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NOVEMBER 2011 HORSES |
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ARCTIC WINGS
(Tony Carroll) 7 year old bay
gelding (In
The Wings – Arctic Hunt)
0139/3F6108/833P61P/4205-78 Three wins from
twenty-three jump races (all but one over hurdles) is not the sort of
output that always catches the eye, but isolate the wins and all of a
sudden an exploitable pattern leaps out, like some sort of flying, icy
monster. Put Arctic Wings on a left-handed, galloping, level track and
his history is 110125. Which means from seventeen races on other
courses, he has done no better than third. All of the wins have come on
good to soft, which is a rarity, as “good to soft” can cover a
multitude of ways in which the ground could be slightly wet, and they
tend to have a varied effect on a horse. The second place was on soft,
and the two out of the frame came on good, although his eleven length
fifth at Ayr was far from a dismal failure. Arctic Wings did give
chasing a go earlier this year, but Catterick foiled him. Perhaps it is
time for a revisit (Perhaps “You can take these Arctic Wings and learn
to fly again” etc etc etc), but he can keep chugging away over hurdles
as well. Also, with the BBC promoting the series “Frozen Planet” so
heavily, he is a topical selection at the moment. Handicap
hurdles/chases on good to soft or soft, on a left-handed, galloping,
level track BLUE LOVELL
(Caroline Keevil) 5 year old grey mare
(Loup Solitaire – Wackie)
4792-77 At the time of
writing, Blue Lovell’s yard is ominously near the top of the cold list
in the Racing Post stats. Perversely, this is a source of optimism, as
the mare herself has shown a bit of encouragement during the drought,
and a bit more earlier this year, from which the lateral thinker is
inclined to expect further progress can be made. After a so-so wander
through the bumper arena, she was a fairly respectable second on her
hurdles debut. At Towcester soon afterwards, Blue Lovell lost by
further. At the time it was easy to write off as a non-staying effort,
in hindsight perhaps it was an early symptom of not being in good enough
state of health to see out the race. By the time she returned from her
summer break at Worcester, expectations were fairly low, but the staying
variety of Blue Lovell expected from an early rise in trip on a stiff
track was more in evidence than a bare two miler. There should be better
on the cards. Handicap hurdles over
2m 3f or more, rated up to 100 KORALSDARLING
(Alan Jones) 7 year old bay
gelding (Witness
Box – Jenny’s Jewel)
00/8-53 Obviously the form
numbers illustrate that Koralsdarling is not in the running for any
prizes for staying busy. Or any for excellence. Rather like Blue Lovell
earlier, he contributed minimal performance in bumpers, although the
third one, at Handicap hurdles over
2m 3f or more, rated up to 105 NOTABOTHERONME
(Dai Burchell) 9 year old bay/brown
gelding (Religiously
– Kylogue’s Delight)
246737/P212325/46P7120/78-54 The first thing that
is noticed about Notabotheronme is that the thing which bothers him
least is muddy three mile chases at Chepstow. Both wins and three of his
four second places have come in them. Which means we are looking to
follow him at courses a bit like Chepstow. Far be it for UK-Jumping to
suggest it means looking for courses with abysmal viewing, horribly
overpriced admission, poor accessibility and a management that is only
interested in bar takings. The other second place came at Warwick, so
the theme is tracks that are left-handed, undulating and with easy
bends. Anything beyond three miles will do, and the more rain the
better. Perhaps there is a slight concern that actual racecourse
appearances have dried up a touch in the last season and a half, but the
last three losses all being a bit pathetic are no concern as
Notabotheronme was never at the right venue, and twice not on the right
ground either. Handicap chases on a
left-handed, easy, undulating track, over three miles or more, on soft
or heavy OLIVINO
(Bernard Llewellyn) 10 year old chesnut
gelding (Second
Set – Osdemona)
574221//P85/1211536243/326213-765 The first thing that
people would consider when assessing Olivino is what is the pattern in
his five wins. Easy enough, decent or fast ground on a level,
left-handed course. Preferably sharp, as a win at Wetherby could easily
be recorded in print as a Bill Corliss approved anomaly. However, form
on softer ground, although much rarer in his history, does not
necessarily eliminate muddy ground as a source of wins. Let us regard it
from another angle, the dark side of cheese. When Olivino carries
weights of less than eleven stone in handicap hurdles, the record is
111661. Enhancing the positive train of thought, in claimers bearing a
similar weight range, he has gone 243, in two of which he was not
especially well treated in comparison with the best of the enemy.
Perhaps future wins will roll with the ground based theory that sticks
out like a sore thumb, but the “weight carried” angle does have the
chance of throwing up a win at an inflated price. In search of that
bonus, the possible track preference is also cast aside, with only the
left-handed bias giving cause for concern in being ignored. Hurdle races carrying
up to 10 stone 13 pounds VOSGES
(James Ewart) 4 year old bay
gelding (Turgeon
– Vanilla Sky) P9/22421158-5 Began early over
hurdles in France, so much so that his first form comes before the
official three year old season began over jumps in Britain. That even
affected Vosges across the Channel, as he was poor in his first two
runs, but came second as soon as the British season was up and running.
After a run in May, he had a summer rest and was instantly competitive
at Hexham and Ayr, which was enough to inspire him to a pair of
Musselburgh wins, on easier ground than average. After that Vosges was a
bit exposed for talent at Haydock, and hugely outclassed in a Grade 2
juvenile hurdle at Kelso. The return to autumn action was an early stab
at chases and it went better than a 58 lengths fifth implies. He jumped
efficiently in front early and was still close up, but looking beaten,
when an error stopped him in his tracks two out. Lack of complete match
fitness could have been an issue, but he did look for all the world as
if 2m 6f was too far, as he was eased heavily after the mistake. Suffice
to say, Vosges can probably do much, much better in a more suitable
race.
A pleasant shot of the Massif Des Vosges, in a shameless attempt to divert attention from the lack of appropriate pictures for the November selections. The last pick to get this attention was Ngong Hills, and he did not do at all badly for it |
