hetherton mare on the run-in. He is engaged again at Worcester on Wednesday, and if the forecast rain does arrive by then and ensure going no faster than good, he makes obvious appeal.
The same rain that had doused Market Rasen on Friday took any jar out of the going at Uttoxeter today, and the Summer National meeting was played out on perfect summer jumping ground, i.e. safe good to firm. Richard Guest sent three horses into battle, and came back home with four, but alas no prizemoney - frankly none of his runners came close to scoring.
The most disturbing performance was that of BEAVER in the opening hurdle. A Group 1 Flat horse in Australia two years ago, he would have won on his hurdling debut at Southwell in January but for taking the last hurdle by - um, well, if portable hurdles had roots he would have taken the last hurdle by them, suffice it to say he blundered it particularly badly. On his only run since then, at Kelso in May, he pulled up with a breathing problem and, alas, it resurfaced today despite the application of a first-time tonguestrap. He trailed in eleventh, a comprehensively beaten favourite, and connections have a bit of head-scratching to do here.
What should be less of a problem for them to get their heads round is this; a short trip on fast ground is NOT what Pequenita needs. She ran in the Class C two mile handicap chase and put in a performance very similar to that she did on fast ground at Southwell over just a furlong further three runs ago; basically scaring herself silly on a surface she didn't like and pulling up after seven fences. This was her first run for four weeks, and I had presumed she'd been put away in anticipation of a soggy autumn. Was Guest pot-hunting in running her here? If so, why didn't something like BILL'S ECHO or LIK WOOD POWER, who would both have got into the race on their ratings and would have liked the prevailing going, even get a five-day entry in Pequenita's stead?
DIAMOND CUTTER ran as well as could be expected in the handicap hurdle, given that the ground here wasn't nearly as favourable as it would have been at Rasen. He was there with every chance entering the straight, but was thereafter outsprinted by horses happier on the surface and finished eighth in the end.
As expected, Richard Guest's lead in the trainer's championship has been overhauled now by That Bloke From Nicholashayne during this past fortnight of few runners, but at least last weekend's haul at Hexham helped delay the inevitable until a few days ago. That the big £40,000+ prize at Uttoxeter today went to Charlie Mann's Rheindross helped stop any of the big guns sprint away, as his season's prizemoney wins prior to that were still only in the low £20,000s. Up until today's racing, the table looked like this, and judging by today's results won't have altered significantly;
Pipe £156,483.21
Guest £148,565.50
Nicholls £119.869.30
Hobbs £116,619.88
Speaking of money, and going back to the £6,000 Guest shelled out today, he is now the proud owner of ASTRONAUT, claimed from Martin Pipe (who also owned him) after finishing third in today's 2m 6.5f selling handicap hurdle. Although a 3yo maiden winner on the all-weather for William Haggas in 2000, he had been of very little account subsequently until landing a selling handicap hurdle - again at Uttoxeter, but over 2m 4.5f this time - in August 2003. Pipe paid £6,000 for him that day, and the horse has improved for the discipline of hunting and point-to-pointing, winning three opens this year (since the Easter weekend, at that) having had a season off since that hurdle win. He is completely unraced over regulation steeplechase fences so makes obvious appeal as an animal to pitch into moderately-contested summer novices' chases, albeit with the caveat that he's got rotten legs and will need all of Guest's talents to keep him sound.
This coming week has started much like last with FIENNES missing the cut of yet another race, this time a 0-55 6f handicap at Wolverhampton. He was fully 9lb away from the cut this time, and it's looking increasingly unlikely he is going to find an opportunity outside of Banded Racing in the near future, with every Class 5 and 6 handicap so well patronised by trainers of moderate horses. No such problems with the jumps, however, with cards at Perth on Wednesday and Thursday and Worcester on Wednesday likely to offer Guest plenty of opportunities for the barrel-load of runners he has declared;
WORCESTER, Wednesday
====================
Entries for BALLYBOE BOY, DIAMOND CUTTER, DONOVAN, HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW, JIMMY BYRNE, PEQUENITA, WHAT'S A FILLY and XAIPETE (2).
PERTH, Wednesday
================
Entries for BALLYBOE BOY (2), NOSAM, PEQUENITA, WHAT'S A FILLY and YORK RITE.
PERTH, Thursday
===============
Entries for APADI, BALLYBOE BOY, BEAVER, COLLEGE CITY, DONOVAN, DRUMOSSIE, HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S A FILLY and XAIPETE.
There are some major points of interest here. Firstly, ALL of the declarations for WHAT'S A FILLY are over fences, and would therefore represent a chasing debut for her were she to take up any of them. BALLYBOE BOY, DONOVAN and HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW are engaged in chases only as well, Donovan's return to chasing - one feeble attempt at Hereford fifteen months ago his only attempt to date - having been mooted by Guest a few weeks ago. Conversely, all of XAIPETE's entries are over hurdles; one of these in a Class C handicap, but the others in a selling and claiming hurdle. I know the chances of a 13yo with pins in his leg actually being claimed in one of these races is very remote, but I wish Guest would stop tempting fate by entering him in these races - it's not good for my nerves! Finally, DRUMOSSIE is another ex-New Zealand animal, and one whom Guest first advertised for sale to a potential owner or syndicate of owners by the innovative bloodstock.tv website last autumn. The Racing Post website, however, indicates that he will start out as an owner-trained animal.
posted by Jeremy Grayson @ 10:45 PM
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