Fontwell 04/09/11

Richard Johnson was a no-show on the day, giving up five rides due to Mrs J having just given birth. Being £600 or so down already shows what an expensive business it is overpopulating the planet...

* £23,750 divided by eight races equals an average of £2,969 per race. Divided by seven races, it is £3,393 each.

Going: Good to Soft (there had been rain on what was officially good to firm overnight, but it was surprising how much difference a fairly modest quantity of it made). With the horses struggling home badly in most races, it made the form a bit of a head scratcher for the future.

Race 1: FSB 24/7 Legal Advice Line Juvenile Hurdle [2m 2.5f]

1: Hi Note     2: Cuban Piece     3: Rainy Champion

Winner owned: Gerald West, trained: Sheena West, ridden: Marc Goldstein

Of all the races that turned into a desperate slog, this was the most desperately sloggish. Most of the runners were under serious pressure with still a lap remaining - the final mile must have seemed an awful lot longer than it actually was. Despite having been in front, or nagging at the leader, all the way, Hi Note stayed on the bridle for the longest, and when she finally hit her own limits of endurance, the race was already as good as won. Give Cuban Piece credit for plugging away with determination even when he had nothing dangerous left to offer. The visual impression was of a race with doubtful merit, but run it again on good or quicker going and a far more positive impression would be likely to emerge. The stragglers certainly deserve to be forgiven for what they achieved today. 

Hi Note seizes the scruff by the neck of the race (or similar), with Cuban Piece and Rainy Champion nearest. Reach Out, Guards Chapel and Melancholy Hill are already struggling 

Race 2: FSB Lobbying For Small Business Handicap Chase [2m 2f]

1: Fine Lace     2: The Grey One     3: Escardo

Winner owned: RER Williams, trained: Evan Williams, ridden: Paul Moloney

The only thing that Fine Lace got notably wrong on her chase debut was cover the course about a third of a second too slowly to win, so she was predictably popular in the betting for this seemingly easier opening. She made really, really hard work of it, on ground that she was not proven to handle. Her job was made easier by The Grey One jumping out to the right wherever the course layout would allow. The toll taken on his energy manifested itself at the last fence, from where Fine Lace forged clear for a win that was less easy than the seventeen length margin suggests. She will probably look less flustered on quicker ground and maybe the rare 2m 2f race distance was exactly what she needs at the moment.

Race 3: FSB Business Banking Novice Hurdle [2m 2.5f]

1: Yemeni Princess     2: American Ladie     3: On Terms

Winner owned: Miss Juliet E Reed, trained: Brendan Powell, ridden: Dougie Costello

Another hurdling upset, with Yemeni Princess adapting to the ground best of all. She won an all-weather bumper, switched successfully to staying races on the flat and then performed quite indifferently when sent into novice hurdles. The big difference here was that the tongue tie had been removed - grist to the mill of those who think they do more harm than good. Each case on it's merits is probably the best approach. American Ladie has won a race, but not looked overly genuine along the way as a hurdler, and a switch to a new yard did not improve her fortunes, although she was a bit more determined in the conditions than some. Such as well supported favourite On Terms, who hated most of the experience, but bobbled on into a place that she was hardly thrilled with. She seems to have more than enough physical ability but not the mental stability. 

Trovare has already horrendously blundered and lost his rider, but with a lap to go, the rest still retain optimism. Viviani (8) has command from Reg's Ruby (3) and Avonconi. Next up are American Ladie (1) a troublemaking On Terms (10), a confident Yemeni Princess (sheepskin noseband) and In Close, who isn't.

Race 4: FSB Card Payment Processing mares’ Handicap Hurdle [2m 4f]

1: Free Falling     2: Living Proof     3: Flowerbud

Winner owned: AC Entertainment Technologies Ltd, trained: Alastair Lidderdale, ridden: Will Kennedy

The altered going played havoc with this race, and money came for Flowerbud, who was the sole runner known to handle soft ground. This did rather overlook the fact that she had not raced for nineteen months, and turned out looking as if she would still come on a little for the run. She made a good stab of it, but the race was won by a masterful ride by Will Kennedy, who ploughed his own furrow in search of better ground and stole the race by getting clear with a quarter of a mile to go. Free Falling, who looked well handicapped but had herself been off for seven months, did tie up quite badly approaching the last. The only one within striking distance at that point was Living Proof, who has been running well and finishing tamely of late in longer races. Using a tongue tie, she did not go through the race so well, but finished a touch more solidly. Next job? Find the happy medium - this was not too far off. Last year's winner, and form Empire member, Happy Fleet appeared to detest the ground. The weights were headed by a couple of four year olds that were making their first stab in handicaps. Neither performed with much credit, but Catching Zeds and At Present could also be forgiven this once due to the conditions, even though both looked a touch harshly treated for what they had done to date.

Free Falling takes the wide (stands side) route out front, with Mrs Peacock risking the worse ground. Flowerbud tucks in behind, chased by Catching Zeds, Living Proof and At Present, with Happy Fleet bringing up the rear

Race 5: FSB Finance For Business Handicap Chase [2m 6f]

1: Ballagio     2: Morestead     3: Breaking Silence

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

In the end this proved to be an epic race, almost totally due to the exploits of Morestead. He set off in front at a sensible pace, but tried to run out with a lap to go.* Having dropped to the back, he began to rally with half a circuit remaining. With everything else stopping he had a grand chance of a win at the last, yet could not quite outstay Ballagio. The winner has been and gone from the yards of Paul Nicholls and Kim Bailey, and came good here after failing to set the world alight in earlier chase runs, but the one thing that can be said about Ballagio is that he went about his business free of hysteria and trundled up the run-in just about quickly enough. Breaking Silence was close enough if good enough three out, but he is not the keenest participant these days, and he was eased down when beaten. This was the first time in over two years that he has raced over shorter than three miles, and it did not help his mood in the least. If only we could find a way to communicate this info to the horses before the race.

* Spookily, the days when the top of the course was a regular exit, or even the quickest route to the stables, predate the Fontwell experiences of a mere six year old. Some sort of spiritual tribal instinct could have been at work. Sadly, Morestead has not yet been able to channel the spirit of Arkle.

Race 6: FSB Print And Mail Handicap Hurdle [2m 6.5f]

1: Award Winner     2: Winning Show     3: Tarvini

Winner owned: JP McManus, trained: Brendan Powell, ridden: Tony McCoy

When the ground was good to firm, it was a bit of a mystery why Award Winner was in this race. Utter respect for JP McManus' weather forecaster (surely he has one), as the going was right up his street, and not for the first time in his career he went from atrocious to winning with only a single stepping stone of progress along the way. Also familiar was the associated betting plunge. Although he never seemed likely to niggle Award Winner into defeat, Winning Show ran by far his best race over this trip, battling on with spirit, but not great speed. Having been a clear leader for much of the race, Tarvini hung on for third, but he is a law unto himself and this result is not to be taken too seriously beyond the first pair to finish. 

Race 7: FSB Data Services Handicap Chase [3m 2.5f]

1: Orion Star     2: Captain Becket     3: Tucumcari

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

After beginning his chase career with a blank from thirteen races, Orion Star now took it to four wins from his last eight over fifteen months, outstaying the oppo from the second last. He had a novel experience of carrying more than eleven stone here, but in the past his rating has been so low that low weights were inevitable. Captain Becket did not travel like a contender for much of the race, but kept on over the last three-quarters of a mile, to pinch a not terribly dangerous second. The first use of a tongue tie did entice a better run from Tucumcari, but he still tied up a bit sharply on the run-in. Baroque Star had just gone to the front and was travelling best of all when he unseated four out - still with a long bend and the three fences in the home straight to go. Henri Prends Garde beat Fine Lace in his last run, and was thus surprisingly uneasy in the betting (a slight drifter, despite a fair chance of handling the going). He did OK for about two miles, then dropped away too quickly for stamina to be the problem. A recurrence of reputed back problems after a mistake at the ninth fence?

Race 8: Join 888sports, Get £50 Free Bet mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race [1m 6f]

1: Amber Cloud     2: Beattie Green     3: Whichever

Winner owned: DJ Burke, trained: Jonjo O'Neill, ridden: Tony McCoy

A tricky bumper to assess, as it was run at a slow pace and mutated into a three furlong dash. Some may be flattered to hang on in touch due to the way the race was run, others with a slower wind-up may seem ploddier than they really are. Despite a change of yard, earlier course, distance and going winner Beattie Green was a warm, odds-on order for this. She did nothing wrong under a penalty, it was just that the newcomer Amber Cloud was impressively too good for her. Another pair of debutants filled the frame, with Whichever seeing out the trip better than paddock pick Bittersweetheart. Candelita, with a win and two places already, was a close fifth, just ahead of Rich Maid, who defied a great deal of greenness in the paddock and the race to post a half decent result. Given that the two experienced horses in the first six had both won, the four unraced ones can be considered to have acquitted themselves rather well to have finished how they did.

Plus Points

Cuban Piece (race 1): His best turf flat run, which was quite a modest peak, came over 1m 6f on good to firm. He showed sufficient here to take note of a return to better ground.

Viviani (race 3): Survived his stablemate trying to trip him up at the fifth, and was prominent for a long way, until he faded from the second last, but overall ran reasonably. This was his third run, so he could be ready to deliver a bit more in a handicap, even though he never managed to win on the flat.

Free Falling (race 4): Appeared to have been given a squeak by the handicapper, and on better ground she can probably defy the rise that will come for this win.

Flowerbud (race 4): Her best runs came in claimers when not especially well treated at the weights, which may not be the most reliable guide to her true talent level, but this still seemed a fair enough comeback run, and she is probably on a workable handicap mark at the moment.

Surfboard (race 6): Yo-yoed a bit in the betting, but ran like he failed to operate on the ground - one suspect chase win on soft is the only evidence to the contrary. He can bounce back on a drier day.

Baroque Star (race 7): Showed nothing under rules before today and his pointing 'excellence' came in woeful fields on lightning quick ground. In a new yard, and with the first time blinkers on, he ran a blinder. A huge jump at the fifteenth took him to the lead going well, but attempting a repeat next time saw a terrible blunder and an unsurvivable unseated. If he can repeat the show, but all the way to the line, he is very well weighted to take advantage.

Down Arrows

Guards Chapel (race 1): Even allowing for his flat win coming on firm, and the poor form of his yard, there was still something to dislike about the way he approached this, being the first in trouble and not jumping especially well either.

My Condor (race 2): Has been runner-up in his last three by margins of one length, three lengths and a short head. He has also run some fair races on this ground, although probably not his best ones. In contention rounding the far turn, he went out very suddenly over the open ditch, and quickly pulled up. A particularly tame stop from a horse who has forgotten what it means to battle, even on a good day.

On Terms (race 3): Played up at the start, was slow away and a little bit reluctant, but somehow stopped less quickly than a few others. She has been placed in both hurdle runs, but does not look like the sort who has any intention of building on that promise.

American Ladie (race 3): A placepot heroine, there was no sign of a new leaf being turned now she is in a new yard.

Morestead (race 5): A display as mad as bat droppings, which will happen more than the rare wins.

Chevy To The Levy (race 5): Has his sulky days and his better days, this looked for a long time as if it would have been the latter, but he went out like a light in the home straight, without any real excuse.

Breaking Silence (race 5): The time spent running abysmally has long since been upgraded from a slump to perma-indifference. He has found the odd race where that does not stop him staying in touch, but the four runner race he won was a shocker, and it is going to take something similar for him to repeat. 

Prince Pippin (race 6): Has won on varied ground, but has his best runs in the mud, and to lose this heavily was a big, discouraging disappointment.

Tarvini (race 6): Ended up third because the other three stopped, and a return to his normal routine of defeats by forty lengths or more is likely, despite an avalanche-like tumble through the ratings.

Captain Becket (race 7): Has won five hurdle races, but previous attempts at chasing have been quickly abandoned. So quickly that one good(ish) showing cannot be taken as evidence that he has reformed in the chasing arena.