JUNE 2010 HORSES

6 year old bay gelding     (Rudimentary – Megans Dreamer)     876F54/912463-121

There ought to be a film made about Alldunnandusted, about a plucky underdog that came good as a street fighter, after a wobbly start, when he was not very good at his chosen path. It would be called “All Done And Dusted” as spellingly challenged film titles do not work. Regular rider Jimmy Derham will be played by the guy from the Weetabix adverts. The lead role as Alldunnandusted gives us a choice. If we want accolades and critical acclaim, Robert De Niro. If we go for explosions, shoot outs and swearing, Ice T is our man. This may sound far fetched, but as long as the script is up to scratch, we have a commitment in the role of Seamus Mullins from Morgan Freeman. Now is the time for this project to work, as Alldunnandusted is in better form than ever. A close fifth on heavy and a fair sixth on soft in December was a taster for a good spring. Third at Hereford, when only pipped for second, has been followed by a win and a narrow runner-up slot at Towcester. His victim at Fontwell, Play A Cord, and Towcester conqueror, Ashmolian, then fought out a very tight finish at Fakenham. Hopefully this not the peak as there must surely be chasing to come, but the film will close out at this point in time (sequel in mind) with Lawnmower Deth’s cover version of “Crazy Horses.” And the conditions is which we shall all win enough money to make this cinematic essential happen?

STOP PRESS: Dug out another win by a whisker in an amateur's race at Stratford, despite being less than fluent at the last two and being headed on the run-in. Morgan Freeman drops his fee in excitement. All three wins on sharp, left-handed courses (two by a nose!) but placed runs at Towcester and Exeter sufficiently good enough to think those sort of courses are not essential.

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

Three possible faces of Allfdunnandusted, in descending order of probability

ERDELI     (P. R. Webber)

6 year old bay gelding     (Desert Prince – Edabiya)     7/4P/54-U

The intent to include Erdeli took a bit of a jolt when he unseated on his chase debut. It was not his first mistake and an earlier one had knock him off of an even keel anyway, so let us take solace in his earlier run at Wincanton – a handicap hurdle that has seen the form work out pretty well. It has produced a couple of winners, and Erdeli and Jackers (not run since) are the only horses from the first seven not to at least get in the frame afterwards. The horse made his hurdling debut as long ago as December of his three year old year, and it took until he got handicapped before there were signs of making an impact – apart from a fair fourth at Huntingdon – and after the failure in chases, perhaps hurdling is now to be taken seriously. The first run on fast ground was his best, and given that he was placed in mile and a half flat maidens, a step up in trip ought to do no harm.

Handicap hurdles on good to firm, over 2m 3f to 2m 5f

GAMBO     (Evan Williams)

4 year old bay gelding     (Oscar – River Thyne)     5-2

Hopes for Gambo are high, as he dived straight into his racing career over hurdles. None of this namby-pambying in flat racing or bumpers, no not offs in Irish points, nor winning a Welsh maiden against rivals who are beaten on their home gallops by sheep. Of course, a thirty two length fifth, struggling early but rallied reasonably later on – under an inexperienced rider - does suggest that had Gambo picked up a bit of know-how elsewhere, he may have fared much better. That thought was borne out in the follow up at Newton Abbot, where he was outpaced mid race but finished with purpose, picking up a few positions in the straight despite failing to threaten Express Leader. With a mixed range of ratings prominent each time, there are several ways of viewing the form, but the angle that gives consistency suggests he ran to a rating in the low 100s both times. With more improvement in him mentally and for a step up in trip, that mark would be appealing.

Handicap hurdles over 2m 6f to 3m, rated up to 115

PENYFAN DAWN     (Tim Vaughan)

Picking Penyfan Dawn has an element of chance about it, as it depends on how a couple of iffy runs in 2009 are interpreted. The worst case was that it was the sign of a horse souring very prematurely with the concept of racing. The alternative view is that he was never quite right after falling at Southwell, and drawing stumps in mid-October for a bout of rest and recuperation could have done him the world of good. Although he did engineer defeats of only a handful of lengths at Huntingdon and Worcester, the runs on sharp courses when the going was quick did seem to pan out best - a Taunton bumper win on firm and a Stratford half length defeat in a maiden hurdle catch the eye. With a season and a bit of learning under his belt Penyfan Dawn can perhaps make a serious new beginning over fences.

Handicap chases on a sharp track, on good to firm or firm

Having been trained recently in the barren foothills of South Wales, Penyfan Dawn is fascinated that Huntingdon has vegetation taller than grass

RED ARMY COMMANDER     (N. P. Mulholland)

5 year old bay gelding     (Soviet Star - Penny Fan)     0-39

Perhaps this horse would have been named Penyfan Dawn after his dam and the terrible Charlie Sheen film of the mid-80s had someone not a million miles away stolen the name earlier. So what else has come to cruelly afflict Red Army Commander's career? When he ran on the flat it seemed to be lack of talent holding him back. Six runs, and never once within ten lengths of the winner, led to him being purged out of the Jonathan Geake team with Stalinist ruthlessness, although there was one decent performance for fourteen and a half furlongs (sadly the race was run over sixteen) to tantalise that he was worth a dabble over hurdles. Like the Red Army in Finland, things have continued to prove tougher going than expected. A bit of an educational to start, was followed by a third place, well beaten despite picking his way nimbly past chaos caused by a faller at the final hurdle, and then ending up in a solid looking novice at Stratford. In that race he was eight lengths behind Cubism, whose planned inclusion here was foiled by an easy win at the same track off of 95, and if that form is taken as a guide, Red Army Commander is capable of making his presence felt in lowest level handicap hurdles. 

Handicap hurdles, up to 2m 4f, Class 5

YA I KNOW     (Mrs. S. J. Humphrey)

9 year old bay gelding     (Oscar – Strong Rosejen)     30U0U/2P5223P/PP14315U-

In his early career, after he moved on from Irish pointing, the results posted by Ya I Know came in fits and starts, mostly fits, but time has told us that, like prog rock and Dutch porn, his preferences are not for the impressionably youthful. Two wins have come so far, one over 3m 5f at Market Rasen and another over a furlong further at Bangor . For the impressionably youthful (if they have not wandered off in search of enhanced video gaming violence) that is 5,800 metres for one and 5,900 for the other. Both came when it was muddy, and it could have been one more win had he not contrived to unseat his rider at Fontwell in March. This was the third time that Ya I Know has 'accidentally' unshipped - anyone might think he was doing it for the humour value. Another thing that seems to have made a difference to him, apart from very long races and a love of being part of dubious analogies on the interweb, is headgear, and adding a tongue tie to the traditional furry sideburns looks to be a necessity. Whilst putting in a soft ground horse in summer might need a bit of patience, you never know what effect the river Severn may have on Worcester - or what watering will do to Uttoxeter!

Chases over 3m 4f or more on soft or heavy, with cheekpieces and a tongue tie