Kempton 05/03/11

Going: Good (Good to Soft patches)

Race 1: Betfred "When Both Teams Score..." Novice Hurdle [2m]

1: Smart Catch     2: Cleaver     3: Silicium

Winner owned: Cover Point Racing, trained: Tony Carroll, ridden: Wayne Hutchinson

A massive upset opened the day's racing, with a 66/1 shot leading home a 33/1 chance, greeted by a certain degree of bewildered silence from the stands. Part of the reason for the upset was that the betting market for this race was a work of utter insanity. Nicky Henderson's Silicium had made his racing debut at Fakenham over 2m 4f on soft. He had been worried out of a win by a horse that got beaten subsequently, had a hard race and finished well clear only of opponents worse than many he encountered here. The betting simply assumed that a different trip and a different ground had to produced a different result - if the stable got his demands so horribly wrong first time, why assume they are immediately right next time? Silicium opened an absurd 4/7 and shorted to 4/9. Madness. Madness, I tell you! And although he hung on in contention until the last hurdle, his finish was hardly a power-packed force. Meanwhile Smart Catch was dashing to victory, without Wayne Hutchinson having to get too animated in the saddle. He had run in two bumpers, once poorly, once OK at best, then been a tailed off last at Ascot over hurdles. The most optimistic thing that could be said was that he may have the scope to get the job done in handicaps. There was no obvious fluke that he exceeded that expectation now. 

Out in front early, Cleaver looks anything but a sensible racehorse. Silicium stays close enough for it to get contagious, whereas Smart Catch is a safe distance back in third, just ahead of Spirit D'Armor. 

Race 2: Betfred "...It's Goals Galore" Novice Hurdle [2m 5f]

1: Araldur     2: Oscar Papa     3: Buck Mulligan

Winner owned: David Sewell, trained: Alan King, ridden: Wayne Hutchinson

This was a decent novice hurdle, although the impressive ratings achieved by some of the runners were mostly accrued in chases. Araldur had been on a mark of 150 after a run of two mile chase wins, but since a spell on the sidelines he had returned as a hurdler and suffered a trio of close losses, all over shorter. He proved that the increased distance was what he had been waiting for, as even an error at the last was not enough to stop his victory surge on the run-in. Unlike some of his rivals, Oscar Papa is still working his way up the rankings, and it has been a little stop-start so far. This was his best yet, as even Buck Mulligan, who was only shaken off in the last furlong, is a 130-plus rated chaser - he just had a chasers finishing spurt here, not that of a hurdler. Oasis Knight, rated 102 on the flat, suffered his second defeat in two hurdle tries. He does not look like he will live up to the elite flat mark (where he only actually won two of twelve) but he is not a lost cause as a hurdler. 

Half an hour later and at the same point of the course, Oscar Papa (6) and Campden Society (red & white) make a stand for sanity in front. Rebel High (7) seems to be wavering. They are chased, in order, by Oasis Knight, Eldred, Araldur and Only Witness

Race 3: Betfred Novice Chase [3m]

1: Be There In Five     2: Squadron     3: Alderluck

Winner owned: S Munir, trained: Nicky Henderson, ridden: Felix de Giles

After turning out to ride two beaten favourites in the early races, Barry Geraghty scuttled off to Newbury to get on some more losers, and the first Nicky Henderson runner after he departed duly skated in. Funny old game, isn't it? This was one for followers of the outsider of three (statistically, fourth favourite in five runner jumps handicaps has been a genuinely profitable system to pursue), but it would still have been a brave pick. Be There In Five had shown bags of staying promise in a light career over hurdles, but this season, he had been utterly confused by chasing, failing in small fields, and most recently being last of five when favourite at Market Rasen. Beaten 158 lengths. And tried to refuse the last. Not a signal with an iota of positives. However, things were made easy for him here. Squadron, who did win a Taunton race at this trip but is at the limit of his stamina, put in several low, risky jumps, which sapped his fuel at the end of the race. Alderluck did nothing wrong until walloping fence thirteen, after which he was awkward at pretty much every obstacle. So all Be There In Five had to do was jump cleanly. And he did.

Race 4: Betfred Handicap Hurdle [3m 0.5f]

1: Kasban     2: Nemetan     3: Wyck Hill

Winner owned: JD Sells, trained: Luke Dace, ridden: Trevor Whelan

Picking this winner took a lot of mental discipline. What does the name Kasban remind you of? Kasabian. What songs do you immediately associate with Kasabian? Club Foot, Shoot The Runner, and possibly Vlad The Impaler (who was known as Vlad The Alright until a four horse accumulator went down by a short head, and he never recovered from the distress). On the whole, these are things generally unhelpful in winning races. And there lay the massive psychological barrier to tear down. Kasban, who had won a two miler on the flat but also shown his best on good to firm, had not been without promise in novice hurdles, but a rise of five pounds for finishing third here was not justified on the bare result, and the handicapper seemed to have guessed what may have happened had the horse not been nearly knocked over on the run-in. He looked a very purposeful stayer in going clear, and out of harm's way, this time. Nemetan was returning from fifteen months off, and was better known as a two and a half mile chaser. On this evidence he can open a new career has a staying hurdler.

Nemetan scoots along in front without a hint of stamina concern, chased by Kasban (far side) and Thedeboftheyear (2). The next line from the far side is Way Back When, Charming Lad, Bobbisox and Musical Wedge. Wyck Hill and Kristoffersen are the rearguard.

Race 5: Betfred Casino Novice Handicap Chase [2m]

1: Trooper Clarence     2: Playing With Fire     3: Lord Singer

Winner owned: Exors Of The Late PM de Wilde, trained: Evan Williams, ridden: Paul Moloney

Just like the previous race, this one was all about jumping. Trooper Clarence was the only one who summoned up a clear round, and as a result secured an easy victory. The fact that he got in as bottom weight with what did not appear to be the worst form in the race made life easier. Playing With Fire had won a shocker of a race earlier in the week, and was up in an unfamiliar grade. Under the circumstances, she acquitted herself well, whilst proving her limitations. Lord Singer was reluctant to line up, charged to the front by the second, and ruined his chance with an awful blunder at fence seven. Although rider Joe Akehurst made a good job of recovering from it, the incident allowed the chasing pack to close his clear lead without putting any effort into the task - and Lord Singer was soon headed and struggling. Arctic Ben fell four out, having jumped soundly prior to that, and Quinola Des Obeaux showed no life at all.

Race 6: Betfred Handicap Chase [3m]

1: Tuskar Rock     2: Gerrard     3: Lambro River

Winner owned: Anthony Pye-Jeary & Mel Smith, trained: Venetia Williams, ridden: RT Dunne

This was one of those races where the course takes a long hard look at Towcester and wishes that they could be like it. And a 0-100 chase is the best way that they can indulge in that kind of identity theft. Anyone who doubts this just needs to look at the sort of races in which Gerrard tends to figure prominently. He did not have things his own way this time, as Tuskar Rock, a soft ground winner last month, turned in an uncharacteristic performance to foil Gerrard. The reason for thinking this to be out of the norm is that Tuskar Rock seems to want softer ground and a more testing track to be at his best - i.e. less emphasis on speed and more on grindability. Yet the first two showed too much pace for Lambro River and Silver Bay, the latter of whom ran considerably better than he has done lately. It just seemed odd for this lot to be at Kempton.

Race 7: Betfred 850 Shops Nationwide Maiden Open National Hunt Flat Race [2m]

1: Be My Present     2: Cape Breton     3: Go Set Go

Winner owned: Mrs L Suenson-Taylor, trained: Charlie Longsdon, ridden: Felix de Giles

There was plenty of racecourse form to go on for this race and it indicated that it was no more than a run of the mill bumper. However, that did not prevent a certain degree of impressiveness in the manner that Be My Present forced her way to the front and dashed for the line, and she was one of the newcomers on show. Runner-up Cape Breton was also making his debut, and although he did not have the nip of Be My Present, he should some staying power. The real losers were the contenders in the bumper at Fontwell on 6th February. The third and fifth in that ran here. Sircharleswatford proved totally unsteerable on this track and Trevis was a well beaten ninth. Form to be feared. 

Plus Points

Somewhatinevitable (race 1): Ended up fourth, putting up a respectable show until weakening between the last couple of hurdles. He had struggled to replicate a decent bumper run as a hurdler, but this should set him up nicely for two and a half milers. 

King Supreme (race 1): A rare Richard Hannon trained hurdle runner, he won five on the flat, but was last seen rated only 68. He was in contention most of the way, ending up fifth, without being ridden as if this was a matter of life and death. He should be able to win a handicap, or a lesser novice, hurdle.

Araldur (race 2): Might have been cunningly campaigned to emerge in a valuable late season handicap from a friendly mark.

Oasis Knight (race 2): Both flat wins came on good to firm, so he could turn around two hurdle failures on genuinely fast going.

Only Witness (race 2): Went PP4441 in Irish points, and had a lot on his plate for his rules debut, despite having beaten the useful Cantlow in the race he won. The pace got too much for him four out, but he clung in there under pressure, until weakening in the straight, ending up fifth, almost upside Oasis Knight. He will do better.

Wyck Hill (race 4): Connections have hopped between the distances as if unsure whether he stays three miles or not. He got outpaced rounding the final turn but rallied strongly from the last to nab a place. On this show, three miles is his natural home.

Thedeboftheyear (race 4): From a yard horribly out of form, she ran a decent race and when in better heart can add to her existing pair of three mile wins. 

Trooper Clarence (race 5): Was not subject to a difficult challenge here, but is probably capable of rising to a tougher one in future.

Lambro River (race 6): Making his chase debut after a short and largely hopeless hurdles career, he showed that there was wisdom in departing the hurdling world at the earliest opportunity. With the experience gained, he can be winning at this level.

Silver Bay (race 6): Has never won a chase, and only ever landed one hurdle, but after some poor, poor showings, he was back to something near his best here, and that is enough to perhaps land a weak race.

Down Arrows

Cleaver (race 1): Won several on the flat and was rated 78, so his two runs on varied degrees of easier ground were disappointing, poor jumping letting him down last time. Seeing him here, when he stayed in contention, that was understandable, as he carries his head quite high and possibly does not get the best view of the hurdles. He did not look the most resolute under pressure here either.

Silicium (race 1): It is not the horse's fault that the betting has made him odds-on for both career runs, and he has lost both times. The hype so far exceeds the talent, and that could happen next time as well.

Be There In Five (race 3): Everything fell in place for him today and he looked like a proper chaser. After his past failings, he needs to prove that he can replicate that with a bit more pressure than two indifferently performing opponents could conjure up.

Way Back When (race 4): Ended a run of 3322242 with a 2m 6f win at Wincanton. He found that resolute three mile stayers such as lined up in this would not let him have his way, and he was beaten even before his stamina became a factor.

Lord Singer (race 5): Got away with winning a weak race at Fakenham, but showed today the multiple ways in which he is his own worst enemy.

Arctic Ben (race 5): Will no doubt be noted as travelling well when he fell, but he has not won since his bumper debut and is from a yard having a substantially below par season, and is far from certain to have finished as well as he started.

Quinola Des Obeaux (race 5): Has been doing nothing to catch the eye, but after being a Plus Point at Huntingdon needs a mention here to offset that horribly wrong observation.

Bob Casey (race 6): In short chase career he had seemed to be building towards a first success in one of these modest standard races, but after starting slowly, he made several errors, and then got hampered when One And All fell, reinforcing his tailing off. A sulky effort and a huge step backwards.