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ELY
BROWN (Rachel
Hobbs)
6 year
old bay gelding (Sunshine
Street – Browneyed Daughter)
2123P4
After
beginning his Irish pointing career with the honour of joint favouritism
and the dismay of a fall, Ely Brown closed that chapter of his racing
career one race later being much less fancied but winning in convincing
fashion. He was seen a couple of months later losing a Hereford bumper
by only a neck, and put that failure right when winning a three mile
Worcester hurdle at the first attempt jumping under rules – his
pointing experience probably helping over the brush hurdles. He was
terrible at long odds-on at Hexham afterwards, good to soft official
going (seemingly easier in reality as two hurdles were omitted all day
and the struggle home in the bumper had a strong wintry flavour to it),
but then fared better back at Worcester behind the in-form Teenage
Kicks. The Ely Brown roller-coaster extravaganza took it’s next dip at
Uttoxeter, but he again rallied to be a fair fourth to UK-Jumping
favourite Red Not Blue at Worcester (again). The thought that he needs a
galloping track is stymied by the Hereford effort, but easing ground
and/or undulations seem to be outside his sporting comprehension. There
could be one or two more hurdle runs to be had with him this year, but
chases would presumably be the long term plan.
Handicap
hurdles or handicap chases on a level track, over 3 miles or more, on
good or good to firm

Watch
me! Watch me! Ely Brown goes to post at Worcester
MICKMACMAGOOLE
(Evan Williams)
9 year
old bay gelding (Sadler's Wells - Musk Lime)
509/2121F69/10P53/176P1410/52590115-3P065
Sometimes when a horse is given an unfortunately silly name (with
apologies to any real Mick Mac Magoole's who may be loitering around
with intent to punctuate), it carries over into their everyday business
of racing. Fortunately, in the case of Mickmacmagoole, he wears his
talents on his sleeve, and not the one he uses to wipe his nose either.
He dabbled in chasing, and proved he did not care for it. The old
dogs/new tricks cliché comes into play if anyone is wondering about
another attempt. So we have 32 hurdle races to concern ourselves with.
Three were novices in Ireland, outclassed behind the likes of Big Zeb,
or pottering round to get handicapped. Of the remaining 29 he has won a
very honourable eight. The record going left-handed is 2 from 14, going
the other way it is thus 6 wins from 15 tries. Admittedly he has
attempted five at Cheltenham, with results of F0050, but even if that
dismay is discounted, a level stake profit going right handed is an
appealing nugget in what is still a bias to turning that way, even
though only one Sandown run in the total is outside his class.
Admittedly three wins have come in sellers, but he has just begun again
to show the little bit of spark that comes with a declining handicap
mark.
Hurdles up to 2m 5f on a right-handed track
NATAANI
(Joanna Davis)
8 year
old brown gelding
(Presenting – Clahada Rose)
1/4
Started
as a racing machine all the way back in spring of 2008, when he
undertook a fairly traditional method of learning by pulling up in an
Irish point-to-point. Nataani was only 7/2 that day, which made him
third favourite, and the story was a little different to the cynical
intro, as he was bang in contention when badly hampered two from home.
Next time he finished second, and after a break of a couple of months,
he was sent to Tramore for a bumper on New Year’s Eve. Nataani handled
the tricky track with aplomb, and saw off the second with ease – a
horse eventually rated 132 over hurdles. The next two home have since
been much less exciting, but if they were all geniuses (geniii?) they
would likely have been bumpering at a less awkward venue. And that was
that. At least it was, until earlier in August, when he returned from 31
months absence with a creditable fourth, tiring late on, at Worcester.
As long as he stays sound, he ought to be able to win a hurdle or two,
probably on easier going, and given his massive time on the sidelines,
we ought to forgive him if it takes a couple more runs to build up to
maximum power.
Hurdles
on good to soft, soft or heavy

Photographer
picks a woeful spot to aim for a post-race snap of Nataani
NIFTY ROY
(Brian Storey)
11 year old bay gelding
(Royal Applause - Nifty Fifty)
O08320/31P47959090631U31/70764413/PP668/206/P0/P477340-2165
The notable feature of Nifty Roy's career
has been a long spell in which he was considerably short of niftiness,
resulting in a winless stretch from spring 2007 to spring 2011. However,
many of the runs in that period were over hurdles and with a tally in
that sphere of 1 win from 30, compared to 4 from 22 as a chaser, there
was an obvious reason to expect limited results whilst back hurdling. Ultimately
he has not had a bad jumps career for a horse who showed his
thoughts on hurdling by running out at the first one he attempted in
public. Two features stand out when trying to balance his winning and
losing chase efforts. The highest weight he has carried to success has
been 10 stone 9 pounds (and for a lowly rated horse, he has ended up
carrying more than 11 stone more often than might have been predicted).
As well as that, he is sort of a spring/summer horse. The twilight zone
for performance comes from October to January, when he is consistently
poor, but the first hint of a brighter day, even as early as February,
and he blooms like <insert your own spring flower reference here,
possibly consulting a botanist.> Despite advancing years, another win
or two is not out of the question, especially as he showed previously
untapped stamina reserves in the last one. His record in the specified
conditions is 31U3141316 for a 25.5 point level stake profit, with one
of the thirds coming at Cheltenham, and the U is his only jumping
blemish so far -always a nice comfort blanket (like the one he hides
under for the winter).
Chases carrying less than 11 stone,
between February and September
RAWAAJ
(Donald McCain)
5 year old roan
gelding (Linamix - Inaaq)
4643/949211d22317-435
The selection of Rawaaj is based on
attempting to second guess a mystery. Some wile away their hours seeking
the conspiracies that governments cover-up with a degree of competence
that they are unable to ply elsewhere. Others find perennial enjoyment
in almost totally vain tracking of legendary beasts, completion of
puzzles and all steps in between. But what we (and it assumed anyone
that has persevered this far is going to see it out, even the ones that
fear it will not be worth the effort) want to know is... why when Rawaaj
won hurdles on soft at Hereford and Carlisle, as well as a void but
truly run race at Huntingdon, has he run his two chases on good at
Bangor and Cartmel. Yes, he did demonstrate enough on soft ground going
left-handed to think he may get away with it (and the Cartmel run was
not at all bad) but he had already set out his stall as a wallowing
river/mud beast, so the chances of success were dependent on opposition
failure rather than his own excellence. Let us predict superior chase
results when back in the conditions he relishes.
Handicap chases on a right-handed, easy
track, on soft or heavy
TENZING
(Paul Henderson)
7 year
old bay gelding (Luso
– Black Dale) 706/0-80
The
form figures are misleading here, as before the last two runs, Tenzing
failed to be placed in four Irish points. Yes, he has been less
effective than the numbers imply. That raging run of non-success gave
him a chance emigrate to England (no record of a Joanna Lumley lobbying
campaign), to see if he could continue in the same vein. So far, Tenzing
has done nothing worthy of note. Except climb Everest, and these days
everyone bar Brian Blessed and the Sultan Of Brunei have managed that.
However, his latest run at Newton Abbot was not at all terrible –
beaten thirty lengths but tenth of eighteen without seeming to have
tried too hard. Still on a fact finding mission it appeared. We have no
idea of preferences at all, and perhaps chases are on the agenda, but he
is worth following in any sort of handicap – but seriously consider
drawing stumps after he has won. So far, Tenzing has not run on soft or
heavy, but it would be embarrassing if snow caused him a problem, or the
run-ins at Towcester and Carlisle.
Handicap
hurdles or handicap chases, stop at
the first win
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