Huntingdon 02/10/11

An absurdly warm day for the time of year, and if was largely uncomfortable, not helped by the bright and lower sun shining right into the eyes of people watching the racing. Certainly it appeared far more fun at drizzly Kelso. Wit the ground being so quick, some of the runners may have to be patient to get another chance to experience similar. 

Going: Good to Firm

Race 1: TurfTV Novice Hurdle [2m 0.5f]

1: Perpetually     2: Camerooney     3: New Code

Winner owned & trained: John Ferguson, ridden: Paul Moloney

A betting minefield. A couple of capable but inconsistent winners, matched up against some interesting non-winners whose flat form meant that improvement could not be ruled out, plus flat converts rated 63, 70, 83 and 87. The question mark was the number who had been below par in their most recent runs. In the end, one of the new arrivals delivered the goods. Perpetually (out of Set In Motion, and thus a reminder of one classic Homer Simpson admonishment: "Lisa! In this house we OBEY the laws of physics.") had won his first two on the level, but lost the last nine, three of the last four quite heavily. This new stable and exciting adventure piqued his interest, will it be sustained or will the pattern of decline from a good start be repeated. Camerooney ran in bumpers in 2006/7 - on one occasion promisingly - and lost a selling hurdle quite badly when switched to jumping things. Since then he has had a fair flat career, and carried the improvement over to this. Right minded people live in terror of stupid coalition government puns the first time he unseats his rider. New Code got stuck in, but did not have the pace to bother the first pair. Of the previous winners, Bullet Man was fifth, and Art Broker was already out of contention when his traditional blunder at one of the late hurdles knocked him further back. 

Perpetually (dark, dark colours) about to swoop on Camerooney (green and yellow). New Code, on the right, just held off If I Were A Boy for the minor place.

Race 2: Brampton Handicap Chase [2m 4.5f]

1: Max Bygraves     2: Kikos     3: I'm A Legend

Winner owned: John Perriss, trained: Kim Bailey, ridden: Charles Green

A betting minefield. Even with only five runners. Max Bygraves won very easily, kicking on approaching the third last (still over on the far side here) and never really looking as if anything other than himself could unhinge the tactics. He is usually one to catch fresh - nearly five months off here - and that was a reason for forgiving a loss of form in the spring, but he also had a fairly inexperienced rider on board, and no convincing history of acting on quick ground. Those who judged the scales of form balancing in his favour might have been expecting a better SP than 7/2. Kikos was definitely a bit more lively on his ideal ground, with a chance of an uncontested lead and on a track he has often appreciated. A bit more, but still not at his zippy best. I'm A Legend found the fast ground knocking him out of contention and Wake Board pulled himself to the front and was out of puff late in the race, made worse by a couple of mistakes. The final runner, Songe, was another on the wrong ground, and also still needing to prove himself as a chaser, despite two days earlier this year when he got everything right - a dramatic opposite of most of his experience over fences. After several careful but safe jumps had given him a bit of a gap to make up on the winner, he fell at the second last. Without doing that, it would have looked like the going caught him out, and been deemed a mostly positive run. Our survey said..."Uhhhhh-uuuhhh." 

Race 3: Huntingdon For All Your Wedding Needs Juvenile Hurdle [2m 0.5f]

1: Alfraamsey     2: So Is She     3: Artisan

Winner owned: Tapestry Partnership, trained: Sheena West, ridden: Marc Goldstein

A betting minefield. The admirable but exposed Alfraamsey found himself in a race against one horse that had run over hurdles - with no encouragement - and seven hurdling newcomers. The only pair of those that were any better than him on the flat were Buxfizz (lost his way horrendously in 2011) and Kingston Tiger - blundered and pulled up at the second today. That left Alfraamsey with nothing tougher than his doddle at Plumpton, as the well backed Artisan never looked like reeling him in after being restrained, some would say excessively, in rear. So Is She was best seen at 7f on the flat (albeit very early in 2011), but after being headed at the last, due to a notable error, she fought back and outstayed Artisan for second, which implies that different tactics for the favourite would not have changed the result against the ever more assured winner. As for So Is She, it was a interesting demonstration of enhanced stamina, but whether she is good enough to exploit it is questionable. And by next summer she will be a three miler at this rate.

Race 4: Huntingdon Novice Chase [2m 0.5f]

1: Ultimate     2: Australia Day     3: That'll Do Nicely

Winner owned: Dan Gilbert, trained: Brian Ellison, ridden: Danny Cook

A betting minefield. An announcement before the race of "in the next five minutes anything can happen" would not have been out of order. It began with a false start, in which crazed Australia Day jumped the first fence to avoid running over the flag man. What we know of him is that he is a headless chicken of a front runner, and inevitably he responded to popping it neatly when it did not matter by thumping the same obstacle when the race began for real. What is also evident about Australia Day is that he earned his 157 hurdle rating on days when getting an uncontested lead, and he does sulk if that is not available - jumping like a platypus was perfectly foreseeable. Pullyoufingerout bit the bullet and tried to induce a dummy spitting. Having already seen off one 150+ hurdler that has flopped in chases, he could not repeat the act. For most of the race, he jumped left and it would simply have been a case of blaming the layout until a heavy fall two from home, which leaves him with some recovering of his skill and confidence to do. Ultimate, like the others mentioned usually seen front running, proved amenable to being asked to stalk the leaders, and eventually inherited first by retaining some common sense. The question he has to answer is how he would fare in a slower run race - front runner or sensibly restrained - and how it may impact his jumping.

Race 5: huntingdon-racecourse.co.uk Handicap Hurdle [2m 4.5f]

1: Mohanad     2: Dark Energy     3: Mumbles Pier

Winner owned: Heart Of The South Racing, trained: Sheena West, ridden: Marc Goldstein

A betting minefield. A field of eleven, produced a shortlist of seven, and all of that septet were added with reservations. The race was going to fall to whichever horse performed nearest to the encouraging but elusive maximum standard that they have shown in the past. Mohanad proved to be the anointed one, and as he won such a race a mite comfortably, he does look to be finding his best form. Although his rating has fallen a little from it's peak, this win could result in much of that gain being swallowed up. Dark Energy was not one of the shortlist as he has always appeared to be an out and out two miler, and occasional monkey when his mood was not spot on. The way he closed threateningly in the home straight, only for the effort to peter out at the last suggests that he may endure a bit more than the minimum these days, but not really this far. After finding no benefit from cheekpieces, Mumbles Pier was sparked up by the use of a visor - but for how long can the trick keep repeating? 

Race 6: Book Your Christmas Party At Huntingdon Handicap Hurdle [3m 2f]

1: Iris's Flyer     2: Safe Investment     3: Upper Deck

Winner owned: Martin Tucker, trained: Barry Leavy, ridden: Danny Cook

A betting crazy golf course, not helped by two non-runners leaving a field of seven, most of whom would generate far more faith as each-way options than as winners. Iris's Flyer ended up a ready victor, defying a history of never going quite this far and generally avoiding right-handed tracks. In truth, it did not take an awful lot to make his mark in this, as the three proven stayers all flopped. Gallimaufry was both sloppy in her jumping (again!) and sluggish in the runs between hurdles, Moon Melody was not on a going day and Commanche Dawn posted another mediocre run - first time blinkers making no improvement. Maybe the runs that have looked like a steeping stone to better results ARE the better results. Safe Investment (by Gone West, out of Fully Invested: how prescient would it have been to have called him Greek Bonds), could not defy his inflated handicap rating, but also may not quite have lasted this trip as he was not as strong on the run-in as the winner. 

Plus points  

New Code (race 1): Found the minimum trip on really quick ground a bit too much, but did not fare badly. Watch for a step up in race distance, or trying two miles on a stiffer track or easier ground.

The Fonz (race 1): Rated in the high 80s on the flat, he was a touch scrappy in his jumping, but was only seriously wrong at the third last, where there appeared to be some jostling for position going on as well. This was not a defeat to lead us to write him off. There is a commentator out there dying to go "Eyyyyyy" when he passes the post in front.

Billion Dollar Kid (race 1): Had an odd flat career, winning two 7f races as a two year old, but mostly running over shorter as he got older. That did not make him the ideal hurdling candidate, but after settling in rear for most of the race, he overtook a few stragglers under less than manic handling. He may never cut it, but is definitely worth tracking towards handicap hurdles, in case his flat strategy was a horrible miscalculation.

Max Bygraves (race 2): As mentioned above, well worth a second look when returning from a break, but he normally prefers good going to stuff this quick.

Ultimate (race 4): Adapted well to chases, and despite the chaotic nature of the race, he seems to have the skills required to follow up.

That'll Do Nicely (race 4): Caused the original false start, and was not the quickest away when it counted. Having been at the rear, he never got into the race, and was well beaten, but jumped soundly and was not as nippy as the main trio as a hurdler. Look out for him when thrown into more realistic standards.

Bun Oir (race 5): Debuted with a second at Punchestown, and has been beaten encouragingly narrowly at Kempton for his current yard. Sadly, the rest of his career has not lived up to that twin pronged potential. This was his first try at two and a half miles, and instead of looking happy with the slower oppo, he made hard work of it, before keeping on for fourth. Look out for headgear to be added, as it could wake his ideas up sufficiently. 

Upper Deck (race 6): Has cured his early jumping incompetence, but is struggling to find the ideal trip. What we had seen so far meant that 3m 2f looked unlikely to be the answer, and so it proved. A drop back to something around 2m 6f seems worth a another try.

Down arrows

Bullet Man (race 1): Looked good in his earlier win here, but has otherwise been a less impressive performer, and is one to tread a little carefully with. If this race turns out to be a corker - don't laugh, it is possible - then maybe he needs to avoid undulating courses.

Songe (race 2): Showed his limitations as a chaser, i.e. jumping, here, and a fall will not have helped his confidence.

Wake Board (race 2): Beat one other finisher last time, when inheriting a lost cause from a faller, and yet had been put up a pound! That was not the issue today, it was the mental instability that means you never know what he is going to offer on a given day. In theory, the lack of opposition should have pointed to a good one here. 

Australia Day (race 4): Several press previews suggested that his hurdling technique made him a good chasing candidate, but he has never appeared to have had any composure, and his jumping was aggressive and erratic here - some big leaps, more blunders. Well worth opposing, especially if any rivals have the speed to take him on.

Herschel (race 5): Attempting the distance for the first time, he got involved in a duel for the lead which scuppered the chances of both horses. He seems at present to be stuck between trips - not quick enough for 2m, but lacking the patience for this sort of race. And 2m 2f at Fontwell has not been the answer either. 

Gallimaufry (race 6): Was a plus point two runs ago, but the flaw that was excused then (poor jumping) is becoming a bit too repetitive.