2016 Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle

[Old Vic]

Donn


Romain De Senam

Romain De Senam put up a nice performance in the two-mile handicap hurdle at Sandown on Saturday to finish fifth behind Rayvin Black, and it is reasonable to expect better from him in the future.

Paul Nicholls’ horse is a free-going sort. He made all when he won at Wincanton on his British debut in October, and he led from flagfall when he got beaten at Cheltenham in November and again at Catterick in December. So they obviously tried something different with him on Saturday, he lined up in behind horses and Sam Twiston-Davies tried to settle him back in the field. He had worn a hood and a tongue-tie at Catterick but, on Saturday, the tongue-tie was retained but the hood was discarded.

Unsurprisingly, the Saint Des Saints gelding was free through the early stages of the race. Indeed, he didn’t really drop the bridle until they started to leave the back straight. He travelled well into the home straight and made progress towards the far side on the run to the final flight. By then, the front two, Sirop De Menthe and Rayvin Black, had skipped clear, and Romain De Seman obviously got tired, but that was understandable given his early exertions and the fact that it was difficult to make ground from the back all day at Sandown on Saturday. He still kept on to finish fifth, beaten a length and a head for third.

Romain De Senam remains an interesting horse. Winner of a hurdle race in France in April, he was impressive in winning on his British debut on good ground at Wincanton in October. He does race keenly, but he should improve as he learns to settle better, and Saturday’s run was a good step in that regard. It may be that he will be seen to best effect next now back on better ground in the spring. With his hood re-fitted, he may settle better, and that should be a big help. He could be a horse for a flat track, he could be an Aintree horse, but good ground may be more important to him than a flat track, and he could be a Fred Winter horse. Paul Nicholls won the Fred Winter last season with a French import Qualando, who raced off a mark of 131, so Romain De Senam’s mark of 136 looks workable.

2nd January 2016

[dazzler]

I've been following this horse seems to be improving and trainer having a good season aswell, could only find it priced up in the triumph at 25-1 which looks a hot race.

DUKE OF MEDINA got the ball rolling with an incredibly gutsy 2nd at Kempton last Sunday. It looked at competitive field on paper with some speedier, higher rated types from the flat and France. Gavin made the running on the Duke and set a decent gallop throughout, he jumped well and was relishing being out there in front. Gavin got a breather in down the back straight and after the 3rd last he kicked on to quicken and gain an advantage. He quickened up extremely well and slipped away from the field turning in. After a good jump at the 2nd last only the Alan King trained Gibalfaro looked capable of pegging the Duke back. It was gutting therefore to get collared in the dying strides as the horse truly didn’t deserve it, but a huge step forward nonetheless from the Duke. He has been raised a stone to 138 for the performance so it will be a matter of Fred Winter or Triumph hurdle at the Festival.

[Old Vic]

another Donn


Lagostovegas

Lagostovegas was very good in winning the four-year-olds’ maiden hurdle that opened proceedings at Naas on Saturday.

Settled in second place by Sean Flanagan behind leader Newberry New from early, her jumping was really good, and she tanked up on the outside of the leader around the home turn as the pair of them came clear of their rivals. Best Kept Secret tried to bridge the gap, but he couldn’t. Newberry New came under pressure at the top of the home straight as Flanagan kept a tight hold of his filly. She jumped on at the second last flight and moved nicely clear, popped the final flight and eased up the run-in to record a really impressive victory.

This victory was no more than Harry Kelly’s filly deserved. Winner of a three-year-old handicap on the flat at Killarney in July off a mark of 59, she had run three times over hurdles before Saturday, finishing second behind Rashaan and Footpad, and third behind Ivanovich Gorbatov and Let’s Dance. Juvenile hurdle form does not get much stronger than that. She didn’t have anything of that calibre to challenge her here, and she was really impressive in gaining a deserved win. She did everything well through the race and she came clear to win eased down in a good time, only marginally slower comparatively than the time that Sempre Medici clocked in the Limestone Lad Hurdle over two miles and three furlongs 35 minutes later. And she could have gone faster.

This performance paid another compliment to Ivanovich Gorbatov, it further strengthens an already strong-looking juvenile maiden that he won at Christmas, in which Lagostovegas finished third, but this was an improved performance by the Footstepsinthesand filly, and she is interesting in her own right now. It will be interesting to see what handicap rating she gets now, as she could be interesting for the Fred Winter Hurdle at Cheltenham. Connections were also taking about the mares’ novices’ hurdle at the Festival, but the Fred Winter might be a better target for her as long as her handicap rating is reasonable.

16th January 2016

[paz247]

Campeador price has come right in and a couple of firms have suspended betting on it

[Morning Glory]

Campeador price has come right in and a couple of firms have suspended betting on it

Got a mention from Elliots head lad at one of the previews. He will get the sack.

[Lester]

The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
Grade 3, £75,000 Total Prize Fund. Cheltenham, 4.50pm, Wednesday, March 16, two miles and half a furlong (2m 87yds). For juvenile four-year-olds only. Penalties: after February 28, a winner of a hurdle race 5lb. No penalty to increase a horse’s weight above 11st 10lb. Entries closed February 23 (50 entries), entries released February 25, weights revealed March 2. Six-day confirmation stage March 10, final declaration stage 10.00am, March 15. Maximum field of 22.

Horses Age Owner Trainer
AKAVIT (IRE) 4 Simon Treacher Ed de Giles
ALHAMAREER (IRE) 4 S A Helaissi Paul Webber
ARDAMIR (FR) 4 The Dunkley & Reilly Partnership Alan King
ASHOKA (IRE) 4 Frank McAleavy Dan Skelton
BARAYMI (FR) 4 The GD Partnership Jamie Snowden
BERLAND (IRE) 4 Bloomfields John Ferguson
BIG MCINTOSH (IRE) 4 Kilco (International) Ltd John Ryan
CAMPEADOR (FR) 4 J P McManus Gordon Elliott IRE
CHIC NAME (FR) 4 Richard Hobson Richard Hobson
CLIC WORK (FR) 4 David Sewell & Terry Warner Paul Nicholls
COBRA DE MAI (FR) 4 Norman Lake & Susan Carsberg Dan Skelton
COO STAR SIVOLA (FR) 4 Babbit Racing Nick Williams
DAREBIN (GER) 4 Chris Stedman & Mark Albon Gary Moore
DIEGO DU CHARMIL (FR) 4 Mrs Johnny de la Hey Paul Nicholls
DOUBLY CLEVER (IRE) 4 Francise Tieman Michael Blake
DUKE OF MEDINA (IRE) 4 Exors of the Late H J M Webb Harry Whittington
DUKE STREET (IRE) 4 Chris Stedman & Mark Albon Dr Richard Newland
EL TERREMOTO (FR) 4 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nigel Twiston-Davies
FIXE LE KAP (FR) 4 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nicky Henderson
FRODON (FR) 4 Ian Fogg & Potensis Bloodstock Ltd Paul Nicholls
GIBRALFARO (IRE) 4 McNeill Family Alan King
HARLEY REBEL 4 Mrs Gloria Seymour Neil Mulholland
IKRAPOL (FR) 4 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede David Pipe
IMPULSIVE AMERICAN 4 Mrs Jo Tracey David Pipe
INVICTUS (GER) 4 Mike and Eileen Newbould Micky Hammond
JABOLTISKI (SPA) 4 Mrs Sue Lanz Philip Hobbs
JALEO (GER) 4 Bloomfields John Ferguson
JER'S GIRL (IRE) 4 E Bourke Gavin Cromwell IRE
KASAKH NOIR (FR) 4 Tim Radford Dan Skelton
LAKE CHAMPLAIN (IRE) 4 Blessingndisguise Partnership Jessica Harrington IRE
LE CURIEUX (FR) 4 Mme E Le Metayer Francois Nicolle FR
LEONCAVALLO (IRE) 4 Bloomfields John Ferguson
LOU VERT (FR) 4 Brooks,Done,Ferguson,Kyle,Mason&Stewart Paul Nicholls
MESSIRE DES OBEAUX (FR) 4 Potensis Bloodstock Limited Alan King
MISSY TATA (FR) 4 Simon Munir/Isaac Souede Gordon Elliott IRE
OCEANE (FR) 4 McNeill Family Alan King
OMESSA HAS (FR) 4 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nicky Henderson
OUR THOMAS (IRE) 4 Trevor Hemmings Tim Easterby
PADDYS RUNNER 4 Let's Live Racing Alan King
PEMBA (FR) 4 Million in Mind Partnership Alan King
PILLARD (FR) 4 Regulatory Finance Solutions Limited Jonjo O'Neill
PINKIE BROWN (FR) 4 B Dunn Neil Mulholland
RETRO VALLEY (IRE) 4 Favourites Racing Ltd David Dennis
ROMAIN DE SENAM (FR) 4 Chris Giles & Dan Macdonald Paul Nicholls
SIR CHAUVELIN 4 J Fyffe Jim Goldie
ST SAVIOUR 4 Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-St Saviour Philip Hobbs
SWAMP FOX (IRE) 4 Tom Egan Joseph Murphy IRE
TOCORORO (IRE) 4 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
VOIX DU REVE (FR) 4 Andrea & Graham Wylie Willie Mullins IRE
WOLFCATCHER (IRE) 4 Bloomfields John Ferguson
50 entries
7 Irish-trained
1 French-trained

[mayo]

Worried Phil is going to scupper the favourite. Nicholls might have this -

Harry D at Exeter

Diego du Charmil is a horse we like and his handicap mark is ‘fine’.

[dazzler]

Looks like a similar profile to katgary mayo who was unlucky not to win, same pedigree balingary and same source. 10-1 this one will be going into my lucky15 for wed.
Diego puts a glint in the champion trainer's eye

Nicholls was in chipper form on the Morning Line, nominating last year's Fred Winter winner Qualando as a strong Martin Pipe hope.

But there was no mistaking the glint in his eye during an off-air chat about this year's Fred Winter hope Diego Du Charmil.

The handicapper has had to take an educated guess at how good this lad might be after three runs in France.

[mayo]

Campeador

He ran too keen in Leopardstown and won very well in France. He's been working very well at home and it will be interesting to see what mark he gets. We like him. He's a nice horse. I haven't got a clue whose been backing him. He's a good horse, he's in good form, he's well. He'll have to improve an awful lot from Leopardstown to be winning the Fred Winter, but hopefully he will. I'll have to discuss it with the owner, but he'll probably wear a hood.

[Old Vic]

The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
Grade 3, £75,000 Total Prize Fund. Cheltenham, 4.50pm, Wednesday, March 16, two miles and half a furlong (2m 87yds). For juvenile four-year-olds only. Penalties: after February 28, a winner of a hurdle race 5lb. No penalty to increase a horse’s weight above 11st 10lb. Entries closed February 23 (50 entries), entries released February 25, weights revealed March 2. Six-day confirmation stage March 10, final declaration stage 10.00am, March 15. Maximum field of 22.

Horse Age Wgt Owner Trainer
GIBRALFARO (IRE) 4 11-10 McNeill Family Alan King
FRODON (FR) 4 11-07 Ian Fogg & Potensis Bloodstock Ltd Paul Nicholls
FIXE LE KAP (FR) 4 11-06 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nicky Henderson
CAMPEADOR (FR) 4 11-05 J P McManus Gordon Elliott IRE
LEONCAVALLO (IRE) 4 11-04 Bloomfields John Ferguson
VOIX DU REVE (FR) 4 11-03 Andrea & Graham Wylie Willie Mullins IRE
OMESSA HAS (FR) 4 11-02 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nicky Henderson
CHIC NAME (FR) 4 11-02 Richard Hobson Richard Hobson
DUKE OF MEDINA (IRE) 4 11-02 Exors of the Late H J M Webb Harry Whittington
KASAKH NOIR (FR) 4 11-01 Tim Radford Dan Skelton
WOLFCATCHER (IRE) 4 11-01 Bloomfields John Ferguson
JER'S GIRL (IRE) 4 11-01 E Bourke Gavin Cromwell IRE
ROMAIN DE SENAM (FR) 4 11-00 Chris Giles & Dan Macdonald Paul Nicholls
LE CURIEUX (FR) 4 11-00 Mme E Le Metayer Francois Nicolle FR
AKAVIT (IRE) 4 10-13 Simon Treacher Ed de Giles
DOUBLY CLEVER (IRE) 4 10-13 Francise Tieman Michael Blake
JALEO (GER) 4 10-12 Bloomfields John Ferguson
PADDYS RUNNER 4 10-11 Let's Live Racing Alan King
DIEGO DU CHARMIL (FR) 4 10-11 Mrs Johnny de la Hey Paul Nicholls
OCEANE (FR) 4 10-10 McNeill Family Alan King
MISSY TATA (FR) 4 10-10 Simon Munir/Isaac Souede Gordon Elliott IRE
COO STAR SIVOLA (FR) 4 10-10 Babbit Racing Nick Williams
MESSIRE DES OBEAUX (FR) 4 10-10 Potensis Bloodstock Limited Alan King
ST SAVIOUR 4 10-09 Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-St Saviour Philip Hobbs
ARDAMIR (FR) 4 10-08 The Dunkley & Reilly Partnership Alan King
JABOLTISKI (SPA) 4 10-08 Mrs Sue Lanz Philip Hobbs
PILLARD (FR) 4 10-07 Regulatory Finance Solutions Limited Jonjo O'Neill
DUKE STREET (IRE) 4 10-06 Chris Stedman & Mark Albon Dr Richard Newland
CLIC WORK (FR) 4 10-06 David Sewell & Terry Warner Paul Nicholls
OUR THOMAS (IRE) 4 10-06 Trevor Hemmings Tim Easterby
SIR CHAUVELIN 4 10-05 J Fyffe Jim Goldie
EL TERREMOTO (FR) 4 10-05 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nigel Twiston-Davies
TOCORORO (IRE) 4 10-04 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
BERLAND (IRE) 4 10-04 Bloomfields John Ferguson
HARLEY REBEL 4 10-03 Mrs Gloria Seymour Neil Mulholland
ASHOKA (IRE) 4 10-03 Frank McAleavy Dan Skelton
DAREBIN (GER) 4 10-03 Chris Stedman & Mark Albon Gary Moore
LAKE CHAMPLAIN (IRE) 4 10-02 Blessingndisguise Partnership Jessica Harrington IRE
PINKIE BROWN (FR) 4 10-02 B Dunn Neil Mulholland
SWAMP FOX (IRE) 4 10-01 Tom Egan Joseph Murphy IRE
BARAYMI (FR) 4 10-00 The GD Partnership Jamie Snowden
IMPULSIVE AMERICAN 4 9-13 Jo Tracey David Pipe
BIG MCINTOSH (IRE) 4 9-12 Kilco (International) Ltd John Ryan
PEMBA (FR) 4 9-12 Million in Mind Partnership Alan King
COBRA DE MAI (FR) 4 9-12 Norman Lake & Susan Carsberg Dan Skelton
RETRO VALLEY (IRE) 4 9-12 Favourites Racing Ltd David Dennis
IKRAPOL (FR) 4 9-11 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede David Pipe
ALHAMAREER (IRE) 4 9-00 S A Helaissi Paul Webber
48 entries remain
7 Irish-trained
1 French-trained
INVICTUS (GER) IS NOT QUALIFIED

LOU VERT (FR) HAS BEEN EXPUNGED UNDER RULE (F) 80

[mayo]

Campeadour got 7lbs above his Irish rating

Clic Work and Our Thomas are two I will be looking at now.

[Mytentoryours1]

Campeadour got 7lbs above his Irish rating

Clic Work and Our Thomas are two I will be looking at now.

The one I like for this is Jer's Girl off 137 if she goes here instead of the Triumph. Run really well last time considering she was forcing a strong pace in poor conditions. Her mark seems perfectly reasonable given her form. Maybe a nrnb job at the moment because I don't know whether she is confirmed here or if the Triumph is still a possibility.

[mayo]

The one I like for this is Jer's Girl off 137 if she goes here instead of the Triumph. Run really well last time considering she was forcing a strong pace in poor conditions. Her mark seems perfectly reasonable given her form. Maybe a nrnb job at the moment because I don't know whether she is confirmed here or if the Triumph is still a possibility.

It seems she isnt which goes to show how harshly Campeadour has been treated in relative terms.

[Istabraq]

I've joined the charge on Diego Du Charmil.

STD has made very positive noises about this one and Nicholls hasn't been shy about his chances either, reporting a piece of work where in a piece of work at home DDC quickened away from Zubayr.
Nicholls has a great record with juveniles having trained a couple of Triumph winners and more recently a couple of Fred Winter winners, you have to assume he knows when he has a 4yo that is well handicapped.

He had Aux Ptit Soins last year who had never raced in UK yet won a Coral Cup on his debut and his Sanctuaire won and egg and spoon race before being smashed into favourite to win this race by 9l a few years ago, I'm taking a flyer at 8s on the hype that's kicking around but I'd be surprised if he's that price in a weeks time....

[loveracing]

I've joined the charge on Diego Du Charmil.

STD has made very positive noises about this one and Nicholls hasn't been shy about his chances either, reporting a piece of work where in a piece of work at home DDC quickened away from Zubayr.
Nicholls has a great record with juveniles having trained a couple of Triumph winners and more recently a couple of Fred Winter winners, you have to assume he knows when he has a 4yo that is well handicapped.

He had Aux Ptit Soins last year who had never raced in UK yet won a Coral Cup on his debut and his Sanctuaire won and egg and spoon race before being smashed into favourite to win this race by 9l a few years ago, I'm taking a flyer at 8s on the hype that's kicking around but I'd be surprised if he's that price in a weeks time....

Do you think his price is a bit short now Ista? Maybe he will go out a little on the day?

I managed to get 10's and want more on him, but i'm not sure if 6's in a big handicap field like this is value.