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12.25 Ascot – Mitie Events & Leisure Novices’ Hurdle.
An interesting novice contest and one that could contain a couple of very good young hurdlers. One who isn’t so unknown is Warren Greatrex’s Aloomomo, who is still a novice over hurdles despite six runs over the smaller obstacles in France and over here. He was third behind Yala Enki and Mr Mix at this track on his last run over hurdles in February and even though his experience could help here, a repeat of that form, even over this longer trip, shouldn’t be good enough as he encounters some very promising young horses.
Elegant Escape represents the in-form Tizzard yard here and off the back of a battling maiden hurdle win over Paul Nicholls’ useful Persian Delight; he holds strong claims up in trip. He was second in his only start in a useful-looking Irish point-to-point and is highly regarded, so has to be respected in a race where many of the runners’ full potential is yet to be seen.
Kim Bailey’s Laval Noir was last seen running out an impressive winner of a Huntingdon bumper, defeating a highly-regarded Henderson imate, Bardd. He’s a half-brother to the useful Kasakh Noir and despite taking a while to warm up on that racecourse debut; he knew his job well enough at the end and was quite impressive. However, despite his obvious potential, his lack of hurdling experience could leave him a little behind the others and he might be one to keep in the notebook for another day.
For me, the race looks between two exciting prospects from top yards that are unbeaten under rules. Laser Light hails from the Alan King stable, which always has some top class novice hurdlers in its ranks, and the five-year-old has already shown plenty in winning a bumper at Towcester and a maiden hurdle at Chepstow. The form of his hurdle win was boosted this week when Copain De Classe (eight lengths behind in 3rd that day) bolted up at the same venue and the second, Rolling Dylan, did the same at Uttoxeter. The race looks a good one and if those two in behind are anything to go by, King might have a seriously smart horse on his hands. The form of his point-to-point second behind the smart Robin Roe looks more than solid too with that rival hammering a good field at Aintree. He’s a very solid choice in anyone’s book.
COASTAL TIEP, by the admission of jockey Nick Scholfield, is ‘a bit of a playboy’, who showed his inexperience, including a tendency to be a bit lazy and not concentrate properly on his last run at Kempton where he jumped awkwardly at times, was still green for much of the race and needed cajoling as early as the seventh hurdle. However, he still ran out a facile seven length winner over a rival rated 123 and, also by Scholfield’s admission, is a horse that the Nicholls stable hasn’t got to anywhere near the bottom of yet. He’s still just a four-year-old and clearly has plenty of improvement still to come in the hands of the master trainer. The Coastal Path gelding looks a strong stayer with a big career still ahead of him and the way he did everything wrong last time and still won very easily has stuck in my head ever since – if he’s grown up mentally and knows his job better here, he really could be anything, hopefully a Graded-class novice in a race that could contain at least two of them.
MY Advice
COASTAL TIEP – 1pt win @ 10/3 (bet365, BetVictor)
12.40 Haydock – Better Odds With Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle.
Just the six runners head to post for this 2m2f contest and the field is headed by Connetable who enjoyed a fine start to the season last term, finishing second in a warm race at Ascot before getting the better of his elders in the Listed Contenders Hurdle at Sandown. Hopes were high for Paul Nicholls’ juvenile after that but he disappointed on his two subsequent runs when down the field in both the Triumph Hurdle and the Scottish Champion Hurdle. However both of those runs came on quicker ground and it is possible that a return to the testing conditions he is likely to encounter tomorrow will show him in a better light. Nicholls has also chosen to utilise the valuable 5lb claim of Stan Sheppard who has already shown himself to be more than competent in the saddle and it should lessen the burden a little. Clearly fitness has to be taken on trust on his seasonal reappearance but in these conditions I think fitness is likely to play a big part and therefore he is reluctantly passed over.
He is joined at the head of the weights by James Ewart’s Aristo Du Plessis who has progressed rapidly over the last two seasons, winning six of his last ten starts. His two starts this term haven’t been too clever but he didn’t seem to take to chasing at Cheltenham in October and he was just outclassed in the Elite Hurdle last time. Clearly he needs to bounce back to form here but he sits on his last winning mark (145) and Dale Irving takes a valuable 5lb off his back. He has won on soft in the past so he should handle conditions but the step up in trip is a big question mark and I think others have stronger claims.
One who is likely to be popular in the market is Nigel Twiston-Davies’ El Terremoto who built on a solid British debut at Chepstow when winning at Stratford at the end of last month. The four-year-old seemed to appreciate stepping up to 2m6f so it is interesting that connections are dropping him back to 2m3f here. The form of his Stratford win doesn’t look overly strong for all he seemed to win very well and he could easily still have more improvement to come. The major question mark for him would have to be the ground as he was well beaten on all four starts on very soft ground when trained in France. That is likely to be major concern bearing in mind what the ground is likely to be at Haydock and for that reason I feel he is worth taking on.
The one who looks to have most going in his favour is the Emmanuel Clayeux-trained FYRMYIN who has won his last three starts in his native France. He showed he handled very soft ground when winning at Vichy in September and for all the form is hard to weigh up, he certainly has race fitness on his side. His trainer was weighing up running him in the Fixed Brush Hurdle instead so he clearly thinks plenty of him and he has to come into consideration getting 9lb from those at the head of the weights. I tend to find that foreign-trained horses are often a bigger price when running over here and in what are likely to be very attritional conditions, I think it is worth taking a chance on him.
Of the rest, Massini’s Trap caused something of a surprise when winning at Aintree a few weeks ago, sprinting clear of his rivals in the closing stages to win by five lengths. Some of those behind him included the smart Born Survivor and Buywise, who ran a fine race in the BetVictor Gold Cup last weekend. Ciaran Gethings’ 5lb claim negates most of the rise in the weights he received for that run but with that victory having come on a sound surface, it remains to be seen whether he will handle these slower conditions.
The field is completed by Jim Goldie’s Great Fighter who has just the one win to his name over hurdles so far. He was running on from the back on his latest outing at Ayr at the end of last month but these conditions are something of an unknown for him. His jockey Brian Hughes could not be in better form but the six-year-old would need a career best by some way to get his head in front here.
MY Advice
FYRMYIN – 1pt win @ 13/2 (Paddy Power)
1.05 Huntingdon – The Brian Stone 50th Birthday Celebration EBF TBA Mares’ Novices’ Steeple Chase.
As a pretty valuable race of its type, despite only a select field of five, the line-up looks well above average and it promises to be an intriguing contest.
The quintet look very well matched on paper with them all returning from a summer break and without any previous chasing experience under rules to go on, their form over hurdles looks the best place to start and the top-rated over the smaller obstacles is THE ORGANIST.
The five-year-old was an impressive winner of a Perth mares’ bumper for Stuart Crawford last May and was snapped up by Anthony Bromley’s Million In Mind operation on the back of that victory for £60,000; a shrewd purchase given J. P. McManus (sho also purchased her half-brother Regal Encore for a sizeable sum) went to £260,000 to acquire her just a year later. Stepped up in trip for her first two hurdles starts, she wiped the floor with the opposition and bounced back from a below-par effort over an inadequate two miles to score at Listed level in a particularly competitive mares’ race over three miles at Doncaster’s Grimthorpe Chase meeting in March. In all likelihood, she would have enhanced her profile with another Listed win at Cheltenham the following month but for coming to grief at the last and despite being under pressure, she seemed to keep finding extra. It could have been a very good performance given she was conceding at least 5lb all round and providing that hiccup hasn’t dented her confidence, she could prove a real force in this sphere.
Sainte Ladylime was left in the lead in that fateful Cheltenham contest but didn’t have enough in the tank having made a mistake at the final flight to hold off Katie Too and Actinpieces, eventually finishing third. That was still probably a career-best effort and she seemed to go from strength to strength upon joining Kim Bailey and tackling hurdles last season. In truth, she was long odds-on on her final two victories against questionable opposition and would be 9lb wrong with the selection on their hurdles marks but she clearly has ability and her participation adds to the intrigue of this contest.
The only horse to beat the selection when she has completed in her career to date is Tara Flow who comfortably got the better of her re-opposing rival at Leicester back in January. However, Venetia Williams’ mare looked more at home over the minimum trip and put her speed to good use. She looks like making a cracking chaser as a big rangy sort but her jumping was let down in a Sandown Grade 2 on her latest start and the step up to today’s trip didn’t seem to suit her as she was far too free throughout. With that in mind, she will have to settle a lot better now tackling fences for the first time but it’s worth noting that her bumper form in Ireland for Pat Fahy was particularly smart with subsequent Grade 1 winner Don’ Touch It and Grade 1 runner-up Last Encounter in behind so she evidently has the ability to make her mark. Charlie Deutsch’s valuable 5lb claim can only aid her cause.
The remaining pair have an edge on their rivals as they both emerged from the pointing sphere with a win to their name although Treaty Girl does look to be the one with a bit to find on the rest of the field. She was a wide margin winner of a maiden and novice hurdle earlier this year but was found out in a Listed handicap hurdle at Cheltenham behind Briery Belle (who was runner-up to the selection at Doncaster on her previous start) on her latest start.
Of more interest is Tagrita who represents the bang in-form Paul Nicholls. She is the most experienced campaigner in the field having already had 11 starts over hurdles to go with her impressive victory in her sole start in Irish points. The eight-year-old returned from a year off to score in a pair of Wincanton handicap hurdles last campaign but signed off with a lacklustre effort at Fontwell on her final start back in March. She is bred for fences and will no doubt have been well schooled at Manor House Stables but has tended to come on for her seasonal bow in the past.
MY Advice
THE ORGANIST – 2pts win @ 2/1 (bet365
An interesting novice contest and one that could contain a couple of very good young hurdlers. One who isn’t so unknown is Warren Greatrex’s Aloomomo, who is still a novice over hurdles despite six runs over the smaller obstacles in France and over here. He was third behind Yala Enki and Mr Mix at this track on his last run over hurdles in February and even though his experience could help here, a repeat of that form, even over this longer trip, shouldn’t be good enough as he encounters some very promising young horses.
Elegant Escape represents the in-form Tizzard yard here and off the back of a battling maiden hurdle win over Paul Nicholls’ useful Persian Delight; he holds strong claims up in trip. He was second in his only start in a useful-looking Irish point-to-point and is highly regarded, so has to be respected in a race where many of the runners’ full potential is yet to be seen.
Kim Bailey’s Laval Noir was last seen running out an impressive winner of a Huntingdon bumper, defeating a highly-regarded Henderson imate, Bardd. He’s a half-brother to the useful Kasakh Noir and despite taking a while to warm up on that racecourse debut; he knew his job well enough at the end and was quite impressive. However, despite his obvious potential, his lack of hurdling experience could leave him a little behind the others and he might be one to keep in the notebook for another day.
For me, the race looks between two exciting prospects from top yards that are unbeaten under rules. Laser Light hails from the Alan King stable, which always has some top class novice hurdlers in its ranks, and the five-year-old has already shown plenty in winning a bumper at Towcester and a maiden hurdle at Chepstow. The form of his hurdle win was boosted this week when Copain De Classe (eight lengths behind in 3rd that day) bolted up at the same venue and the second, Rolling Dylan, did the same at Uttoxeter. The race looks a good one and if those two in behind are anything to go by, King might have a seriously smart horse on his hands. The form of his point-to-point second behind the smart Robin Roe looks more than solid too with that rival hammering a good field at Aintree. He’s a very solid choice in anyone’s book.
COASTAL TIEP, by the admission of jockey Nick Scholfield, is ‘a bit of a playboy’, who showed his inexperience, including a tendency to be a bit lazy and not concentrate properly on his last run at Kempton where he jumped awkwardly at times, was still green for much of the race and needed cajoling as early as the seventh hurdle. However, he still ran out a facile seven length winner over a rival rated 123 and, also by Scholfield’s admission, is a horse that the Nicholls stable hasn’t got to anywhere near the bottom of yet. He’s still just a four-year-old and clearly has plenty of improvement still to come in the hands of the master trainer. The Coastal Path gelding looks a strong stayer with a big career still ahead of him and the way he did everything wrong last time and still won very easily has stuck in my head ever since – if he’s grown up mentally and knows his job better here, he really could be anything, hopefully a Graded-class novice in a race that could contain at least two of them.
MY Advice
COASTAL TIEP – 1pt win @ 10/3 (bet365, BetVictor)
12.40 Haydock – Better Odds With Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle.
Just the six runners head to post for this 2m2f contest and the field is headed by Connetable who enjoyed a fine start to the season last term, finishing second in a warm race at Ascot before getting the better of his elders in the Listed Contenders Hurdle at Sandown. Hopes were high for Paul Nicholls’ juvenile after that but he disappointed on his two subsequent runs when down the field in both the Triumph Hurdle and the Scottish Champion Hurdle. However both of those runs came on quicker ground and it is possible that a return to the testing conditions he is likely to encounter tomorrow will show him in a better light. Nicholls has also chosen to utilise the valuable 5lb claim of Stan Sheppard who has already shown himself to be more than competent in the saddle and it should lessen the burden a little. Clearly fitness has to be taken on trust on his seasonal reappearance but in these conditions I think fitness is likely to play a big part and therefore he is reluctantly passed over.
He is joined at the head of the weights by James Ewart’s Aristo Du Plessis who has progressed rapidly over the last two seasons, winning six of his last ten starts. His two starts this term haven’t been too clever but he didn’t seem to take to chasing at Cheltenham in October and he was just outclassed in the Elite Hurdle last time. Clearly he needs to bounce back to form here but he sits on his last winning mark (145) and Dale Irving takes a valuable 5lb off his back. He has won on soft in the past so he should handle conditions but the step up in trip is a big question mark and I think others have stronger claims.
One who is likely to be popular in the market is Nigel Twiston-Davies’ El Terremoto who built on a solid British debut at Chepstow when winning at Stratford at the end of last month. The four-year-old seemed to appreciate stepping up to 2m6f so it is interesting that connections are dropping him back to 2m3f here. The form of his Stratford win doesn’t look overly strong for all he seemed to win very well and he could easily still have more improvement to come. The major question mark for him would have to be the ground as he was well beaten on all four starts on very soft ground when trained in France. That is likely to be major concern bearing in mind what the ground is likely to be at Haydock and for that reason I feel he is worth taking on.
The one who looks to have most going in his favour is the Emmanuel Clayeux-trained FYRMYIN who has won his last three starts in his native France. He showed he handled very soft ground when winning at Vichy in September and for all the form is hard to weigh up, he certainly has race fitness on his side. His trainer was weighing up running him in the Fixed Brush Hurdle instead so he clearly thinks plenty of him and he has to come into consideration getting 9lb from those at the head of the weights. I tend to find that foreign-trained horses are often a bigger price when running over here and in what are likely to be very attritional conditions, I think it is worth taking a chance on him.
Of the rest, Massini’s Trap caused something of a surprise when winning at Aintree a few weeks ago, sprinting clear of his rivals in the closing stages to win by five lengths. Some of those behind him included the smart Born Survivor and Buywise, who ran a fine race in the BetVictor Gold Cup last weekend. Ciaran Gethings’ 5lb claim negates most of the rise in the weights he received for that run but with that victory having come on a sound surface, it remains to be seen whether he will handle these slower conditions.
The field is completed by Jim Goldie’s Great Fighter who has just the one win to his name over hurdles so far. He was running on from the back on his latest outing at Ayr at the end of last month but these conditions are something of an unknown for him. His jockey Brian Hughes could not be in better form but the six-year-old would need a career best by some way to get his head in front here.
MY Advice
FYRMYIN – 1pt win @ 13/2 (Paddy Power)
1.05 Huntingdon – The Brian Stone 50th Birthday Celebration EBF TBA Mares’ Novices’ Steeple Chase.
As a pretty valuable race of its type, despite only a select field of five, the line-up looks well above average and it promises to be an intriguing contest.
The quintet look very well matched on paper with them all returning from a summer break and without any previous chasing experience under rules to go on, their form over hurdles looks the best place to start and the top-rated over the smaller obstacles is THE ORGANIST.
The five-year-old was an impressive winner of a Perth mares’ bumper for Stuart Crawford last May and was snapped up by Anthony Bromley’s Million In Mind operation on the back of that victory for £60,000; a shrewd purchase given J. P. McManus (sho also purchased her half-brother Regal Encore for a sizeable sum) went to £260,000 to acquire her just a year later. Stepped up in trip for her first two hurdles starts, she wiped the floor with the opposition and bounced back from a below-par effort over an inadequate two miles to score at Listed level in a particularly competitive mares’ race over three miles at Doncaster’s Grimthorpe Chase meeting in March. In all likelihood, she would have enhanced her profile with another Listed win at Cheltenham the following month but for coming to grief at the last and despite being under pressure, she seemed to keep finding extra. It could have been a very good performance given she was conceding at least 5lb all round and providing that hiccup hasn’t dented her confidence, she could prove a real force in this sphere.
Sainte Ladylime was left in the lead in that fateful Cheltenham contest but didn’t have enough in the tank having made a mistake at the final flight to hold off Katie Too and Actinpieces, eventually finishing third. That was still probably a career-best effort and she seemed to go from strength to strength upon joining Kim Bailey and tackling hurdles last season. In truth, she was long odds-on on her final two victories against questionable opposition and would be 9lb wrong with the selection on their hurdles marks but she clearly has ability and her participation adds to the intrigue of this contest.
The only horse to beat the selection when she has completed in her career to date is Tara Flow who comfortably got the better of her re-opposing rival at Leicester back in January. However, Venetia Williams’ mare looked more at home over the minimum trip and put her speed to good use. She looks like making a cracking chaser as a big rangy sort but her jumping was let down in a Sandown Grade 2 on her latest start and the step up to today’s trip didn’t seem to suit her as she was far too free throughout. With that in mind, she will have to settle a lot better now tackling fences for the first time but it’s worth noting that her bumper form in Ireland for Pat Fahy was particularly smart with subsequent Grade 1 winner Don’ Touch It and Grade 1 runner-up Last Encounter in behind so she evidently has the ability to make her mark. Charlie Deutsch’s valuable 5lb claim can only aid her cause.
The remaining pair have an edge on their rivals as they both emerged from the pointing sphere with a win to their name although Treaty Girl does look to be the one with a bit to find on the rest of the field. She was a wide margin winner of a maiden and novice hurdle earlier this year but was found out in a Listed handicap hurdle at Cheltenham behind Briery Belle (who was runner-up to the selection at Doncaster on her previous start) on her latest start.
Of more interest is Tagrita who represents the bang in-form Paul Nicholls. She is the most experienced campaigner in the field having already had 11 starts over hurdles to go with her impressive victory in her sole start in Irish points. The eight-year-old returned from a year off to score in a pair of Wincanton handicap hurdles last campaign but signed off with a lacklustre effort at Fontwell on her final start back in March. She is bred for fences and will no doubt have been well schooled at Manor House Stables but has tended to come on for her seasonal bow in the past.
MY Advice
THE ORGANIST – 2pts win @ 2/1 (bet365
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