Huntingdon 16/01/10

At last, the jump racing is back. Having put the dead time to constructive use (Daniel Kalder's "Strange Telescopes" comes as a highly recommended read), the ability to go out and get cold in a field in East Anglia was a much missed privilege and those of us who regard spells of chaos and anarchy as all part of the fun have had some prime entertainment in the last couple of weeks. Even though the 10.00 inspection for waterlogging was passed, the ground by the course entrance was ominously submerged, but the track seemed to have escaped the worst of it. The crowd was a bit sparse, but it has been proven before that the great British public have a bizarre struggle to handle last minute changes of schedule, and anyone thinking of going by train would be at the mercy of the utterly useless First Capital Connect, who were still advertising bad weather disruptions two days after all the snow in the south had melted, and also managed to publish an emergency timetable on their website that was completely different to the times that the trains were actually running. There are some badly run racecourses around, but no-one quite that incompetent.

Going: Soft (and less messy than expected).

Race 1: Totepool Welcomes Back Jump Racing conditional jockeys' Handicap Hurdle [2m 5.5f]

1: Meet Me At Dawn     2: Saddlers Mot     3: Sir Punjabi

Winner owned: Dajam Ltd, trained: Neil Mulholland, ridden: Mark Quinlan

Apologies for a sparse report on this race, but the focus of attention was one particular mare. Meet Me At Dawn was the first of several winners to make more or less all, and when she tired on the run-in, she was brave enough to keep chugging away and hold off Saddlers Mot (ran on strongly from the third last) and the duelling Sir Punjabi and Hampton Court. Utern caught the eye in the paddock, but has done so before and it still is not helping him run any faster.

Race 2: Bet Totepool To Support Your Sport Novice Chase [2m 4.5f]

1: Tazbar     2: Midnight Chase     3: Ginolad

Winner owned: The Supreme Partnership, trained: Keith Reveley, ridden: James Reveley

A quietly efficient win for Tazbar, who is one of the better hurdlers gone chasing this year, but lies a bit off of the media trail as far as hype, or even appropriate attention, goes. The oppo did not put up a great deal of resistance. Midnight Chase jumped wildly left throughout, Ginolad lacked fluency all the way and Grenoli, after a decent first couple of miles, was outpaced as a 90 rated horse should be. Midnight Chase can now be renamed Sharif, because the Sharif don't like it (coming second, that is).

Quality snapper picks up Ginolad and Midnight Chase by-passing the open ditch by the stands, but misses the winner (Tazbar, behind these) and the most interesting performer (Grenoli, ahead of them).

Race 3: EBF Totepool Our Profits Stay In Racing Novice Hurdle [2m 0.5f]

1: Rollwiththepunches     2: Rackham Lerouge     3: Bangkok Pete

Winner owned: Four Winds Racing, trained: PJ McBride, ridden: Paul Moloney

After the bad weather, any form posted this soon after racing restarts is questionable, based on not knowing who was most or least inconvenienced by the disruption, but there is reason to find this result of future interest anyway. Bangkok Pete won his last race, beating the reliable measure Love Of Tara, and fourth placed Eyre Square had last been seen encouragingly close behind Quantativeeasing, on the back of an eighteen month absence. Add in a second to Bellvano by the fifth horse, Prince Buster, and the foundations of a solid race exist. Therefore, the two that beat them seem to have plenty of merit to them. Rollwiththepunches had shown promise in bumpers, his best run being over course and distance, and certainly was very perky for his hurdles debut, like the first winner sticking to the job well after making all. Rackham Lerouge won three French bumpers, and made a solid UK debut despite being a market drifter.

Rollwiththepunches is out front and stayed there, with Rackham Lerouge leading the chase, as remained true to the end - and they were tactics that worked all day. It even looks like Bangkok Pete in third, largely hidden, and Eyre Square in fifth (purple and white). Rigadin De Beauchene in third or fourth was the one that broke the trend - quite badly in the end.

Race 4: Totescoop6 Beats The Freeze Handicap Chase [2m 4.5f]

1: Celian     2: Prince Louis     3: Starbougg

Winner owned: NJ Catterwell & BMV Williams, trained: Neil King, ridden: Alex Merriam

This race almost conformed to the 'must make the running' pattern, as the first two dominated and only changed positions late on. Celian had been encouraged along from a fair way out, but that did not stop him outstaying Prince Louis, and really seeming to have the race won as the crossed the last (normally two out). The winner had looked an improved horse in chases until a late fall in his previous race, and the soft ground helped offset a need for longer trips. After pulling up on all three British appearances, Prince Louis (presumably in training to become the jungle VIP) took a big leap forward in not just completing, but also competing as he did so. 

Prince Louis and Celian head out for the final circuit. Celian resisted the temptation being endued here to bite Prince Louis' tail, but as far as can be seen, that would not have been against the rules.

Race 5: Bet Totepool At Totesport.com Handicap Chase [2m 0.5f]

1: She's Humble     2: Laharna     3: Normandy Landings

Winner owned: Valence Racing, trained: Linda Jewell, ridden: Andrew Thornton

Pluses for She's Humble. Had a run two weeks ago at Plumpton. Ran a blinder there behind Nomecheki. Had run better than her rating of 90 on other occasions in the past. All these leapt out at the casual enquirer without much work, as did the big counterbalance. Thirty one runs, one win, that being a bumper in 2006. She's Humble did not let that inconvenient history worry her, as she led all the way, and was far enough clear that when she began to tie up in the last hundred metres, the pursuit was just that bit too far behind to turn it around. Laharna was returning from eight months off, but absences tend not to worry him, Lucy Wadham was sure that the Newmarket horses had suffered minimal weather disruption, and he had won over course and distance. The going was a small question mark, but ultimately only the new, composed She's Humble could not be dealt with. 

Race 6: Bet Totepool on 0800 221 221 mares' Handicap Hurdle [2m 0.5f]

1: Home She Goes     2: Knar Mardy     3: Sophisticated Lady

Winner owned & trained: Charles Pogson, ridden: Adam Pogson

The tactical norm was slightly broken here, as Home She Goes led early, but was headed when Romney Marsh (needs further) kicked on in the middle of the back straight. When she failed to burn off the specialist two milers, it was Home She Goes who fought back for the triumph. Knar Mardy has not really been threatening much this season, but showed up a bit better this time, helped by Sophisticated Lady not seeing out the race to the line.

Race 7: Totepool Racing's Biggest Supporter Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race [2m 0.5f]

1: Kings Grey     2: Mister Chancer     3: Seren Rouge

Winner owned: John Wade, trained: Keith Reveley, ridden: James Reveley

Only seven declarations suggested trainers were expecting the course to be in a fairly sorry state after the six earlier races, and whilst it was battered, it could have been worse. There were two newcomers, both from the Reveley yard, and they finished first and third. The pace was solid, and the well supported Kings Grey prevailed. In the paddock, he did show some signs of worry and befuddlement, but it was a different story on the track, and he beat Mister Chancer, fifth at Ascot earlier, by a few lengths.

Plus points  

Grenoli (race 2): The form of the race he fell in here before has not really worked out, but he showed no ill-effects of the fall, and he can win a little handicap.

Rollwiththepunches (race 3): Gently promising in bumpers, his best run came here, and the easier the ground, the better he ran. Despite no hurdle experience, you could see why some would risk a little each-way support for him, and he produced the goods. Probably capable of following up.

Rackham Lerouge (race 3): A fair start over hurdles in a race that may have been a bit tougher than might have been expected.

Qaspal (race 3): Jumped off in about fourth or fifth and as the race went on, he was allowed to poodle round in his own time. Dropping to about tenth at one stage, a handful faded back behind him and he was finally sixth - but it looked like he can do significantly better than this.

Secret Stash (race 3): Won a bumper on heavy at Chepstow, but ran at least as well either side when beaten in stronger races. This looked to be an insufficient stamina test for his hurdles debut and he duly had a bit of an educational.

Nautical Approach (race 4): Was well seen off, but needs to go left handed, and the appearance here was presumably driven by need rather than expectation.

Normandy Landings (race 5): Showed next to nothing in his bumper and a couple of hurdles, but took a small step forward three runs ago, and has run better still in both of his chases. He looks to have a win in him, but does he need a step up from two miles to do it?

Down arrows

Ginolad (race 2): There was one other finisher, tailed off, on his UK debut at Fontwell, but his jumping left a lot to be desired against tougher rivals.

Starbougg (race 4): Appears to have coped with fences so far, but five seconds from nine hurdles runs point to him being the sort to settle on coping rather than excelling.

She's Humble (race 5): Had just about everything in her favour this time, and the chance of her repeating is entirely dependent on how long she stays in this ultra-competitive mood. In the past, these things have come and gone quite quickly.

Sophisticated Lady (race 6): Got her best result by far, turning round a run against Little Firecracker by a big margin, but is yet to convince that she stays two miles.

Empire

Elegant Olive (race 1): The wrong ground prevailed, but she needed a spin and worked her way into contention three out, before her fitness was found out. Had the starter not told them to take a turn and then let the field go when she was one of two that took notice of the instruction, she would have been fifth instead of sixth.

UK-Jumping Selections

Flash Harriet (race 6): Was held up on a day when that tactical approach failed time after time, so fourth was not a bad effort in the end.