DALDINI     (Mrs S.J. Smith)

5 year old bay gelding     (Josr Algarhoud – Arianna Aldini)     2644/6419-8323

Recently switched into chases, Daldini has kind of replicated his approached when sent hurdling from the flat - show definite encouragement but do so in races where there may be a question mark or two over how strong the form  really is. The first run and second run appear to be completely contradictory. Second, staying on over 2m 1f at Sedgefield behind Oniz Tiptoes but then not appearing to see out the extra half furlong at Cartmel. However, a solid pace from the leaders and more testing ground may provide an excuse for the latter, and his hurdle form implied that stamina was not a major weapon in Daldini's arsenal, plus runner-up The Stickler ran well enough afterwards to give the form a healthier sheen. Although he is not the biggest thing on four legs, a sharp track does not appear to bring out the best in Daldini, presumably he is happier running in straight lines (his best two runs being at Doncaster and Wetherby), suggesting that his geometry regarding the shortest route between two points is well up to scratch, which in it self is ironic as the only pages Webfetch brings up for Daldini and geometry deals with analysis of vortices. Hopefully the equine Daldini will not leave supporters running round in circles until they disappear up their own nether regions. 

Chases up to 2m 1f on good/good to firm/firm, not on a sharp track

Daldini takes a dismayed first look at the bends at Cartmel

JIM THE GENT     (A.M. Crow)

5 year old chesnut gelding     (Pistolet Bleu – Waydante)     114-32

Thundering round a couple of bumpers on good to firm ground at Market Rasen and Perth got Jim The Gent off to a solid start to his racing career. They were not the worst of summer bumpers, so there was some confidence for his hurdling debut, but on the back of a long break Jim The Gent ran too freely early on and was Jim The Spent when the work got serious in the latter stages. At the time it looked a very decent novice hurdle (Young Albert won) but time has not smiled on the form, and similar can be said for the follow up at Perth, where the selection was much closer to the winner and showed, like anything other than the best bumper winners, a two mile hurdle is a bit on the nippy side for him. He has kept to fast ground as well so far, which is something to note, and some monitoring will be needed to see if he is the type to not settle when he has not run in a long time.

Stop press: Tackled good to soft (but was it riding that easy?) on 31st July at Perth and was a fair second to an Irish raider that had shown ability before falling in points and been a very close sixth of twenty-two in a good hurdle at Naas. Decent looking form.

Hurdles over 2m 5f or more on good to soft/good/good to firm

LEGENDS LASS     (D.J. Wintle)

5 year old bay mare     (Midnight Legend – Forgiving)     97-46956

Despite having a career highlight that is starting at 12/1 in a bumper, she looks a possible contender for the 'three and in' rule, having qualified for handicaps with three hurdle runs, plus gained some worthwhile experience in the testing ground of bumpers. That spell on the level was a fairly ordinary time, her best placing being fourth, beaten 2 lengths and a couple of short heads behind Fresh Air And Fun at Worcester. Legend's Lass did look to take a step towards obscurity in her final bumper, but the previous three came on good to firm, and that was on good to soft, so it was a first hint that she does not really appreciate cut, or perhaps is not yet string enough to cope with it. Her first two hurdles runs ended up a fair way behind Osprey View, but the margin second time was a third of the previous and showed signs of progress. Then she was off to Stratford to get her handicap mark, and was given a fairly gentle time of things behind hot zone. All three runs over hurdles have been at about two miles, and when Legend's Lass a) steps up in trip, b) gets decent ground and c) is asked to make a serious effort, then something a bit better could easily be forthcoming.

Novice/selling handicap hurdles over 2m 4f or more on good or good to firm

MR TEE PEE     (R.D.E. Woodhouse)

7 year old bay gelding     (Norwich – Msadi Mhulu)     5/5779-4462

Is it time for the name game? is the Msadi Mhulu a tribe known for living in teepee like structures, or is the implication that the population of Norwich is a bunch of crazed yahoos yet to discover the potential of permanent buildings? Perhaps there is nothing more to it than being named by a Sioux architect. Slightly more interesting than this piffle is his recent racing career. In his first try at three miles under Rules, at Uttoxeter, Mr Tee Pee looked very unlucky in running, stumbling on the final bend and then being hampered at the first hurdle in the straight. This suggested that most of the 21 lengths that he was short of adding to his point-to-point win were down to circumstances beyond his control, but a return to course and distance saw another problem that the horse could not correct, lack of stamina, foil his chance. The ground was softer, but after taking what seemed a winning edge approaching the final flight, he weakened back into sixth. Bear in mind that the first three home looked set to tail off entering the home parabola (it was very unstraight on the day), so race tactics may also have been an issue. Following up from the same mark at Bangor, but back to 2½ miles, he was run out of it by Tarkesar. Again looking the winner, this time two out, he found one rival with too much toe, but stuffed the others. As for the earlier runs, the less said about them the better (except that he left the Martin Pipe team after just one run), but the answer for Mr Tee Pee would look to be chases, where his three milers speed with two and a half milers stamina is less likely to be found out.

Handicap chases over 2m 6f to 3m on good/good to soft/soft

SEAFIELD BOGIE     (T.R. George)

6 year old bay gelding     (Darazari – Lucky House)     113648341134-F

A small warning comes with the selection of Seafield Bogie, who suffered the first non-completion of his career last time at Stratford, and fingers crossed that it 'snot a shape of things to come. It was very much a slip and crumpled on landing (commentator Mark Johnson had the self-discipline not to say that the horse was down on his nose) and although he took a short while to get up, it appeared to be due to fatigue. There is always the possibility that the first unpleasant experience of this nature can knock a horse's confidence, despite the many pundits who love to tell people to lump on one that fell in it's previous run, but the nature of this incident will hopefully not generate too much mental baggage. The venue on the day was presumably due to lack of choice, as Seafield Bogie has mostly run at, and looked very comfortable in, right-handed tracks. He has won on a sharp track, a bad novice hurdle at Market Rasen in which all he really had to do was get round, but a right-handed, easy course has been ideal, tallying a record of 18311. Small fields also help, with even the hurdle successes coming in no larger turnouts than 8 runners, so keep the eyes peeled, and nose to the ground, for the golden opportunities for Seafield Bogie.

Races on a right-handed, easy track with up to 9 runners

Seafield Bogie takes a glance going to post at the fence that would be his nemesis a couple of laps later

SHUIL AN BURREN     (Miss H. Lewis)

6 year old bay gelding     (Luso – Shuil Stoirmeach)     2

This gelding is a bit more experienced than the form figures imply, although that might not necessarily be a good thing. He had several tries in Irish points before he got off the mark in a confined maiden. One perspective say that Shuil An Burren might therefore not be the most dynamically talented individual to have emerged from the wilds of his Ireland to set up camp in the gloom of Wales*. The other view is that his yard has been getting hold of some reasonable youngsters in the last year or so - emerging with a good record in bumpers - and would presumably have had a good idea of the merits of Shuil An Burren. Oddly enough, he did not make his debut in a bumper, but in mid-July meetings of any sort became a bit thin on the ground, so the need to get a run may have dictated the way forward. Another possible reason for avoiding bumpers was that the horse looked an out-and-out stayer, and the best chance that he has of opening his account lies in getting handicapped for staying hurdles at the earliest possible opportunity.

* Anyone wishing to dispute this should first go and stand near the Severn Bridge and observe which side is swathed in cloud and which is bathed in sunshine. Although, of late, this could be swathed in cloud and swathed in less cloud.

Handicap hurdles over 2m 7f or more

A sudden realisation of what is about to be required hits Shuil An Burren, or is it a simple fear of photography?