Fontwell 29/04/11

Moving the rails was announced to have added 45 yards to each hurdle circuit, and 65 yards to a chase one. This meant that race three was really run over nearly three and a half miles, and excitingly might have affected the outcome. It seems that very few people had noticed this. 

Going: Good (Good to Firm places)

Race 1: Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer Handicap Chase [2m 6f]

1: Royal Wedding     2: Take A Mile     3: High Jack

Winner owned: DG Trangmar, trained: Nick Gifford, ridden: Liam Treadwell

Ever since he won here last season, the course has been pleading a bit too pathetically with Nick Gifford to have Royal Wedding run at this meeting for a cheap publicity stunt, and just because he got here did not necessarily mean that he was primed to win - he got a bit sweaty before the race. For those so tragically short sighted in the betting department, Royal Wedding delivered. He was the only horse travelling to the third last, but he got very tired and plodded up the run-in rather slowly, but with the oppo combining for a totally pathetic challenge, that was enough. Take A Mile was a danger with half a lap to go, but really made it look like running through treacle after that, and High Jack failed to handle a record high handicap mark. Three of the remaining four departed at fence fourteen. It looked as if Psi fell and brought down Victory Surge and then Balustrade. They were all a bit adrift at the time, seemingly beaten, but had any of them been saving a vaguely powerful finish (perhaps some sort of surge, towards victory?), the slow motion finish could easily have unfolded differently.

Race 2: Chandlers Mini Worthing Countryman Classic Maiden Hurdle [2m 4f]

1: Adrenalin Flight     2: Gtaab     3: Lord Liath

Winner owned: Mark Adams, trained: Seamus Mullins, ridden: Jimmy Derham

This produced a massive upset, but with odds-on Lord Liath unfortunately collapsing after the race, and by inference not able to perform to his best, the ability of Adrenalin Flight to come out top of the rest was slightly less shocking. Rounding the final bend, he looked as if there were enough doing well in front of him for the challenge to be over, but with several struggling to see out the distance, he came with a late spurt to grab success on the run in. Adrenalin Flight had made a big improvement between his debut and his second bumper, and this was a smaller leap forward on his first hurdle run. Gtaab had been livened up by blinkers first time, and they worked again. His handicap mark of 103 could well be exploited with the benefit of the shades. Fabreaga and Baroque Star ensured a decent pace, and the former lasted much better, ending up fourth. All in all, the race contained some horses that could make a mark in some of the summer's lesser events, and is worth keeping an eye on.

Fabreaga (yellow) and Baroque Star (2) make certain that there is no dilly-dallying, with Kings Equity chasing them out onto the last lap. The next rank, from the far side, are Gtaab, Lord Liath and Border Station, with Galathea, Adrenalin Flight and disappointing Lombok manning the rearguard.

Race 3: SES Autoparts 20th Celebration Handicap Chase [3m 2.5f]

1: Free To Air     2: Herald Angel     3: Stop The Show

Winner owned: Oceans Racing, trained: Tim Vaughan, ridden: Johnny Farrelly

A one-off rash of non-runners reduced this from seven to three runners, but with the final margin being a short head, nobody can feel short changed in the entertainment measure. Free To Air ended up odds-on, based on having already won this week, albeit in a four runner hurdle - he had been a bit of a sourpuss on his one previous chase run. His jumping was not great, and a blunder three out appeared to have finished his challenge. Meanwhile, Herald Angel, who had dashed off clear in front at the off and warmed up enough to forget some poor early jumping, was still going nicely along, but his rider began to look concerned once they were over the last, and Free To Air plugged away uninspiringly but just nippy enough to lead with a yard to run. Hark, the Herald Angel would surely have won if the race really was run over 3m 2.5f. Stop The Show was watching this unfold from a safe distance.

Race 4: Tricia And Clive 40th Wedding Anniversary Handicap Hurdle [2m 2.5f]

1: Celticello     2: Magic Prospect     3: Al Amaan

Winner owned: John HW Finch, trained: Jamie Snowden, ridden: Ryan Mahon

When a large crowd gathers, the risk of petty crime is always increased, and in this case two innocent bystanders, going about their normal business were mugged by an aggressive oaf. At the final hurdle, the battle was down to two, as Friendly King dropped away, leaving Al Amaan in front, but Magic Prospect in the process of battling his way past the leader. Nobody had noticed Celticello finishing extremely rapidly, and although the first pair seemed to find a touch of extra energy when he drew alongside, Celticello had the momentum, and got home by a length or so. This may have been a clue as to the conditions, as Celticello has tended to gain his past wins on softer and over longer trips. After winning last time, Rare Symphony was popular in the betting, and he had just gone to the front with ease when he misjudged the fourth last and hit the deck. It was too far out to predict what may have happened, but his supporters optimism was not without reason.

Magic Prospect (green) just gets the better of Al Amaan (maroon and light blue), but on the far side Celticello is about to stun them both. Friendly King is falling away in fourth.

Race 5: Lisa Wilson Scholarship Fund Handicap Chase [2m 2f]

1: Play A Cord      2: She's Humble     3: Good Old Days

Winner owned: Neil Mulholland Racing Club, trained: Neil Mulholland, ridden: Mark Quinlan

It was easy to support Play A Cord for this. All she had to overcome was it being her chase debut, the trip being distinctly on the short side, with the risk of her jumping struggling if outpaced, the misbehaviour at the start of Najca De Thaix and The Hardy Boy, and finally a history of being a bit wobbly in a finish when she is presented with a large and noisy crowd. She rose above all this to post a quietly impressive chase debut. She's Humble, who has been in the form of her life, made it a 1-2 for the mares, but never looked much of a threat, merely passing fading long time leader King Of Leon at the last. The same goes for Good Old Days, who won this in 2010 and offered one of his lesser shows at his favourite track.

Race 6: NGK Spark Plugs Handicap Hurdle [2m 6.5f]

1: Rossbrin     2: Cousin Maggie     3: Act Gold

Winner owned: John Moorhouse, trained: Anna Brooks, ridden: Ian Popham

Up to this point, all four horses with number one on the racecard to have actually turned out had won, and in the prelims Aconitum looked to be in peak nick and a real threat to make them five from five, despite really needing longer races, and probably softer ground. He ran much less impressively than he looked, and in the end Rossbrin had a fairly easy stroll to his second win of the week. He has been running consistently of late and a hat trick is not beyond the realms of possibility. Pace making Cousin Maggie put enough daylight back to the rest to retain a deserved second. Despite fourteen months off and a change of stable, the money earlier in the day had come for Act Gold at long prices. He would have landed any each-way element but for a non-runner that reduced the race to seven participating horses. 

Plus Points

Fabreaga (race 2): Placed in five of six Irish points (fell when possibly about to win the other) and was a fair third in his British debut in a bumper. This was another good try, and there are successful days waiting for him somewhere.

Kings Equity (race 2): Showed bits and pieces of ability in Ireland, mostly finishing midfield in front of plenty of others. She seemed to cope with this better ground especially well, whilst maybe not quite staying the trip. She can win in handicaps.

Celticello (race 4): Tends to go looking for sellers, and has won a couple of them, but today was rated five pounds lower than his last handicap success. He should not go up too much for this and could easily still be on a winning mark.

Friendly King (race 4): Having his first run since December 2009 ran a cracker until the effort got to him between the last two hurdles. Not every horse returning from such an absence can immediately summon the consistency to instantly build on this kind of performance, but he does seem to have retained his ability. 

Play A Cord (race 5): A good start to her chasing career, and she does appear to be less prone to the pressure induced wobbles that plagued her in the past.

Good Old Days (race 5): Usually puts up a fair performance at this course, and although failing today, he was probably caught out by the ground not being quick enough - good to firm is his preference - and he can recover on another occasion.

Cousin Maggie (race 6): Fell in her first three Irish points, but managed to win one eventually. Her first season under rules has been a bit in and out, but once she fought her way to the front, she looked a lot happier in the first time visor and there will be races to come without a Rossbrin against her.

Down Arrows

High Jack (race 1): Has not won over this trip, but his excellence at a couple of furlongs shorter round Towcester meant that it should not have been a great problem. He is higher in the ratings than he has ever been, seemingly now too high.

Victory Surge (race 1): Prior to his fall/brought down he had jumped without fluency and not travelled well. Hitting the deck can only have made his confidence worse.

Lombok (race 2): A decent flat horse, he has been awful in three hurdle races, but some previewers had clutched at the straw of quicker ground making a difference. It did at some points, but not others, and some iffy jumping, including every time he went over the first in the home straight killed off his hopes. Overheard post-race verdict from connections - "Better ground helps? F****** hell!"

Free To Air (race 3): Jumped just badly enough to be very opposable in a less weak race, although his trainer does have a knack for finding terrible races for this sort of horse to contest.

First Smash (race 4): Debuting for a yard that has had three winners from their last four runners, he was very disappointing, dropping out of contention leaving the final bend, and getting a worse result than he had been managing earlier in 2011.

She's Humble (race 5): Did win two recently, but they were such woeful races that she only was raised three pounds for the two of them combined. This placed but threatless effort is much more her way of doing things.

King Of Leon (race 5): Has not really taken to chasing, falling when in total command last time, and again he got his own way at the front and yet was unable to finish the job. Not so much sex on fire as brain in deep freeze?

UK-Jumping Selections

Balustrade (race 1): Was a bit off the pace when departing at fence fourteen. He had not jumped that badly before that point, but had still not kept tabs on the leaders, which augurs a bit worryingly.