Drought over
Chances were that if the Richard Guest yard actually got a few more runners out, and more of the jumps horses at that, that the long wait for another winner would be ended. Sure enough, there's been four winners in the last fortnight, although with so many runners being given their first outing since before summer (and / or their first for Guest), the strike-rate is nothing about which to write home.
The highlight of the fortnight was undoubtedly ADMIRAL winning the Class B Betfair Handicap Hurdle, that famous old 4yo Handicap Hurdle race at Chepstow formerly known as the Free Hurdle, last Saturday. As well as being the first Class B the yard has won this season, it also represented the first win for Guest as a trainer at the South Wales track, although admittedly he'd only had a couple of attempts previously (it seemed a long way to go just to stick FIDALUS in a Selling Handicap Chase and an out of sorts BERNARDON in a workaday Handicap Hurdle, and they both duly flopped). Admiral had had a nice pipe-opener on the Flat at Pontefract a fortnight previously, for all that he eventually finished last in that race, but the 14lb rise in the weights since his Ayr win in April and the softening going looked to have cost him his chance before the tapes even went up. He managed to dispell both doubts in really impressive fashion, however, leading or prominent throughout and staying on very well indeed to give Paul O'Neill the 24th - and comfortably biggest - win of his short career.
Guest is confident the horse can withstand a step up in trip to around 2m 4f, and on this evidence there is little to dispute that assertion. For the time being, connections can enjoy the fact that the £20,000 first prize won here takes Admiral's earnings for Willie McKay and Guest to around the £37,ooo mark - not bad from just eight runs for them.
Apart from Admiral, the wins for Richard Guest have come from;
- COLLEGE CITY in a Market Rasen Handicap Chase which cut up really nicely for him through defections. This is his third chase win of the season and fourth win for the yard in all, although, having followed this up with a fair second in a Hexham Novices' Chase last Saturday, his subsequent well-beaten fifth back in handicap company at Uttoxeter yesterday would indicate the assessor is back on top of him again (with another 5lb rise in the weights due tomorrow).
- PASS ME BY in a Carlisle Beginners' Chase seven days ago. Formerly a useful bumper horse for Tim Walford, he had lost his way last season and apparently came to Brancepeth a very nervous horse indeed. First-time eyeshields appear to have had a positive influence.
- WET LIPS in a Handicap Chase on the same Carlisle card, ridden to victory, as was College City, by Patrick Merrigan. Guest had the first two home in this race, with Wet Lips pinching it from BILL'S ECHO after the last. He will attempt to defy a 6lb rise (to 125) in a Class B event at Huntingdon tomorrow.
Other runners since our last update are as follows;
HEXHAM, September 30th
====================
FREE WILL ran keenly in his Selling Hurdle and weakened from 2 out. Despite having gurgled last time, a tonguestrap was not fitted, which may have made a difference. The problematic BEAVER was fitted with one, and was able to plug on to the line this time rather than capitulate when asked for an effort. He still found three too good for him in his Novices' Hurdle, though. ASTON looks onepaced but plugged on for third place on his first attempt over fences for Guest, and looks likely to be kept to 3m+ wars of attrition on good ground from hereon in. HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW was outpaced easily enough two out and came home in fifth in the Handicap Chase. First time blinkers did not work the oracle. Finally, TOPWELL, whose ownership had changed from the Racing Club to Malcolm Penney by the time he got to post, offered some encouragement for future runs when third in the closing bumper. He ran a bit green and will know more about the job next time.
SOUTHWELL AWT (Flat), October 1st
============================
Two runners at this Saturday morning matinee meeting of Banded filth, but even Class 7 racing is too hot for ROAN RAIDER to get competitive, and he beat only three of his 13 rivals home in the 7f Stakes race. FIT TO FLY went off the 5-1 joint favourite in the Mile, but had to settle with a 5.5l fifth position in the end. He refused to settle under Ambrose Reilly early on, and then didn't go on quite enough when asked to from 2f out.
KELSO, October 2nd
===============
12 intended runners across the three cards cut up to six following ground-related defections, and only two horses took their chances here in the end. YORK RITE took part in the 2m 6.5f Novices' Handicap Chase for the second year running, and for the second year running cost himself any chance of winning with a bad mistake late on. His rooting of the third last fence cost him enough momentum to temper the effort he was making at the time, and he trailed in seventh. Kenny Johnson was asked to apply the hold-up tactic on APADI on his return to hurdling, but the horse fought him enough this time to have insufficient left when asked for an effort four out, and a fifth place was as good as he was going to get in the circumstances.
MARKET RASEN, October 2nd
======================
As well as COLLEGE CITY's victory, there was a first outing under Racing Club ownership for WHY THE LONG FACE in the 2m 1.1f Handicap Hurdle. He was never a factor back in seventh, but then he rarely is over such a short distance nowadays and this run would doubtlessly have been intended to give him a sharpener ahead of other assignments.
UTTOXETER, October 2nd
====================
STAN had won his first chase nicely at Hexham in May (his most recent run) and his future ultimately lies back over the bigger obstacles. This run in a Class C Handicap Hurdle was therefore partly pot-hunting and partly a sharpener, and the fact he got a few hundred quid here for finishing fourth will probably be irrelevant to connections in the wider scheme of things - although he was still leading when belting the last. MAGICO was upped in trip to 2m 5f for his chasing bow but never really got a chance to shine, being badly hampered four out and not given an unnecessarily hard time after that in finishing fifth. Softer ground may have suited better anyway.
CARLISLE, October 7th
=================
PASS ME BY, WET LIPS and BILL'S ECHO have already been dealt with above. DRUMOSSIE sported first-time blinkers for his handicap debut in the 2m 4f hurdle, but found no extra gears after being rousted to the leaders two from home. The step up in trip will have suited, but he does look slow. ASTON hit a couple on his way round in third in the 3m Handicap Chase, but it didn't represent too bad an effort having been stepped up two classes to D here. HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW trailed in sixth in the Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle despite all the headgear you could imagine, and he is still 6lb higher than registering the second of his two wins over timber in late spring. Chances are he could use a rest as much as respite from the handicapper, though.
YORK (Flat), October 8th
===================
Richard Guest sent out a staggering 15 runners across four cards today - it would have been 16 had PASS ME BY turned out 24 hours after his Carlisle win - with LES ARCS's run in the Class 2 Coral Sprint Trophy here being the only one of those on the Flat. He has never won over a trip as short as 6f and has suffered more at this trip for missing the break than at others. He was away on terms here, though, and was produced well by the very promising youngster Greg Fairley - having his first ride for Guest - to be screaming home in fourth at the end. He only had about one length to find on the winner Borderlescott at the finish, and would probably have given owner Willie McKay an incredible across the card double (along with ADMIRAL) had the race been over 7f, so well was he travelling.
CHEPSTOW, October 8th
===================
ONE DAY was Paul Beck's first horse with Richard Guest, although it's easy to lose sight of that given how long he has spent on the sidelines. He was always only ever going to be sent chasing if and when he reappeared, and notwithstanding ADMIRAL's appearance elsewhere on the card, Chepstow looked a wise choice of venue for this big-striding animal to start his steeplechasing education at. There were at least three significant mistakes on the way round, and he understandibly tired close home on this first run for 18 months, but the fourth place here is something on which to build, and he'll strip a hell of a lot fitter next time.
HEXHAM, October 8th
=================
COLLEGE CITY and PRINCE ADJAL filled in the second and fourth placed berths in the opening Novices' Chase here, the former only outbattled up the run-in having come off the pace the latter had set. RENVYLE looked ready to collect when sent to the head of affairs two out in the 2m 4.5f Handicap Chase, but found little for Larry McGrath - enjoying his first day of action since the fall from DIKTATIT at Cartmel in August - and faded to third in the end. Similarly, YORK RITE held the lead two from home on his return to hurdles and in a first-time visor, but capitulated to sixth and looks hard pushed to exploit even his lowly mark in this discipline nowadays. BEAVER was backed off the boards to 15/8 in the 2m 4.5f Novices' Hurdle, but the tonguestrap wasn't on today and he predictably (to me) emptied up the hill before the home turn.
BANGOR, October 8th
================
STAN always looked one of the more likely of last year's crop of New Zealand animals to be pitched into classy novices' chase company this season, and the Class C contest he took part in here was rammed with really exciting prospects notwithstanding even the much-discussed Iris's Gift. His starting price of 25/1 reflected the quality of opposition on show, and he never truthfully looked like landing the spoils here as Iris's Gift won more cosily than the official margins might have indicated, but he was certainly staying on best of anything on show here and was anything but disgraced in third.
Notwithstanding the fact the ground might have been a bit more rain-softened than he would have liked, I think ultimately he lacks the gears to trouble the really top-class animals in the same way OUR ARMAGEDDON does, but there is still going to be, I think, a very good chase (novices' or handicap) for him somewhere this term. More immediately, he is likely to be entered in the Class C Geoff Hubbard Memorial at Fakenham on October 21st - a race Our Armageddon finished second in on his chasing debut two years ago - and ought to make a good account of himself, although whether 2m 5f on such a skidpan track represents his favourite sort of race is debatable.
Elsewhere on the card, DAGGY BOY and newcomer SHEM DYLAN both finished unplaced in the 2m 4f Novices' Hurdle, the former looking a bit lary when passing the stands first time round. Brian Crowley, picking up his first rides for Guest on the afternoon, reported he didn't like the softened ground. DONOVAN, meanwhile, looked an absolute shoe-in in the Handicap Chase, assuming his jumping held up (which it comprehensively didn't in the object lesson in terror which was his only other chase outing at Hereford 18 months ago). He was much better this time, but not totally fluent, and he certainly had a good look at the ditch on his way over it. He was battling well at the end, and didn't fail to overhaul the front two by too much. Still over 20lbs lower over fences than hurdles (notwithstanding any reassessment which may result from this run), he remains of interest over the larger obstacles and ought to nab one or two of these if he can get himself footperfect. READY TO RUMBLE appeared in the same race and won the best turned-out prize - a real rarity for this yard! He would have needed this after 150 days off, and blew up a bit in the home straight after being asked to take closer order. His fifth place was an alright first effort over fences, and he too could just be good enough to land a novices' handicap this season. Rising nine already , however, he has less scope for improvment than some of the yard's other imports. WHY THE LONG FACE tried his luck in the opening televised hurdle, attempting to win a nice prize for the Racing Club, but he was never sighted in seventh on ground which ought to have been about right for him.
WETHERBY, October 12th
===================
ST PIRRAN was an eye-catching purchase for the yard in the summer, although only three runs since winning the Grand Annual at Cheltenham in March 2004 tells you all you need to know about how easy he is to train nowadays. That he came eighth in his comeback hurdle race here is utterly, utterly secondary to whether he came back in one piece, which unless anyone tells me otherwise he did, and connections can now look towards pointing a fitter animal at some of the classy two-mile handicap chases in the autumn program. I'm sure there's one back at Cheltenham at the end of the month he might try.
UTTOXETER, October 12th
====================
Racing Club horse VALERUN was never a factor in his three mile Handicap Hurdle but, like so many others mentioned in this post, this represented a much-needed blowing away of the cobwebs after well over a year off. Richard Guest was adamant there'd be novices' handicap chases to win with him this term, so presumably this will be what we see him attempt next. JIMMY BYRNE tried to do a pillar to post in the closing Handicap Hurdle, and got away with so doing until two out. Nothing left with which to repel attackers, he had to make do with third place. COLLEGE CITY's laboured effort has been mentioned already.
The highlight of the fortnight was undoubtedly ADMIRAL winning the Class B Betfair Handicap Hurdle, that famous old 4yo Handicap Hurdle race at Chepstow formerly known as the Free Hurdle, last Saturday. As well as being the first Class B the yard has won this season, it also represented the first win for Guest as a trainer at the South Wales track, although admittedly he'd only had a couple of attempts previously (it seemed a long way to go just to stick FIDALUS in a Selling Handicap Chase and an out of sorts BERNARDON in a workaday Handicap Hurdle, and they both duly flopped). Admiral had had a nice pipe-opener on the Flat at Pontefract a fortnight previously, for all that he eventually finished last in that race, but the 14lb rise in the weights since his Ayr win in April and the softening going looked to have cost him his chance before the tapes even went up. He managed to dispell both doubts in really impressive fashion, however, leading or prominent throughout and staying on very well indeed to give Paul O'Neill the 24th - and comfortably biggest - win of his short career.
Guest is confident the horse can withstand a step up in trip to around 2m 4f, and on this evidence there is little to dispute that assertion. For the time being, connections can enjoy the fact that the £20,000 first prize won here takes Admiral's earnings for Willie McKay and Guest to around the £37,ooo mark - not bad from just eight runs for them.
Apart from Admiral, the wins for Richard Guest have come from;
- COLLEGE CITY in a Market Rasen Handicap Chase which cut up really nicely for him through defections. This is his third chase win of the season and fourth win for the yard in all, although, having followed this up with a fair second in a Hexham Novices' Chase last Saturday, his subsequent well-beaten fifth back in handicap company at Uttoxeter yesterday would indicate the assessor is back on top of him again (with another 5lb rise in the weights due tomorrow).
- PASS ME BY in a Carlisle Beginners' Chase seven days ago. Formerly a useful bumper horse for Tim Walford, he had lost his way last season and apparently came to Brancepeth a very nervous horse indeed. First-time eyeshields appear to have had a positive influence.
- WET LIPS in a Handicap Chase on the same Carlisle card, ridden to victory, as was College City, by Patrick Merrigan. Guest had the first two home in this race, with Wet Lips pinching it from BILL'S ECHO after the last. He will attempt to defy a 6lb rise (to 125) in a Class B event at Huntingdon tomorrow.
Other runners since our last update are as follows;
HEXHAM, September 30th
====================
FREE WILL ran keenly in his Selling Hurdle and weakened from 2 out. Despite having gurgled last time, a tonguestrap was not fitted, which may have made a difference. The problematic BEAVER was fitted with one, and was able to plug on to the line this time rather than capitulate when asked for an effort. He still found three too good for him in his Novices' Hurdle, though. ASTON looks onepaced but plugged on for third place on his first attempt over fences for Guest, and looks likely to be kept to 3m+ wars of attrition on good ground from hereon in. HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW was outpaced easily enough two out and came home in fifth in the Handicap Chase. First time blinkers did not work the oracle. Finally, TOPWELL, whose ownership had changed from the Racing Club to Malcolm Penney by the time he got to post, offered some encouragement for future runs when third in the closing bumper. He ran a bit green and will know more about the job next time.
SOUTHWELL AWT (Flat), October 1st
============================
Two runners at this Saturday morning matinee meeting of Banded filth, but even Class 7 racing is too hot for ROAN RAIDER to get competitive, and he beat only three of his 13 rivals home in the 7f Stakes race. FIT TO FLY went off the 5-1 joint favourite in the Mile, but had to settle with a 5.5l fifth position in the end. He refused to settle under Ambrose Reilly early on, and then didn't go on quite enough when asked to from 2f out.
KELSO, October 2nd
===============
12 intended runners across the three cards cut up to six following ground-related defections, and only two horses took their chances here in the end. YORK RITE took part in the 2m 6.5f Novices' Handicap Chase for the second year running, and for the second year running cost himself any chance of winning with a bad mistake late on. His rooting of the third last fence cost him enough momentum to temper the effort he was making at the time, and he trailed in seventh. Kenny Johnson was asked to apply the hold-up tactic on APADI on his return to hurdling, but the horse fought him enough this time to have insufficient left when asked for an effort four out, and a fifth place was as good as he was going to get in the circumstances.
MARKET RASEN, October 2nd
======================
As well as COLLEGE CITY's victory, there was a first outing under Racing Club ownership for WHY THE LONG FACE in the 2m 1.1f Handicap Hurdle. He was never a factor back in seventh, but then he rarely is over such a short distance nowadays and this run would doubtlessly have been intended to give him a sharpener ahead of other assignments.
UTTOXETER, October 2nd
====================
STAN had won his first chase nicely at Hexham in May (his most recent run) and his future ultimately lies back over the bigger obstacles. This run in a Class C Handicap Hurdle was therefore partly pot-hunting and partly a sharpener, and the fact he got a few hundred quid here for finishing fourth will probably be irrelevant to connections in the wider scheme of things - although he was still leading when belting the last. MAGICO was upped in trip to 2m 5f for his chasing bow but never really got a chance to shine, being badly hampered four out and not given an unnecessarily hard time after that in finishing fifth. Softer ground may have suited better anyway.
CARLISLE, October 7th
=================
PASS ME BY, WET LIPS and BILL'S ECHO have already been dealt with above. DRUMOSSIE sported first-time blinkers for his handicap debut in the 2m 4f hurdle, but found no extra gears after being rousted to the leaders two from home. The step up in trip will have suited, but he does look slow. ASTON hit a couple on his way round in third in the 3m Handicap Chase, but it didn't represent too bad an effort having been stepped up two classes to D here. HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW trailed in sixth in the Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle despite all the headgear you could imagine, and he is still 6lb higher than registering the second of his two wins over timber in late spring. Chances are he could use a rest as much as respite from the handicapper, though.
YORK (Flat), October 8th
===================
Richard Guest sent out a staggering 15 runners across four cards today - it would have been 16 had PASS ME BY turned out 24 hours after his Carlisle win - with LES ARCS's run in the Class 2 Coral Sprint Trophy here being the only one of those on the Flat. He has never won over a trip as short as 6f and has suffered more at this trip for missing the break than at others. He was away on terms here, though, and was produced well by the very promising youngster Greg Fairley - having his first ride for Guest - to be screaming home in fourth at the end. He only had about one length to find on the winner Borderlescott at the finish, and would probably have given owner Willie McKay an incredible across the card double (along with ADMIRAL) had the race been over 7f, so well was he travelling.
CHEPSTOW, October 8th
===================
ONE DAY was Paul Beck's first horse with Richard Guest, although it's easy to lose sight of that given how long he has spent on the sidelines. He was always only ever going to be sent chasing if and when he reappeared, and notwithstanding ADMIRAL's appearance elsewhere on the card, Chepstow looked a wise choice of venue for this big-striding animal to start his steeplechasing education at. There were at least three significant mistakes on the way round, and he understandibly tired close home on this first run for 18 months, but the fourth place here is something on which to build, and he'll strip a hell of a lot fitter next time.
HEXHAM, October 8th
=================
COLLEGE CITY and PRINCE ADJAL filled in the second and fourth placed berths in the opening Novices' Chase here, the former only outbattled up the run-in having come off the pace the latter had set. RENVYLE looked ready to collect when sent to the head of affairs two out in the 2m 4.5f Handicap Chase, but found little for Larry McGrath - enjoying his first day of action since the fall from DIKTATIT at Cartmel in August - and faded to third in the end. Similarly, YORK RITE held the lead two from home on his return to hurdles and in a first-time visor, but capitulated to sixth and looks hard pushed to exploit even his lowly mark in this discipline nowadays. BEAVER was backed off the boards to 15/8 in the 2m 4.5f Novices' Hurdle, but the tonguestrap wasn't on today and he predictably (to me) emptied up the hill before the home turn.
BANGOR, October 8th
================
STAN always looked one of the more likely of last year's crop of New Zealand animals to be pitched into classy novices' chase company this season, and the Class C contest he took part in here was rammed with really exciting prospects notwithstanding even the much-discussed Iris's Gift. His starting price of 25/1 reflected the quality of opposition on show, and he never truthfully looked like landing the spoils here as Iris's Gift won more cosily than the official margins might have indicated, but he was certainly staying on best of anything on show here and was anything but disgraced in third.
Notwithstanding the fact the ground might have been a bit more rain-softened than he would have liked, I think ultimately he lacks the gears to trouble the really top-class animals in the same way OUR ARMAGEDDON does, but there is still going to be, I think, a very good chase (novices' or handicap) for him somewhere this term. More immediately, he is likely to be entered in the Class C Geoff Hubbard Memorial at Fakenham on October 21st - a race Our Armageddon finished second in on his chasing debut two years ago - and ought to make a good account of himself, although whether 2m 5f on such a skidpan track represents his favourite sort of race is debatable.
Elsewhere on the card, DAGGY BOY and newcomer SHEM DYLAN both finished unplaced in the 2m 4f Novices' Hurdle, the former looking a bit lary when passing the stands first time round. Brian Crowley, picking up his first rides for Guest on the afternoon, reported he didn't like the softened ground. DONOVAN, meanwhile, looked an absolute shoe-in in the Handicap Chase, assuming his jumping held up (which it comprehensively didn't in the object lesson in terror which was his only other chase outing at Hereford 18 months ago). He was much better this time, but not totally fluent, and he certainly had a good look at the ditch on his way over it. He was battling well at the end, and didn't fail to overhaul the front two by too much. Still over 20lbs lower over fences than hurdles (notwithstanding any reassessment which may result from this run), he remains of interest over the larger obstacles and ought to nab one or two of these if he can get himself footperfect. READY TO RUMBLE appeared in the same race and won the best turned-out prize - a real rarity for this yard! He would have needed this after 150 days off, and blew up a bit in the home straight after being asked to take closer order. His fifth place was an alright first effort over fences, and he too could just be good enough to land a novices' handicap this season. Rising nine already , however, he has less scope for improvment than some of the yard's other imports. WHY THE LONG FACE tried his luck in the opening televised hurdle, attempting to win a nice prize for the Racing Club, but he was never sighted in seventh on ground which ought to have been about right for him.
WETHERBY, October 12th
===================
ST PIRRAN was an eye-catching purchase for the yard in the summer, although only three runs since winning the Grand Annual at Cheltenham in March 2004 tells you all you need to know about how easy he is to train nowadays. That he came eighth in his comeback hurdle race here is utterly, utterly secondary to whether he came back in one piece, which unless anyone tells me otherwise he did, and connections can now look towards pointing a fitter animal at some of the classy two-mile handicap chases in the autumn program. I'm sure there's one back at Cheltenham at the end of the month he might try.
UTTOXETER, October 12th
====================
Racing Club horse VALERUN was never a factor in his three mile Handicap Hurdle but, like so many others mentioned in this post, this represented a much-needed blowing away of the cobwebs after well over a year off. Richard Guest was adamant there'd be novices' handicap chases to win with him this term, so presumably this will be what we see him attempt next. JIMMY BYRNE tried to do a pillar to post in the closing Handicap Hurdle, and got away with so doing until two out. Nothing left with which to repel attackers, he had to make do with third place. COLLEGE CITY's laboured effort has been mentioned already.
posted by Jeremy Grayson @ 5:59 PM
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