19/11/14

Willie Mullins
Aklan
12 35 Fairy house
Aklan (Ruby) looked good when winning his maiden hurdle at Navan but met with a training setback after that run. He seems to be back to himself now and hopefully he will go well here.
★★★★☆

Willie Mullins
Digeanta
12.35 Fairyhouse
Digeanta (Paul) was good on the flat and won his maiden hurdle at Gowran where he didn’t jump too fluently. We will have to see how he handles this soft ground and we might put him away for another flat campaign after today.
★★☆☆☆

Charlie Longsdon
Shear Rock
12.40 Warwick
Shear Rock runs for the first time in handicap company. He is still a real baby and I just hope he settles and jumps early. If he does, he should go well.
★★☆☆☆

Lucinda Russell
Smitharthur
12 50 Hexham
A horse with plenty of ability he was slightly hesitant at his fences last year but he looks much more proficient this time. He is the type that should cope with heavy going although he is yet to encounter it in a race, and we are looking for a constructive run tomorrow.
★★★☆☆

Willie Mullins
Outlander
1 05 Fairyhouse
Outlander (Bryan Cooper) goes for the 2 mile maiden hurdle. His bumper form was very good and his point to point experience should give him a jumping advantage here. The worry is that he has been off the track for a long time.
★★★☆☆

Lucinda Russell
High Time
1 20 Hexham
High Time won well last time and as long as he copes with the softer going he could have every chance.
★★★★☆

Simon Dow
Malaysian Boleh
1 30 Lingfield
Paul Mulrennan takes the ride. This Compton Place gelding has been running well of late and has been placed in two of his last five starts. Last time out at Wolverhampton he was fourth of 11 and was arguably unlucky not to win. He broke well but was soon dropped out by Graham Lee. He travelled smoothly throughout the race and came with his customary run on the outside of the field. He still had plenty of ground to make up when turning for home, but did well to pass horses all the way up the straight. He ended up finishing less than half a length behind the eventual winner and was subsequently put up 1lb. It was another decent effort and if he can replicate that performance tomorrow then he would have a decent chance of getting his head in front.
★★★★☆

Willie Mullins
Shaneshill
1 35 Fairyhouse
Shaneshill (Ruby) makes his hurdling debut in the 2m 4f maiden hurdle. He has top class bumper form which should give him an edge here. His point to point jumping experience will stand him ingood stead.
★★★★★

Charlie Longsdon
Triggers Ginger
1 40 Warwick
Then later on we run a 9yo from the point field. To be fair Triggers Ginger goes very nicely and would have an each way chance
★★★☆☆

Lucinda Russell
The Friary
1.50 Hexham
The Friary has his best form on heavy and is a horse who will keep up a consistent, if steady, pace.
★★★☆☆

Lucinda Russell
Outlaw Tom
1 50 Hexham
Outlaw Tom loves Hexham, has won over this distance and has been in good form this season.
★★★★☆

Roger Charlton

Major Jack

2:00 Lingfield

Major Jack runs at Lingfield over 6f. He has not been on the track since he won at Kempton two and a half months ago, where he won well. The race he won has not turned out to be strong, but he travelled through the race with supreme ease, and has only gone up 4lbs. He has had a little bit of time off, and naturally may be carrying a little extra condition, but he is in great form and ready for the race. Stall 11 over that distance is not helpful at Lingfield, but with pace in 1 and 2, hopefully they will go quick and he can find a seam and pick up the pieces late on.

★★★★☆

 

Lucinda Russell
Garth
2 20 Hexham
Garth has his first run in a handicap in the two and a half mile hurdle. He is a horse who will need three miles in time but the shorter distance on heavy going will be fine for him at this stage.
★★☆☆☆

Lucinda Russell
Venitzia
2.20 Hexham
Venitzia is dropping back in trip for this second run over fences.
★★☆☆☆

Simon Dow
Top Set
2.30 Lingfield
Seb Sanders takes the ride. This Tamayuz gelding was an acquisition from the Marco Botti stable over the summer where he had demonstrated some decent form in Maiden company. Since joining the yard he has left little to get excited about but it is likely that he was a little high in the handicap. He has subsequently been dropped 18lb and will now be running off a mark of 50. He works well on the gallops and would have a cracking chance if able to recapture his old form so we are hoping for a more exciting performance this time around.
★★★☆☆

Kim Bailey
Ballyknock Lad
2.40 Warwick
At Warwick Ballyknock Lad takes his first step hurdling and although this ground will too soft for him he has to start somewhere. One for the spring I feel. Ed Cookson rides.
★☆☆☆☆

Lucinda Rusell
Voyage of Newyork
3 20 Hexham
Finally Voyage A New York should find conditions to suit, he ran well last time at Ayr but found it hard to quicken and this staying track should play to his strengths.
★★★★☆

Willie Mullins
Aekwrisht
3.35 Fairyhouse
Arkwrisht (Patrick) makes his debut in the bumper. He is a bigchasing type by Lavirco who will be suited by this galloping track. It looks a good race but he should handle the ground and we are hoping for a nice run.
★★★★☆

Roger Charlton

Captain Cat

6:25 Kempton

Captain Cat has had a remarkable year which started almost this time last year when he won at Kempton off 86. Since then he had a great winter on the all weather, culminating in a victory in the AW championship races on Good Friday. He had time off, and came back to win two Group 3’s, be placed in two Group 2’s and then ran a mighty race on Champions Day to finish 4 lengths behind Charm Spirit in the QEII on ground that was far too soft for him, and when held up off a slow pace. In total he has won his owner over £240k in the year. Today’s race is very competitive for the time of the year and he is running against some of his old friends who he has beaten this year. He has to give a couple of pounds to some and more to others but he is the highest rated in the race and I hope he can show his true form at the end of a long year. The race provides optionality to him, as he has been invited to HK for the International races on the 14^th December, and we need to see if he is good shape before we ship him out there. The other option it provides is that it is a ‘Win and you are in’ race for the Good Friday AW Championships again, meaning the winner of the race today doesn’t have to run 3 times this winter to qualify, which is handy. We are hoping that he can win, but more importantly that this race puts him spot on for HK, and we certainly haven’t drilled him to be ready for today.

★★★★☆

 

Kim Bailey
Sunblazer
7.25 Kempton
I am heading to the all weather and Kempton tonight.
Sunblazer and Willie Twiston Davies team up in the last (7.25) The crowd will be doubled by the presence of the KBRP owners in Sunblazer.. They might not see him win although he will run well.. we are short of races for him.
★★☆☆☆