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JULY 2010 HORSES
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AINT SHE THE LADY
(Tim Vaughan) 6 year old bay mare
(King’s Theatre – Gunner Marc)
4/65P3/62244P-47 In the case of Aint She The Lady, the
pattern is not in the days when she wins, because she has not managed
that step, or wanted it? However, she does run noticeably better on a
sharp track, such as being beaten eight lengths in a bumper by Knockara
Beau, or a run of defeats by two and a quarter lengths, then two and
three-quarters, then six and a quarter at Sedgefield and Musselburgh.
Her debut for the current yard did see her only seventh, but the loss
was by only nine lengths, and jockey bookings implied that Aint She The
Lady was the stable second string. She is getting to the age where
chasing is an option to go for that first win, but her run at Southwell
over brush hurdles was littered with poor jumping, so perhaps that may
have to be quickly eliminated as an option if she does not do it a bit
better. Handicap hurdles or chases on a sharp
track, over 2m 4f or more
Aint She The Lady is not demure enough to realise the impoliteness of reading the Racing Post over some else's shoulder BLOSSOM KING (T. R. George) 6 year old bay
gelding (King’s
Best – Red Blossom)
P0/05/P534123-2 It is very easy to
get put off by the fact that Blossom King did not win until his ninth,
and last, hurdle run and that when he did manage to open his tally,
there was nothing obvious about that race to suit him more than the
earlier handicaps in which he ran adequately but without generating too
much excitement. But Blossom King bloomed as soon as he moved away from
sharp tracks, many of which can be a minefield for hold up horses. It
could be argued that he did not have to be held up, it was simply that
bad jumping got him tied up in the rear. The downside of going chasing
after a win, was that his official mark in novice handicap chases was
ten higher than his winning hurdle one (the fact that the first four
were split by margins of three-quarters, three-quarters and seven
lengths makes that rise look a tadge unfair). On his chase debut he
switched to making the running, jumped soundly, lost by a couple of
lengths and was put up five more by the assessor, bizarrely two more
defeats, by fourteen and seven lengths, have seen his rating go up one
more, which is bordering on the absurd, and should be subject to cartoon
mockery from a suitably qualified artist, or a "Downfall"
parody on YouTube. However, by sticking to decent ground, short
distances and courses that can handle the turning circle of an aircraft
carrier, Blossom King can win over fences, although the handicappers
reaction, based on what has happened so far, may mean he has to be
immediately scrapped from the list when it happens. HYPNOTIC GAZE
(J. Mackie) 4 year old bay gelding
(Chevalier – Red Trance)
43 Initially Hypnotic Gaze caught the eye
when he went hurdling as a known quantity on the flat that might make up
into a handicap hurdler. The trouble is, his efforts so far have been
too noticeable to nick a soft rating. Beaten eight lengths on debut, the
third has been placed since, beaten half a length, and the runner-up was
impressive Stratford winner Hilfiger. The runners in his following run
brought some solid performances into the race with them, and although
the favourite’s effort was a touch suspect, the well beaten fifth,
Sadler’s Star, won a handicap hurdle off a mark of 105 after. The
problem for Hypnotic Gaze is stamina. He never actually managed to win a
flat race, and tried every trip between 7 and 10 furlongs, and in the
second hurdle run, he seemed set to be brushed aside until the then
leader tied up a little late on. So fast ground two milers it is then -
they are ten a penny at the moment, which is why all the staying hurdles
are over-subscribed. Hurdle races up to 2m 0.5f, on good or
good to firm I NEED A HERO
(Mrs S. J. Humphrey) 5 year old bay gelding
(Oscar Schindler – Old Fontaine)
054-13 In fact what he needs is simply decent
going. Four Irish pointing defeats were put aside when he eventually avoided soft
or heavy, and a bumper run at Catterick on soft, followed by a hurdle on
good to soft at Ayr were similarly doomed. He did finish a fair bit
nearer at Ayr, but the third was rated 69… A venture to Perth on good
ground was a bit better still, and after that I Need A Hero departed his
travel friendly Irish yard. What proved to be the secret ingredient was
a drop down in trip from two and a half miles. He won a very numpty
maiden hurdle at Fontwell (4/11 favourite ran a stinker) and then did
not do badly in being third in a beginners’ chase behind a vastly
superior hurdler whose jumping just about held together. He can step
forward from that sort of showing, although he did tie up late on, and
the open question is whether it is stamina or his breathing (wears a
tongue tie) that is at fault. Handicap chases up to 2m 3f, on good going, rated up to 120
"I Need A Hero?
You need one more like, in case I think you're in need of a hospital
visit." The selection gets all Mel Gibson with the Fontwell
paparazzi ONEMOREANDSTAY
(H. J. Collingridge) 5 year old chesnut mare
(Dr Fong – Subito)
95- One more and stay was actually an
all-weather type on the flat, with two wins and several close losses in
nine runs on sand. That is not often a recipe for excellence over jumps,
but her flat turf career, with places on soft as a three year old and
good to soft over a mile and a half in 2009 give her some credentials
for hurdling. There have been two attempts to far to develop that aspect
of her skill set. The first was at Huntingdon, where she did not perform
too dismally, having been held up early and found trouble in running
when she tried to make progress off of the home turn. The form has
worked out well. Next stop was at Chepstow, and the outcome was far less
encouraging, beginning more prominent and not really getting home. The
fourth horse has won since, but on the whole the value of the form is a
bit patchy. Handicaps beckon, and with one more quiet run, she should be
given a rating that is helpful. Handicap hurdles on good to soft or good, up to 2m 4f, rated up to 105
In contrast to
the previous snap, Onemoreandstay shows a touch of shyness, although
that does not automatically mean that she is not up to no good. RED JESTER
(G. A. Ham) 9 year old bay gelding
(Thowra – Red Ebrel)
P/U00/27P/118P951/7134223312P-463 It is tempting to exclude hurdles from
Red Jester consideration entirely, as the form of his five tries is
pulled up, unseated, 12/13 by over a hundred lengths, 13/15 by
eighty-two lengths and a ‘peak’ of 7/12 by forty-four lengths. As
the first four date back to 2005 and 2006, it is possible that were he
to revert to hurdling, he is better equipped to handle them. However,
chasing has really proved to be his gig, with five wins from
twenty-three attempts. No falls, and in the specified conditions a
record of P11917134214. That has produced a level stake profit of 29
points, but now that his hand has been played, that margin is not
sustainable, even though winning ought to be. He has been runner-up both tries at two and a half miles,
but the fact that the option has never really been persevered with may
be significant. Similarly, soft ground in the right conditions was only
tried once, and Red Jester finished ninth. Discouraging, but not
conclusive evidence that he cannot cope with it. Races on an easy, undulating track up
to 2m 2f |
