Fontwell 09/06/11

People are weird, are they not? Many a time a course puts a seven race card on for an evening meeting, which forces an earlier start and takes away the options of people turning up after work - especially for the less conveniently sited tracks. This time Fontwell had a 6.30 start and only six races, and got a below par crowd. It just does not compute. They are plugging their Peter Andre concert quite heavily, but apparently most of the tickets sold so far have gone to anthropologists, keen to study the effect of a vast horde of tragic losers gathered together in one place at one time. 

Going: Good to Firm (Good places)

Race 1: 150% Bonus @ 888sport.com Beginners Chase [2m 2f]

1: Barizan      2: Helium     3: Mister Matt

Winner owned: P Conway and John Lee Jones, trained: Evan Williams, ridden: Paul Moloney

A brief history of Barizan: Won some summer three year old hurdles by miles against muppets and nearly sprang a huge shock when second in a bad renewal of the Triumph Hurdle. Forced into the upper echelons by that result, his limitations were exposed and he has had a downbeat 10/11 season. Chase debut. A brief history of Helium: After taking it's place early in the evolution of the periodic table of elements...no....wait. Won three hurdle races on easy ground in 2008, he pulled up after his only error on a chase debut in 2009. Form in 10/11 season was 9802, helped by hurdle rating slipping down from peak of 128. This pair were ahead of the other three by some way, although Mister Matt is at least a reliable conveyance in defeat. Rounding the far bend, the race was up for grabs between the main two, but Helium tired first and began to jump right as a result, allowing Barizan a slightly flattering six length edge at the end. Mister Matt just nicked a very distant third from Closesthingtocrazy.

Race 2: Southern Coaches Novice Hurdle [2m 4f]

1: Geneva Geyser      2: Green Mining     3: Roanstar

Winner owned: Angmering Park, trained: Lady Herries, ridden: Leighton Aspell

Boasting a record of being very competitive in hurdles at the major Irish courses, on softish ground, Green Mining broke his duck (outside of points) when moving to the UK and landing a fast ground novice hurdle at Worcester. That led to him being odds-on here, but it did raise the question of whether he would be up to his best on the quick ground. As it turned out, the answer was no, as 86-rated flat horse Geneva Geyser was far too quick in the latter stages of his first ever hurdle run. Had it not been for the winner having looked a little awkward and unco-operative in his recent flat runs, the betting would probably have had them much closer. Another newcomer to hurdling filled the places. Roanstar is rated down 67, having had a good 2010, but less impressive 2011. He was waited with at the back to start, made smooth progress to threaten after the third last flight, and then failed to see out the trip. 

Race 3: Choicebet You Won't Beat The Value Handicap Chase [3m 2.5f]

1: Orion Star      2: Priors Glen     3: Alteranthela

Winner owned: CA Green, trained: Seamus Mullins, ridden: Jimmy Derham

After two straight course and distance defeats to Lansdowne Princess, Orion Star gained his revenge in no uncertain terms, as the mare was only fourth this time. The winner has been in a spell of consistent results, although some came well beaten in small fields, and his rating had already risen 18 pounds. It ought not to be raised too much more for narrowly grinding out this win. In the end Priors Glen was a little unlucky to lose. He led from the off, and apart from a tendency to jump right, he did nothing wrong. The first time visor seemed to have an effect but perhaps made him too free to quite see out the trip. Considering that all of his better runs before today had come in the mud, Alteranthela did really well to be a close third. Or does that simply reflect moderately on the pair that beat him?

Striking grey Priors Glen unsportingly keeps Alteranthela out of shot when that horse was having one of his better days. Orion Star keeps close tabs on them. The remaining trio fare less well.

Race 4: Win Fontwell Annual Membership @ 888sport.com/fontwell Novice Handicap Hurdle [2m 2.5f]

1: Parazar      2: Lajidaal     3: Cardinal James

Winner owned: John Goodman, trained: Oliver Sherwood, ridden: Leighton Aspell

This was quite an eventful race, beginning with a small plunge that allowed Island News to go off favourite at the expense of last time winner Lajidaal. He was prominent or in front much of the way, but was drifting out of contention when pulled up lame before the final flight. By that stage, Kaycee had fallen (second hurdle) and Ten Pole Tudor, still battling for a place, was about to depart at the last, causing a certain degree of inconvenience to the smattering plodding away behind him. Lajidaal, who had run in snatches throughout, and was not that smooth even in his good bits of the race, had been sent on to win his race around the final bend. He failed to burn off the oppo and paddock pick Parazar came through to challenge strongly. Although Lajidaal was still clinging on as a contender under sufferance on the run-in, he killed off his own challenge when veering off sharply to his left at the point where trouble makers tend to hang right, towards the paddock exit. That is individuality for you. After losing a couple of sellers earlier in his career Parazar had run better in non-sellers here twice. A course specialist in the making? Based on a second at Exeter last October, Cardinal James was a possible winner. He did not run quite as well here, but not as badly as he had been doing since that career best, and there is probably a race to be won with him. 

Parazar shows a bit more resolve in the finish than Lajidaal

Race 5: Bet This Summer With 888sport.com Handicap Chase [2m 2f]

1: Princely Hero     2: Good Old Days     3: Zhukov

Winner owned: L Gilbert, trained: Chris Gordon, ridden: Tom Cannon

The money during the day seemed to have been behind Battlefield Bob, based maybe on the distance suiting better after struggling in hunter chases lately. He set a fair pace in front but finished just as weakly as he had been doing earlier this year. With Good Old Days showing signs of age blunting his pace, even here on his favourite course and ideal going, the race was left in the hands of Princely Hero to record his first jumps win. As a hurdler he had run his best race on soft - rated 22 higher than here - but in chases a rocky start seemed to have been salvaged when tried on quicker ground recently, and there was no fluke about the win. Zhukov, who has been getting good recent results in terrible races, was almost tailed off, but finished strongly to nab third. As a horse with a record of being withdrawn when not getting soft(ish) ground, Ede's was a slightly surprising participant, but ran like he should have stuck with the traditional policy. The last time he ran on good to firm was in 2003...

Race 6: Congratulations Betfred On Winning The Tote Handicap Hurdle [2m 6.5f]

1: Sovereign Spirit      2: Keckerrockernixes     3: Tecktal

Winner owned: Gordon Racing, trained: Chris Gordon, ridden: Tom Cannon

In the end, this proved an unexpectedly easy success for a horse who really does not like doing things the comfortable way. Sovereign Spirit made all, was ridden in front from the third last, and yet still salvaged the win. A couple of challengers drew alongside in the home straight, but in a manner not always on his agenda, Sovereign Spirit showed the heart to rally and go five lengths clear again. Two hurdles out, Tecktal had cruised into contention, but found disappointingly little. This is further than she had run over before, so whilst stamina may have let her down, the race unfolded in a tamer looking manner than that. The one thing that makes the form a slight headscratcher was the excellent result achieved by Keckerrockernixes. He had shown a bit of promise a while ago, but been regressive for a while, and his only try on ground this fast had seen him unseat early on. Maybe he really was a bit more motivated today than is the norm.

Plus Points

Barizan (race 1): Would not qualify as an impressive winner, but his jumping was sound enough, and now that has been proven and he is back in his natural environment (summer jumping), he could run up a sequence by scaring off the oppo.

Roanstar (race 2): Ran his best flat effort at 1m 4f, but seemed just short of the required stamina today. Did well enough to make a drop down to 2m 2f, or perhaps even less, interesting.

Que Vivo (race 2): Did manage third in his second run, but well beaten in a very weak race. He looked set to improve on that when blundering four out and losing his pitch completely. Although tailed off, he was not given a hard time after the error, and should be able to sneak into handicaps on a derisory mark - all we need is firm evidence that he can exploit it.

Cardinal James (race 4): Has the ability to win a race, he is simply struggling to deploy the talent on a consistent basis. 

Princely Hero (race 5): Even if we think that time has caught up with Good Old Days, this was quite an enthusiastic effort from a horse that had on occasions looked jaded. Is chasing on quick ground the niche he has been seeking all this time?

Ede's (race 5): Is a long time winless, although it is not a huge number of runs, and the ground was wrong for him here. He had been third last time, and the two that beat him have since recorded a win, two seconds and two thirds, so if we do get a few days of belated heavy rain, he could wash up in a small handicap for that elusive chase win.

Capdalight (race 6): Failed to win under rules in Ireland from many tries, and although he often beat plenty home, he never made the first three. After a warm-up for his current yard, he was second over 2m 4f at this course, and did not run badly again here, ending up fourth. It will be truly amazing if he goes on a winning spree, but breaking that fat and growing duck is beginning to look possible.

Down Arrows

Barizan (race 1): The one exception to the observations in Plus Points is that he could easily be vulnerable to a half decent hurdler who has the skills to make a rapid improvement as a chaser. That horse would probably be appealing odds as well. If only we knew who it is.

Closesthingtocrazy (race 1): Winless in nineteen races, he was pipped for third by Mister Matt, who is rated 100. The trouble is Closesthingtocrazy is rated 124 and with a record of wild inconsistency, it is difficult to see him winning a handicap from that sort of mark.

Before The War (race 4): Came into the race in good form, with a couple of seconds, and looked well in the paddock. Maybe the course was a problem, but the effort here was a massive backward step on what he has been achieving.

Bid Art (race 5): Has often spoiled his chances over the years by running too freely and finding the fuel tank empties too soon. Today he was terrible from halfway, and he is learning more ways to lose races all the time.

Sovereign Spirit (race 6): Won a conditional riders' race last time, and thus carried no penalty, and was even running from a rating a pound lower than he won from. However, he is an exposed and known quantity, and reminded us here that the impending ten pound rise is likely to stop him in future. One counter balance to that is his course and distance record: 21298311.

Tecktal (race 6): Has been in decent form at a modest level, but did not see out the race here. It made her look like one to be wary of, especially in longer distance races.

Empire

Elegant Olive (race 6): Might not have had the optimal course, or distance, but saw out the last half a lap or so disappointingly.

UK-Jumping Selections

Balustrade (race 3): Managed to avoid the fall that spoiled his chase debut, and actually jumped soundly. Alas, the galloping side of the equation was poor and he pulled up. Not yet convincing as a chaser.

Lajidaal (race 4): Showed he is not an easy ride, and more or less through the whole race away. That is not to say that he cannot find things falling his way again in future, but it is not an option to be taking short prices about.