FEBRUARY 2010 HORSES

CANNINGTON BROOK     (C. L. Tizzard)

6 year old bay gelding     (Winged Love - Rosie Brook)     2P2

A former British pointer, he won twice in that sphere, an open maiden and restricted. Depending on the area and meeting, this is not always an indicator of impending superstardom, but nobody was being shy when Cannington Brook went racing under Rules. He began at Chepstow, where he split Jaunty Journey (2UP afterwards) and Brenin Cwmtudu (6th on his only run since, and demoralised by the fact that people cannot say his name in anything other than a high pitched Welsh accent). Although the run seemed OK, the selection was dispatched to Newbury for a Grade 2 on his next run, which seemed a bit optimistic, and although it was a small field, a series of mistakes led to Cannington Brook pulling up. A series of hurdle entries were aborted by snow, but he washed up at Towcester in the end, beaten two lengths by Watamu Bay over three miles on heavy, with the third fifty-five (yes 55!) lengths behind. On this evidence, there is some mileage in remaining over hurdles, with races to be won, and having another think about fences next autumn or so.

Hurdles over 2m 6f or more, on soft or heavy

GOOD FALOUE     (N. B. King)

5 year old bay mare     (Kahyasi - Good Blend)     374-13

Although she took four attempts to win a bumper, Good Faloue had begun with promise, going down by only five lengths on her debut at Newbury. In following up, she was seventh of twenty at Doncaster, which was a bit of a backward step, and then fourth of nine at Fakenham, which was a more obvious regression, and of that race only the easy winner from those in front of her has managed a hurdle success. Therefore it was very much a return to her best (so far) when she won at Huntingdon on Boxing Day. It did not look any better than average as bumpers go, but, for what it is worth, was run 10 seconds faster than the other division on the day and had Good Faloue turned out and won her race by forty lengths, one or two eyebrows would have been raised. It was off to Plumpton for her first hurdle run, and she ran a noteworthy race (even closing on the winner late on despite defeat having been accepted), especially to anyone who was distracted mid-race and did not see her make significant mistakes at the sixth and seventh hurdles. Otherwise sound in the air, a step up in trip will help, and there is the makings of a preference for a level track developing.

Handicap hurdles, rated up to 115, on a level track 

In a good omen for the future, Good Faloue is completely undistracted by the starter dancing with one of her rivals. Alex Merriam is slightly more bemused, proving that the human being's ability to reason is not always an advantage.

MAJAALES     (T. R. George)

7 year old bay gelding     (Diesis - Roseate Tern)     7651101/8-52

Despite the misfortune of being lumbered with a name that sounds like Mexican slang for something in the genitals, Majaales has been very much sound of morale and effort for much of his career, but sadly not quite so sound of body. He had a decent first season in which he had three quietish runs in novices and then proved that they had worked extremely well by embarking on a swathe of destruction in handicaps - three wins wrapped around a mysterious disaster at Uttoxeter (possibly picked up a minor bang after an early error). And this achieved despite being raised seventeen pounds for his first win when the distances were only 4, 1.5, 4 and 0.75 lengths. For good measure he handled it well enough to beat Planet Of Sound in the next race receiving only eight pounds. So, in the spring of 2008, he had the wins under his belt and had run as if a rise in trip held no fears for Majaales. But that was the last we saw of him until December 2009, when the return to action was a creditable eleven length defeat on heavy at Leicester, only shaken off on the run-in. Next up was Newbury and a narrow defeat to Alfie Spinner. That was over 2m 3f, and back on a mark that he has won from. Having proven that he has retained his ability from that initial season, it seems time to experiment with even further. 

Handicap hurdles or chases over 2m 6f or more, on good to soft or soft, on a level, galloping track

MATMATA DE TENDRON     (A. Crook)        

10 year old grey gelding     (Badolato – Cora Des Tamarix)     443/P075326124/251259/41P1U31/0P6337P29-296

Let nobody accuse Matmata De Tendron of being anything less than heroic (readers who disagree are invited to shout “J’Accuse!” futilely at their computer screen). He has won five of thirty-seven in the UK , and the shortest of these have been over 3m 3f at Sedgefield, where he has also won a hurdle over even further. And all of the four chase wins came on soft or heavy ground. Given the tendency for French breeding to aim at two and half miles or less due to their race programme (yet how many of the most reputable French-breds in the UK seem to defy that convention considerably) Matmata De Tendron has become a pretty effective tool for marathon trips, although not one to mention in the same breath as The Fellow or Kauto Star, unless you are after the world record for most racehorses named in one breath. First impressions from his form suggest a Sedgefield specialist, but a win at Market Rasen sows a seed of doubt that he is that one dimensional. However, that success was in a four runner race, and back in the right conditions next time, he pulled up over the same course and distance. Poor showings at Catterick and Kelso also indicate away from the horse having hidden depths! Followers need to be patient, as despite having amassed his wins in a narrow range of circumstances, he is far from invincible in them - just profitable over an extended period of time.

Hurdles or chases on a left-handed, sharp, undulating track, on good to soft, soft or heavy, over 3m 2f or more.

RECKLESS VENTURE     (Miss Lucinda V. Russell)

9 year old chesnut gelding     (Carroll House – Satin Talker)     9733/677452U11FP/442P646-2392F2P

How does form of 11P22 look? It looks an awful lot like either an Albanian's personalised car registration or what is expected when Reckless Venture is in a chase at Hexham on soft or heavy ground. The downside is that the two wins came when he was on a pitifully low handicap rating (73 and 79) and ever since he was asked to scale the modest heights of marks in the high 80s or low 90s, wins have been elusive. However, Reckless Venture has had some well considered near misses in that time, enough to think he does not need to be personally insulted by numbers from the handicapping office for another success to come. In addition to the form listed above, he has been second three more times – once at Newcastle (over too short and on good to soft) and twice at Hexham. This establishes the fact that he has a preferred course, but whether it is racing on top of a mountain that moves him to great things, or simply Hexham-like configurations is unanswerable until he tries another left-handed, easy, undulating track.

Chases on a left-handed, easy, undulating track, on soft or heavy

TIMON'S PRESENT     (N. J. Gifford)

6 year old grey mare     (Presenting - Princess Timon)     26302-P86

Last season saw Timon’s Present look like a promising mare, but the form this term suggests she took a big step back. In fact, the dividing line is not that clear, as she pulled up back in May, tackling fast ground for the first time, and had her well beaten comeback on Boxing Day – new to Nick Gifford's team and over a much shorter trip. Timon’s Present just performed that day like a horse needing the run, being up with the pace and going well before she ran out of puff turning for home. The upshot of it all is that she has now got herself a handicap mark, which provides a chance to develop on the better of her variable hurdle and bumper results. That mark is 98, and whilst the majority of ways to look at what she has done hurdling says that is about right, there are a couple of anomalies that say the rating could be a generous present to Timon’s Present, plus the suspicion that the debut for her new trainer last time had a touch of the light warm up to it. Her name maybe be more subtle than it looks as in the Shakespeare play (or was it?) “Timon Of Athens,” the titular character receives milk white horses as a gift. They were all part of a serious of catastrophes endured, many self inflicted, so that is where this mare deviates from that plot. ***STOP PRESS*** Upped in trip on her latest run, she went better for a long way, then faded from three out, backing up the doubt over muddy conditions. 

Handicap hurdles over 2m 4f or more, rated up to 120, not on soft or heavy.

She is not exactly milk white but you can see how Timon's Present may start to go that way