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Wednesday 18th February 2009
I must at admit to getting a bit excited when this morning when I opened my Racing Post to page46 to see Mark Johnson’s old inmate, Always Bold, was priced up at 10/1 for its debut for Donald McCain Jnr in the opening Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster. This was a smart horse on the level for his old connections and with 4 career wins to his name, the latest of which came off a mark of 86, saw him warrent a position in last years Cesarewitch seeing him finish a creditable 13th of 32. Just 4 1/2lengths in front of him in 7th was Phillip Hobbs’ 143 rated hurdler Liberate, 2 lengths in front of him in 11th was DR R D P Newlands’ subsequently highly touted and tried 120 rated hurdler Hernando Royal and 1/2 length in front of him in 12th was Sue Smith’s subsequent hurdling debutant winner Missoula. Also worthy of credit are the horses he had behind him such as Hamdan Al Maktoum’s 99 rated flat horse Daraahem, Peter Bowen’s Souffleur and Ted Easterby’s 90+ rated Ladbrokes Mallard Stakes (Handicap) runner-up Bollin Felix. All the above cements claims that Always Bold was a useful sort on the level and signed off his career in that code with a mark of 87, this the 2nd best flat rating in this race today – 3lb lower than that of the favourite’s Higgy’s Boy (90). Obviously today’s race will provide a totally different test for Always Bold as he has to jump and even though a bet can’t be placed on him with confirmed strong confidence he will possess a natural ability under this code, positives can be taken from the trainer’s recent form and work with similar horses.
Firstly, I like a lot of the horses Donald McCain has for Always Bold’s new owner; T G Leslie, I think he must be a well regarded owner within the yard as he seems to take on a lot of young smart sorts. Back at the beginning of the season Donald McCain ran Fabalu – a new arrival from the point-to-point scene – in Leslie’s colours in an Aintree bumper who finished a gallent 3/4 length 2nd to the highly-regarded Cloudy Times after a 7month break; he has since gone on to score twice. Leslie is also the owner of Strokestown – the horse nominated by his trainer as a dark horse for this season in his stable tour for the Racing Post. He also made his debut on the back of a 7month break but duly sluiced in in an Uttoxeter bumper by 10lengths before narrowly failing failing to follow up under a penalty (winner won again next time out). Strokestown then went and made a successful start to hurdling winning a Class4 Novice at Sedgefield. The same owner/trainer combination introduced another promising sort on paper on Sunday called Thumbs Up (previously with Luca Cumani). Bought in for 80,000gns he overcame a 4 month break to run a cracking race to fill 3rd spot with the winner following up impressively yesterday (Ski Sunday).
All this bodes well for Thumbs Up today with the 123 day break unlikely to inconvenience him and having forked out 60,000gns for him he is obviously quite well regarded and looks another good buy for these connections. The stable form continues to be on a high with Fiendish Flame winning, and Whiteoak making a most pleasing reappearance on Saturday, everything looks in place for a good run by Always Bold here today.
Of his rivals, Aather was rated 17lb inferior on the flat and didn’t show anywhere near the same level of ability as the selection. Nicky Henderson’s Higgy’s Boy (the likely short priced fvourite) was useful on the level and rated 3lb higher however he has to give 7lb to Always Bold today due to his hurdling debut victory at Newbury. The runner-up from that race has yet to really boost the form having been well beaten into 3rd and 4th on his two subsequent runs. Higgy’s Boy’s latest run could be ignored as it was later discovered that he lost a right fore-shoe during the race however it is likely he would have been outclassed in that company regardless. Howard Johnson’s Terrasini also has to give 7lb to Always Bold after a hurdling debut success even though Always Bold was rated a whopping 29lb superior on the level and this is expected to put paid to his chances.Recommendation
1.40 Doncaster
Always Bold
5/1 (BlueSquare, Paddy Power)
1 point Win- Total Posts 17716
The use of phrases such as ‘lending a helping hand’, ‘the service’ and ‘nap of the month’ would lead me to believe you’re not a typical contributor.
Do you run a ‘service’ outside of these boards?
Grand National good luck with that , your selection has a great chance ( i also put up ALWAYS BOLD earlier.
Also let EQUITRACK believes what he wants too – a lot of his threads and replies are very vindictive and also your contribution of your NAP OF THE MONTH was very good.
Bearing in mind EQUITRACKS contribution for Tuesday ( posted in lays and plays ) was far from a contribution but a waste of space.
He said he liked the look of SHINING GALE ………omg ………finished a distance last but he went one better and said his only real fancy was ANOTHER BROTHER……………..omg…………………….out with the washing ………………..this was left out over winter!!!
You carry on Grand National AND remember not to take no notice of EQUITRACK …unless you lay his fancys ……….and then you proberly will make a profit!!No i use EddieWoods ( american horse racing trainer whom i admire ) and i use as my username . I dont give free trials……………….but if you want to pay me thats fine
- Total Posts 17716
How did you get on in laying Synchronised (a winner at 10/1) and Vino Griego (a winner at 3/1) at the weekend, Eddie? They were, after all, my selections and clearly of little use.
SATURDAY …………..was that the past……..mmm…..5 days ago u mean……….oh yes i remember….what about this saturday ……..
Yes that was me …..what was the name again …….i remember losing my loon details but will be great to go on there ………..must be missing me..
Ethan get off my back u fool ……………otherwise i wont tell you about Beckenhams secet wins tonig…..u retard …………
Do us a favour and swerve having your stupid arguments in here. Huntingdon is where the tip runs today ….
Thursday 19th February 2009
Malcolm Jefferson has enjoyed a good season and his horses have been running creditably of late with Iwillrememberyou going close in a valuable chase at Haydock, Issaquah improving into graded company and Moscow Catch going down with a fight to Phillip Hobbs’ improving Tarablaze .He looks to have a great chance of collecting a tasty prize today in Huntingdon’s feature race at 3.25pm, the Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle worth £13,010 to the winner. In this, he saddles the highly regarded and rapidly improving McMurrough. This horse ran a cracker last time when an outsider in the market; finishing an ever-closing 3rd at 25/1. The 2nd horse that day Son Of Flicka reopposes here today and is priced up as the early morning line favourite with Paddy Power at 11/4. McMurrough has only had 4 career runs to date, winning his first two bumpers impressively before running out a gallant 4th in a listed bumper at Cheltenham in Novmber. He was given a couple of months off after those exertions and his 3rd place at Haydock was infact his hurdling debut in mid-January. He was anchored out the back for most of the race before seemingly struggling when the pace initially increased before staying on in most taking fashion. He has an extra half mile here today – as does Son Of Flicka – and even though his connections feel he has been crying out for the step up in trip, the work McMurrough was doing in the closing stages last time was in a totally different league without Kinsella resorting to the whip. Another horse reopposing from that Haydock run is Paul Nicholls’ Mahonia who was a well beaten fourth beaten over 15 lengths by the selection. It would appear he never ran his true race however he looked really poor and uninterested that day and couldn’t be seen as a good bet until he recaptures his early season form. Helpston is the other runner trading at a single figure price and even though he ran a great race last time to finish 2nd to Emma Lavelle’s smart, well-supported favourite Pause And Clause, i feel he could once again be vulnerable to an improver here. The other runner worthy of a mention is Nick Gifford’s Pale Rider. This 6 year old gelding had no chance on his British debut as he was up against Nicky Henderson’s Ainama but he did keep on well for 3rd that day over what will probably prove in time to have been an inadequate 2miles – he is another who should benefit from the step up in trip and a good run could book him his place as a lively outsider for he festival.
Recommendation
3.25 Huntingdon
McMurrough
100/30 (Paddy Power)
2 points WinFriday 20th February 2009
Just a quick one today sorry
Recommendation
2.00 Musselbrugh
Red Moloney
2.35 Musselburgh
Striking Article3 points Win Double
Saturday 21st February 2009
A good days racing for both the North and the South with the feature up in Newcastle coming at 3.30 with the Eider Chase – won last year by the subsequent Grand National winner Comply Or Die. This years hot favourite is Keith Reveley’s improving 7yo gelding Jass, who comes here in top form on the back of two bloodless wins which has however saw his mark rise 20lbs. Of greater interest is Charlie Longsdon’s Iwillrememberyou who is definitely improving and with his good 2nd place behind the highly regarded Coe at Haydock last time he is taken to go one place better this afternoon. A major worry for me about the favourite is that although he has been mightily impressive in his last two wins – he has carried weights of 10-5 and 10-9 respectively and in the main has been receiving weight however today is a totally different ball game as he is set to shoulder 11-9 (taking into account James Reveley’s 3lbs claim) and 4mile 1furlong is a long way to carry that sort of weight for the first time. On the contrary, and for all followers this is a huge positive, as Iwillremember is used to carry hardened weights in the 11stone range – including when carrying 11-7 into second place over 3mile 4furlong on really tacky gluey ground – some feat. Today however he will feel great with Tom Siddall on his back carrying only 10-13. This race often goes to a horse with that little extra touch of class that sets them out from the rest of the field and with the 2nd highest hurdle mark in the field – this rapidly improving 9yo can get off the mark over fences off a 9lb lower chase mark. I think this horse has a lot of potential and he could really go a long way over fences hopefully starting with a win today on the heavy ground he thrives on.
Staying up at Newcastle, Prosecco is the call in the totescoop6 Handicap Hurdle over 2miles at 2.20. He had the two main market rival behind him last time and even manages to meet runner-up Nelson Du Ronceray on better terms after his subsequent success at Ayr. Best Prospect is likely to prove the biggest danger. Down south to Kempton and Thundering Star will be carrying my cash in the opener. This classy South African stayer on the flat has been cryin out for this trip over hurdles and after extensive schooling at home an with Ruby up for the first time he looks a good bet to get the meeting off to a flyer. To complete the afternoon be sure to place some of your winning on Marco Botti’s Ceremonial Jade in the feature on the all-weather at Lingfield at 3.40. This improving sort is likely to get the race run to suit and meets sseveral opponents on much better. Not only that but the yard has been in flying form lately and this one is expected to keep up the momentum.
Recommendation
3.30 Newcastle
Iwillrememberyou
8/1 (SkyBet, Ladbrokes)
2 points Each Way1.30 Kempton
Thundering Star
7/2 (VCBet, Bluesquare, SkyBet, 888Sport, Coral)
1 point Win2.20 Newcastle
Prosecco
3/1 (Boylesports, Betfred, BlueSquare, Paddy Power, SkyBet, 888Sport)
1 point Win3.40 Lingfield
Ceremonial Jade
6/1 (Betfred, BlueSquare, SkyBet, 888Sport, Ladbrokes)
1 point Win
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