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MARCH 2008
SELECTIONS
BEST
PROSPECT (M. Dods)
6 year old bay gelding
(Orpen - Bright Prospect) 2F1
For a three race career over
hurdles, Best Prospect has had quite an eventful time of it. On his
debut at Kelso, he ran exceedingly well, second to Starting Point, who
was winning his third on the spin but has disappointingly been beaten at
Catterick since. Apart from Best Prospect, only one other has emerged
from the race to win, and our hero was a bit lucky, as he was beaten
entirely on merit, only for it to subsequently emerge that the first
past the post, Ignotus, had one day of suspension still to run, making
disqualification inevitable. In the mean time, Best Prospect had fallen
when running well - and the eventual second has won impressively since.
And there is the problem with assessing this horse - the collateral form
is all over the place and evidence exists to support every view from
mediocre through to one step short of the Second Coming. The average
view is that if he sticks to the small tracks, he should find some
winnable races, and as he won on the flat on heavy right up to good to
firm, he clearly has a degree of adaptability.
Hurdles up to 2m 3f
ELLIOTT
(R. Rowe)
6 year old bay gelding
(I'm Supposin - Kiloran Bay) 4-6605
At a time when his yard was
struggling to throw off the effects of a virus, which more or less
scuppered two years of results for them, Elliott posted an encouraging
start to his racing career in a bumper at Kempton. When he switched to
hurdles, the initial response was not that great, and although he did
better next time at Towcester, it was still a comfortable defeat in a
modest race. From this point things got interesting, but possibly not in
a good way. After five months out, he reappeared from Jim Best's yard at
Fontwell. The performance looked for all the world like a non-trier, and
a stewards enquiry ensued. The published result was that the jockey
stated that Elliott had slipped on the bends and found little for
pressure, the trainer acknowledged that but said that he was not happy
with the inexperienced riders' contribution to the affair, and the vet
reported Elliott lame behind. The vet sort of explained the jockey's
view, and the trainer sort of queried that of the bends were a problem,
what was the deal in the straights,
and racegoers wondered what pressure had he not responded to? I know an
old lady who swallowed a fly etc etc. Anyway, the next run was a
surprise, as he had, after fourteen weeks off, returned to the Richard
Rowe yard, and at Folkestone he was subject to a ride only a couple of
notches more strenuous than at Fontwell, coming fifth to Lupanar. The
Fontwell jock may be proven right, that Elliott is more of a thinker
than a battler, but he is worth supporting for a while in handicaps
Handicap hurdles/chases rated up
to 105

Elliott comes out
past the prime vantage spot at Folkestone with an 'I'll show 'em' look
about him. But shows us what?
HEREDITARY
(Mrs L. C. Jewell)
6 year old chesnut
gelding (Hernando – Eversince)
8686/412130-769P4
For a long while,
nothing happened. Then whatever button needed to be pressed (possibly
the big red one marked ‘do not press’) was, and Hereditary sprung
into life. Fourth at Kempton in a modest handicap hurdle, he then won
twice at Fontwell and was beaten at the same venue by a mere neck in
between. This was followed by a tilt at a sub-par renewal of the
National Spirit Hurdle, where third of five, nineteen lengths behind
United was a fair effort. As all this was happening, time was showing
his earlier Fontwell loss to Blazing Bailey was not too bad, as take the
winner out and Hereditary was eight lengths away from being best of the
rest. All the evidence is that he needs a sharp, level track, with a
special affection for Fontwell. The poor runs on such tracks either side
of New Year came when his yard had been three months without a winner
and his handicap mark was a bit on the high side. Both of those problems
are currently not an issue, so Hereditary should be able to respond
appropriately.
Handicap hurdles on a
sharp, level track on soft or good to soft, rated up to 120

A
rather startled Hereditary finds himself about to finish discreetly down
the field, whilst retaining some pride in his occult cheekpieces
HIGH STANDARD
(J. L. Spearing)
7 year old bay
gelding (Cicerao
– For Today) 05534
As the bare numbers
imply, this New Zealand bred (hence the belated start to his racing
career) has progressed from a very modest start in a bumper. He posted
two fifth places over hurdles, with mixed merit. In both cases High
Standard beat plenty of other horses (13 and 15 went to post) but he was
also a bit too far behind the winner. Then his third hurdle run caught
the eye, as after racing was delayed half an hour, the field hurtled
round Ludlow at such a rate that the jockeys clearly were worrying that
someone would nick their packed lunch whilst it was unattended or there
were a few that had something on in the evening and they had to make up
the time. Despite an SP of 100/1, High Standard emerged a creditable
staying on third, good enough form to win a little race.
The impression of a frantic pace was confirmed as it was a good three
weeks before any of the first half dozen began to reappear in the
entries.
STOP
PRESS: Returned to Ludlow in a similar standard of race over 2 miles and
achieved a similar sort of outcome. At least it proved that the 100/1
effort was not a fluke.
Handicap
Hurdles on soft ground, rated up to 110
LEAC AN SCAIL
(Mrs S. J. Smith)
7 year old bay gelding (Lord Americo - Swing'n'Things)
1/0P5P-1U42
There is almost
certain to be some tongue twisting means to pronounce the Gaelic name so
it comes out Lies'n'Seals, a scathing criticism of the marine mammal
community, but it will forever seem to me as merely a way to order fish
with oniony/garlicy vegetable accompaniment. As for the horse, Leac An
Scail is quite easy to fathom on what we have seen so far, as when he
has run on a galloping track, he has won, and when he has avoided that
sort of layout he has lost. His inclusion comes with a slight question
mark, as the current yard is already the third he has represented
(although on his debut, for Tom George, the trainer was also the owner,
so there were presumably 'for sale, one careful owner' stickers
abounding). He won on his debut for Sue Smith, went over fences,
promptly unseated*, tried hurdles again when the yard were badly out of
form, and latest of all Leac An Scail ran well in defeat at Catterick
over 3m 1.5f on soft. As it went against his preferred course and going
trends, this looks an indicator of better things being around the
corner. Incidentally, although the Welsh have latched onto the leek, it
was ironically popularised by the Anglo-Saxons, about whom it is
speculated no other vegetables registered in their diet. Somewhat short
of fascinating, but so it goes.
* Let's celebrate
Leap Year by giving him another chance as a chaser
Handicap
hurdles/chases over 3m or more, on a galloping track, on good or good to
firm
MASTER ALF
(P. A. Bull)
8 year old chesnut
gelding (Anshan – The Little Bag)
P54
When this horse was
first observed lumbering around south-east point-to-points, he did not
seem at that stage to be a candidate for selection here. Given that his
trainer only has the occasional hunter chaser – at the moment the
mighty Honourable Spider is doing the honours – and then seeing Master
Alf defeated in a Members Maiden all added up to a pointing career only,
and possibly a rather tepid one. However, he slowly improved in the
spring of 2007 and has emerged sufficiently in the Rules arena to get
handicapped. He had no chance behind Air Force One on his debut,
disappointed a little behind Ruairi next time, possibly the drop to 2m
5f not suiting and then ran a bit too well behind Verasi at Plumpton.
Staying handicap chases beckon. Despite the name he bears little
resemblance to the 80s television alien puppet, which was brought to our
screens by the Pentagon as a means to convince us all that there were
good reasons for filling outer space with weapons of mass destruction.
Handicap
chases over 3 miles or more, rated up to 105
Master Alf enjoys
a spin round Plumpton, possibly too much and too close to Verasi for his
own long term good
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