An interesting meeting, although perhaps not from a betting point of view. One possibly reasonable novice hurdle, a whole bunch of handicappers whose best days had been historically on decent or even fast ground - see below for why this was not ideal. Add in a couple of French raiders (not everyone in the country was on strike) and even a clear, quick run out of the course, and it was a rather splendid day. However, there is bad news. The bumper, off at 3.40 was run in the sort of darkness that is not usually encountered at that time of day until mid-December. The only sensible diagnosis is that the world is tipping over on it's axis, and we are all horribly doomed. 

Going: 

Chase: Good,     Hurdle: Good to Soft (Soft places),      but in both cases rain and observation suggested it may be easier

Race 1: Daily Mail Juvenile Maiden Hurdle [2m 1.5f]

1: Russian Invader     2: Daltaban     3: Bring It On Home

Winner owned: Nigel Bunter, trained: Alan King, ridden: Robert Thornton

It seemed an innocuous enough race, and when Russian Invader, always travelling well, began to treat the opposition like the Soviet Union did the Baltic States after the First World War, it seemed all over bar the imposition of collective farms. However, he did not quite see out the trip, and Daltaban, who was well off the pace two from home was reeling in Russian Invader hand over fist. He failed by a whisker to get up, and really should have won - the tactical principle was OK, but it needed to be executed 100% exactly, and was only 98% right. He did turn around two beatings by Bring It On Home, and between them they just about upheld the form of Lemon Silk and Franchoek. The fourth and fifth were pretty close on the first trio's heels, which is a surprise in conditions usually guaranteed to scatter young hurdlers like leaves in a gale.

Race 2: EBF Daily Mail Novice Hurdle [2m 1.5f]

1: Sovereign King     2: Oh Crick     3: Matcho Pierji

Winner owned: Miss JM Bodycote, trained: Alan King, ridden: Wayne Hutchinson

A 1-2 for the Alan King yard, but at the unusual odds of 66/1 and 25/1 - the Exacta dividend of £156.40 implied that one or two people felt that they both had to better than seen to date. Oh Crick had been slightly encouraging in bumpers, if a little below the norm for his yard, but Sovereign King's performance was really out of the blue, having beaten just three other horses in his couple of bumper runs. The form of fifth placed Champion De Sou up to this point has been decidedly dreadful - a giraffe of gloom looms over the form of the race as a whole. Master Medic, a course winner over further last time, ran OK for the first couple of miles, but may have been caught out by the easier ground.

Race 3: Daily Mail Novice Chase [2m 5f]

1: Hobbs Hill     2: Jean Le Poisson     3: Sheriff Roscoe

Winner owned: Mr & Mrs Peter Orton, trained: Charles Egerton, ridden: Paddy Brennan

After a good win at Hexham, Hobbs Hill handled the different track well, and jumped soundly, to run out a ready winner, shaping as if the trip might have been a bit further than ideal, but in all other respects, no problems. His biggest danger seems to be fragility, this being only his eighth run since debuting in December 2003. I was just noting that Verasi had jumped adequately and was worth considering if the blinkers go back on, when he made a tired blunder and slithered to the ground at the last. Time will tell if he moves forwards from this, or goes backwards. He could stand still, but the chances of the same six horses lining up and producing the same result and distances seem a bit slim. Jean Le Poisson had no pointing or hurdle experience, just three bumpers and time off injured, so although he did not really impress, the experience could produce plenty of improvement.

Hobbs Hill leaves a nice margin for error, not required, at the first

Race 4: HBLB Daily Mail mares' Handicap Hurdle [2m 1.5f]

1: Sovietica     2: Brousse En Feux     3: Bonchester Bridge

Winner owned & trained: Stewart Pike, ridden: Mick Fitzgerald

Seven went to post, and although many had hints and snippets of form on easy ground, most seemed to prefer good or fast to be at their best. So the prize was destined to the hardest trier. A score of 11 out of 10 for effort goes to Sovietica, but sadly all the possible analogies were used in relation to race one. She made all and kept finding more, helped when a mistake at the last took away all of Brousse En Feux's momentum. After a few miserable efforts, Bonchester Bridge stuck at it in vain, but with a bit more vim.

Race 5: Daily Mail Raceday Handicap Chase in Memory of Lady Harmsworth Blunt [2m 5f]

1: Cossack Dancer     2: Herecomestanley     3: Bagan

Winner owned: United Front Partnership, trained: Mark Bradstock, ridden: Mattie Batchelor

That Russian theme just will not go away, although Cossack Dancer did threaten not to line up, never mind jump off, only to have a complete change of mind once the tapes went up, and lead from pillar to post. Herecomestanley was harassing the winner  a great deal in the home straight, but after being outjumped at the last, could not get back up to Cossack Dancer. Bagan tried to make a challenge rounding the home turn, but found Coach Lane boxing him in, it seemed intentionally, and had too much to make up once he found open space. Despite a less than overwhelmingly positive pre-race report from Guillaume Macaire, Minuit De Cotte was eventually the jolly. After a blunder halfway, his jumping lost fluency and eventually he ceased recovering the ground between fences. 

Race 6: Daily Mail Handicap Chase [3m 1f]

1: Elsie's Pride     2: Proud To Present     3: Stormy Skye

Winner owned: Richard Cadoret, trained: Venetia Williams, ridden: Sam Thomas

The race was fought out by two horses with just one chase run between them under Rules. Elsie's Pride is a very tall, but very long legged horse, who looks as if testing ground might not be his thing, even though he could clear most fences just by stepping over them. He made a most encouraging chase debut after three hefty drubbings in hurdles over much shorter trips. If something looks to good to be true, it usually is, and the form line of Proud To Present's chasing initiation fitted the bill. All four that finished in front of him had gone on to win, although two had done so in races where a mildly enthused buffalo with it's legs tied together would have been a contender. The way he faded from the second last hinted that he did not really see the full trip out in this instance. Christmas Truce was running a huge race in front when thumping three out, from which his rider did well to stay on board, ending all chances.

Race 7: Daily Mail Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race [2m 1.5f]

1: Voice Of Reason     2: Vodka Brook     3: Cash For Honours

Winner owned: Malcolm Denmark, trained & ridden: Carl Llewellyn

Nothing looked outstanding in the paddock, although in the darkness, fluorescent fur would have been required, and one or two looked a bit green. Voice Of Reason's trainer has not been afraid to send a better than normal horse for the track to Folkestone, and Voice Of Reason won with a bit in hand, although the field behind was not spreadeagled in devastating fashion. Vodka Brook should have learned a lot from this, and Cash For Honours was much better than on his debut. I could spot no Russian link in any of the runners - claims that Wee Alfie was Ivan The Terrible's nickname just does not ring true.

Plus points  

Russian Invader (race 1): A decent hurdling debut, but he did shape as if the trip and ground in combination were a little bit more than he could handle, and two miles on decent ground could see an even better run.

Uncle Eli (race 2): Disappointing at face value, he was in the van and going well when he blundered and the rider lost his irons, seeing out the race without them - expect improvement, especially when handicapped and using all the permitted tack.

Regal Quote (race 2): Ran better on his debut on faster a ground - his progress when handicapped will be worth monitoring

Sheriff Roscoe (race 3): Took on better horses in the novice chase and had been off for seven months. It was a generally acceptable chase debut, and when he tries handicap chases, ideally a novice handicap, he could be worth following.

Treaty Flyer (race 4): Did not run too badly after nearly a year off. She ran OK in her only chase  try, despite being a bit on the small side, and is worth a bash in a mares' handicap.

Coach Lane (race 5): Travelled well but ultimately his stamina let him down. All his wins have been on soft or heavy, over only 2 miles and in four or five runner fields. If a similar race is found, he seems capable of adding to the tally.

Proud To Present (race 6): Did not stay 3m 1f on easing ground, but deserves another chance.

Roddy The Vet (race 6): Has had 15 months off since winning a couple of staying chases. His handicap mark does not look impossible to work with when he hits full fitness.

Down arrows

Kid Charlemagne (race 2): Had a slight lead two out, and was with the winner entering the straight, but went out like a light and pulled up before the final flight. His yard has been having only the odd winner here and there, but this was still feeble. A winner of two short bumpers, perhaps 17.5 furlongs in taxing ground was beyond his capacity?

Cossack Dancer (race 5): As mentioned above, he had second thoughts about racing, and although it all went right today, he often is too free in front to get home, and is not one to be taking short odds about.

Barton Flower (race 5): Returned from 15 months off, and although the ground was completely wrong for her, she was struggling early and needs to show a bit more life before being followed.

Christmas Truce (race 6): Might be deemed unlucky, but despite a perfectly capable flat career, he has been woeful over jumps, managing only a barely half decent run over 2 miles at Hereford from twenty tries.

Peveril Pride (race 6): Anyone who watched her race between April and December 2006 must have thought she was a workable device at a modest level, but she has spent the rest of her life showing form in which just completing is an achievement.