MAY 2011 HORSES

8 year old bay gelding     (Alflora – Princess Maxine)     20/97659/031PPF977/1131/026P2531-

Back in the early seventeenth century when great stage writing involved the sort of stuff that would end up on the midnight slot on Film4 these days, starring Harvey Keitel, being the Duke Of Malfi, in the play the Duchess Of Malfi, was not a healthy position to be in, with regards surviving very long. Fortunately, the horse Duke Of Malfi bears very little connection to the historic character (the play really is based on a true story), as he keeps poodling along stoically and is gradually improving his win tally and stature as a consequence. What is enabling this is that he seems to have a phenomenally finely judged sense of the weight he is being asked to carry. As soon as it drops below 11 stone, he gets stuck into his chases (form of P1312631), whereas go above that threshhold and we are in the realms of 1PF97710P25. Note that the glaring aberration came early in his chase career, so Duke Of Malfi has an obvious talent for learning from his earlier errors (although he was in such low grade races then, that it was hard to be bad enough to have a low weight). Of course, “experts” will tell you that this is all nonsense, and that perhaps the psychology of the human parts of the team are being conveyed to the horse. Believe what you will, but support him when the weights are kept low. Up to now, he has only tried distances much greater than two miles on a couple of occasions, but with time on his back, he may be better equipped to stay them now.

Handicap chases, carrying up to 10 stone 13 pounds (including rider’s claim)

KOPYLOVA     (Tim Vaughan)

8 year old chesnut mare     (Moscow Society - Country Store)     58/77686/1134P-

The time of year for Kopylova nears. Could it be that due to the early dry spell it has arrived early and she has been caught out unprepared for it? This is perhaps not unique for her. In her early career, racing in the north, she did not really seem to have much idea of what was going on, and switching from bumpers to hurdles did not improve the situation, although her last run of her second season, where she was sixth in an OK novice hurdle at Kelso, finally showed something to work on. After this Kopylova had just over a year off, moved to her current stable, and more crucially switched to handicaps and fast ground. The immediate dividend of two wins showed that running in easier conditions had contributed a fair amount to earlier woe, and that view was supported when an early spell of rain in the summer of 2010 ruined her end to that season. She did pull up and go into hibernation in a manner that does raise a fear of injury, but let us hope that she will be well enough to turn out for another stint in 2011.

Handicap hurdles and handicap chases over 2m 6f or more, on good to firm

LE CORVEE     (Tony Carroll)

9 year old bay gelding     (Rossini – Elupa)     F146P/05799/53112303253/722P/5361927/168523-

After an inauspicious start to his hurdle career, with a second obstacle fall at Wetherby, Le Corvee has become a helpful fast ground operator. He runs often enough to see his preferences repeated, but rarely so spectacularly well that he obliterates any workability in his handicap mark, although in the last few years the drift into sellers and claimers has been notable. He did try chasing, going close a few times, but never winning. It looks likely to be hurdles all the way for now. With three Stratford two mile wins, it is tempting to anoint him the patron saint of that course and distance, or those similar, but he runs there often, and a Ludlow two and a half mile success, plus a Plumpton half length second show that he has more adaptability when it is called upon – it is just that it is used sparingly. The answer lies underfoot.

Hurdles on good to firm

LIFE LONG     (Anabel King)

7 year old bay gelding     (Old Vic – Be My Rainbow)     19/20609P3-2

Life Long is one of those horses where you feel there may be a clever pun in his name, but do not quite get it. But possibly everyone else is. He showed signs of being a little bit too shrewd for comfort early in his career, but it is starting to come right now. He won a soft ground bumper at Bangor on his first try under rules, having earlier been second in an Irish point, but he flopped badly on the second attempt in obstacle-free racing. Soon switched to hurdles, Life Long came second on his debut there, on fast ground, and looked set to step upwards from that. But it proved not to be true. Whether it was handicap mark management or a horse that realised that irrespective of the effort he put in, he would still be housed and fed, he hit a run of lacklustre midfield runs. Or was it simply a choice of venue? His record on left-handed, sharp, level tracks is now 132, and on anything else 920609P. A couple of three milers at Southwell lately have seen better results, and although pulled up after an error on his chase debut, maybe Life Long will cut the mustard if allowed to try again.

Handicap hurdles or handicap chases over three miles or more, on a left-handed, sharp, level track

QUEL ELITE     (James Moffatt)

7 year old bay gelding     (Subotica – Jeenly)     652-

For a horse of his age, Quel Elite is still rather inexperienced, having never learnt his trade on the flat, in points or bumpering. Although not placed, he ran a decent enough debut at 100/1, beaten only nine lengths in a solid enough standard of race, and his odds plummeted to 25/1 when attempting to build on that at Catterick. Maybe the run came a bit to soon for him to have digested all of the necessary lessons, as he lost by twice as far in a race of similar quality. A ten length second to a 133-rated winner last time should not be taken too literally, as the winner was not stretched to manage it, whilst Quel Elite was going all out to nab second, but his current mark of 107 looks to be extremely workable.

Handicap hurdles over 2m 2f or more, rated up to 115

SINBAD THE SAILOR     (George Baker)

6 year old bay gelding     (Cape Cross – Sinead)     314-

Having gained his turf flat wins on good and good to firm, it was never likely that Sinbad The Sailor was going to be best employed paddling round the courses in the middle of the winter. Thus after a promising hurdling opener on fast conditions last October, he has appeared less often than a roc, but more often than an animated statue of Kali. He did triumph at Ludlow in a race that has not thrown up later winners, but it is proving a fertile source of placed horses, and Sinbad himself almost joined that trend when fourth at Sandown in March. Only six of his oppo there have run since, but three have won (some have been much more woeful), and Sinbad gave a strong impression that he wants a step up to three miles plus – or 2.6 nautical miles – which also reflects his recent flat preference for long distances. All he has to do is make the oppo look like they have been animated by Ray Harryhausen, and we are in business.

Hurdles over 2m 7f or more, on good or good to firm