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WB isn’t taking the ‘easy’ options at Southwell tomorrow so hopefully he’ll run at Rasen off 126. And fascinating it will be.
Also entered (under 12st+ penalties) at Stratford on Sunday off 128 and Bangor on Tuesday off 135
Williams has been in something of the doldrums by his standards this year so it’s good to see him improve one again though WB had shown a bit of a resurgence earlier this year when with Brookshaw, but that did seem to coincide with the fitting of cheekpieces which haven’t been used under Williams’ care.
A good trainer
[it] is to Evan Williams’ credit that he has improved so much (or does it highlight the shortcomings of Steve Brookshaw?).
Hmm, let’s see if The Sneakster – a similarly-profiled Brookshaw animal that only got off the mark after 30-odd starts in a Cartmel handicap in May – turns up in a seller or the auctions any time soon, and gets picked up by another halfway useful trainer. I think there’s a bit more to her than she’s been able to show so far.
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I’ve been waiting for that moment for years – but I just like the name!
Appreciated he was exploiting lower marks prior to reassessment but one cannot help but think he would have run on Saturday had he been fresher.
Without the accummulation, I don’t think he would have got a run on Saturday, would he? His OR of 131 in the Plate included 10lb worth of increments – without these a rating of 121 would have seen him miss the cut-off for the race by 5lb and several places.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Not quite correct. He already had one 5lb penalty before his Wednesday win at Uttoxeter & was therefore on 126 – would have scraped in I think.
What is important to remember though is that prior to Weds, the trainer would have not been sure of getting a run. He would though, know that a win would practically ensure WB got a run.
The £7K won at Uttox + whatever he got for 3rd in the Plate is not a bad return!
His new mark as of today is 137.
Right, David. I’d taken the OR131 and the 10ew as displayed in the result in the Post as gospel here.
You’ll know better than me precisely how this works, having doubtless been at the sharp end of such balloting procedures on a few occasions, but whether one penalty would have been enough may well have depended on the number of remaining acceptors on 126.
Oniz Tiptoes was the only horse in the maximum field rated 126. Had William Butler been rated 126 and not run at Uttoxeter, thereby not attaining the extra penalty to ramp him up to 131, wouldn’t he have missed out to Oniz Tiptoes and any other horse on 126 on account of being lower-rated when the initial declaration for the Plate was made?
Either way, what’s done is done, of course – he put up a decent show, but one that was a little too clumsy at the critical stage. He’ll have earned a rest, now; indeed, his new mark will compel him to take one, unless connections decide they want to take advantage of his still-extant novice hurdler status in the interim.
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(PS My manners are failing me – how is Clemax after his Cartmel win? He looked a brave but very sore horse afterwards).
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Just checked back on entries.
He was indeed given a 5lb penalty (taking him to 126) for winning on Weds but as that was after the weights were framed, he was given a ballot mark as if he was still on 121. Thus his Uttox win had no bearing at all on him getting a run or not- I was incorrect.
He actually needed 1 horse above him to drop out to get a run. In the event Crossbow Creek did not run & so WB scraped in as the last horse to get a run.
So in acutal fact he not only unecessarily expended vital energy on Wednesday, he also incurred an extra 5lbs in the weights for Saturday – where he was beaten 2 3/4 lengths. Not Williams’ finest hour, and I would be surprised if the owners felt best pleased in the aftermath.
Though having said that, given that he got into the race as the last one in it is not too difficult to imagine why they ran on Wednesday. After all, he could have skipped Weds (and with it his chance to run off 111 rather than 137) only to find himself balloted out on Saturday without the prospect of a "soft" option as the handicapppers assessments kicked in.
What will be interesting is where he goes now…for a rest before being prepared for the Paddy Power would be my plan. As for the owners, they paid £6K in May & have won 4 races, been 3rd in the Plate, banked around £40K and have an horse that has improved by 40lbs in 2 months. I would say they will be delighted.
Jeremy – thank you for asking. Clemax is pretty badly injured. We will not know the full extent until we can scan properly but he faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The proverbial salt was rubbed in his wounds today with a 8lb rise in the handicap to 120.
Not Williams’ finest hour, and I would be surprised if the owners felt best pleased in the aftermath.
This is the nearest thing that Sue Howells has had to a halfway decent animal for a long time, so I’m sure her and Mr Swinnerton are actually quite pleased.
They’ve not quite coined it to the extent that David suggested, however – if memory serves it was Evan Williams who forked out the money for William Butler at the sales, and only sold it to Howells and Swinnerton (at what price I don’t know) on the morning of his victory in the Stratford Silver Cup. I was punditing that day – the Post had been informed of the change but Betfair had not, so the latter still had him running in Evan’s own silks.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Jeremy – thank you for asking. Clemax is pretty badly injured. We will not know the full extent until we can scan properly but he faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The proverbial salt was rubbed in his wounds today with a 8lb rise in the handicap to 120.
Oh dear – thanks for the update, and my sympathies to you and the horse. He’d mostly been on very good terms with himself this summer and it’s a real shame to lose that momentum now.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I don’t know.
All I do know is..
He will rarely give wind ops, even if the ‘lads’ beg him to.
He feeds straight nuts, no supplements or additives at all.
He schools them every other day, not just over a couple – a hard school.Jeremy, there is more(and less) to Howells’ horses than meets the eye.
Jeremy – thank you for asking. Clemax is pretty badly injured. We will not know the full extent until we can scan properly but he faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The proverbial salt was rubbed in his wounds today with a 8lb rise in the handicap to 120.
Oh dear – thanks for the update, and my sympathies to you and the horse. He’d mostly been on very good terms with himself this summer and it’s a real shame to lose that momentum now.
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Can I echo Jeremy’s sentiments – for what it’s worth I thought Clemax’s performance was one of the highlights at Cartmel on Thursday.
I like the way he rallied when he was headed at the last, although I did think McCoy was going to do you.
Although, like you, I think an 8lb rise is very much on the steep side
Thanks Jeremy,Paul…no great secrets to Clemax. He has won 4 for us- 3 of them class 4 handicaps. He has only ever run in 3 class 4 handicaps & he has won each time.
Interesting runner in the 9.00 at Bangor tonight. Glimmer of Light has his first run for Richard Newland having been bought for £2,200 out of Steve Brookshaw’s yard.
Not without a chance on pick of his form either. Change of stables might provoke a return to that too.
He’s a slightly different case, as he was actually quite useful for Brookshaw a few years back before hitting the skids, whereas William Butler hadn’t really achieved all that much prior to the last few weeks. Either way, you’re quite right, it’ll be interesting to see whether Dr N can rekindle the flame to any extent.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
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