Kempton 16/10/11

Going: Good (Good to Firm places) - but some races were run to make it seem the other way round

Race 1: Williamhill.com Juvenile Hurdle [2m]

1: Alfraamsey     2: High Samana     3: Gud Day

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

Another piece of shrewd placing landed Alfraamsey in a perfect spot to complete his hat trick, with a very limited amount of realistic opposition. The record shows that he only beat High Samana a length, but the second, whilst battling on, never convinced that he was going to get past the winner. The obvious danger was Lady Chloe who blundered at the first and was under pressure when fluffing the same hurdle when it was the second last. After a slightly disappointing hurdles debut on Thursday, Gud Day was a little better here, but was a long way off of the first two. With no flat experience, Now At Last had plenty on his plate for a debut, and after whacking the first, he settled down and did not have a bad first experience of the job, although it could be a while before he is hardened enough to be involved at the finish.

Race 2: Williamhill.com Beginners Chase [2mf]

1: Australia Day     2: Schumpters Lad     3: Olympian

Winner owned: Skippy & The Partners, trained: Paul Webber, ridden: Denis O'Regan

A first chase win for Australia Day here, and a scant consolation for their rugby semi-final defeat (although if he chooses, the horse could probably get a game at prop for them). There was plenty of support for him in the media, but he remains a risky option, especially odds-on as he was today. The gamble was shown in a brief spell here, when he took a horrible guess at the eighth, survived and posted a giant, athletic leap over fence nine. The job was eased when the only horse to try and take him on, Street Dance, pulled up at halfway. His jumping was going further and further left at the time, but no harm seemed to have been done, as he came home not far behind Schumpters Lad and Olympian, who were both tailed off by the second fence, and ridden as if completing the course was target number one. So a bit of a non-event really.

Australia Day pretty much began to ease down from two out, as only a lack of common sense could stop him by then

Race 3: Williamhill.com - The Home Of Betting Novice Hurdle, listed race [2m]

1: Elsafeer     2: Rajnagan     3: Book 'Em Danno

Winner owned: Delamere Cottage Racing Partnersh (1996), trained: Tim Vaughan, ridden: Richard Johnson

A couple of months ago anyone who suggested that top notch flat horse Greylami could go hurdling and be beaten over two miles by a horse that could not win a point-to-point would have been condemned to the funny farm. Not only did that happen here, so expect nurse to be calling at your home to fit the straight jacket soon, but the betting expected it. In fairness, Elsafeer probably did not stay the trip in points, and has reinvented himself as a novice hurdler quite successfully - looking as if this might be too sharp for him. He outjumped Rajnagan at the last, and just clung on as Rajnagan found this level of opposition did not succumb to his late charge as readily as some of the more modest victims that he has racked up. Book 'Em Danno came under pressure turning for home and kept trying, whilst steadily losing ground on the first two - disappointing but symbolic of his yard's indifferent form. For the record, Greylami was fourth, in a not wildly encouraging style. At least his defenders can argue that he was taking on the best of the summer novices.

Rajnagan (1) just fails to reel in  Elsafeer

Race 4: Williamhill.com Handicap Chase [3m]

1: Ballagio     2: Key Cutter     3: Ratify

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

What an odd race this turned out to be. Ballagio ran out a fairly untroubled winner in the end, but he did not really sparkle into victory, just shrugged off the opposition, which mostly melted away a bit tamely. Early leader Key Cutter looked to have been left for dead rounding the home turn, but Ratify faded so badly that Key Cutter took second place with eventual ease. The outcome paid the biggest compliment to Definite Dawn, who beat Ballagio last time out. The big doubt on Ratify was fast ground, but the way he travelled well and then ground to a halt means that something else must take the blame for the performance - the Greek economy is a popular current scapegoat.

Anxious to draw in the typical Ascot racegoer, Kempton gave unprecedented access to vantage points high and distant from the actual racing and horses.

Race 5: Visit williamhill.com On Your Mobile Hurdle [2m]

1: Pepe Simo     2: Nearby     3: First Avenue

Winner owned: , trained: Paul Nicholls, ridden: Daryl Jacob

Six were declared for this, but they had only one run on fast ground between the lot of them, Via Galilei winning a novice hurdle of a low enough standard that it proved little about his coping with it. So two non-runners not really made the assessment a shorter list of horses to guess between - the betting went in handicap rating order. The post-race assessment suggests that it was a race that took little winning. Pepe Simo cruised to an untaxed success on his return to hurdles, but Nearby (fresh from chasing failure), only beat 106-rated First Avenue by a length, so cannot be considered to have come within a country mile of his best form. Via Galilei weakened tamely late on. Not much more of a contest than Australia Day's race, but by delaying his challenge until the last, Daryl Jacob at least stimulated some sense of anticipation in the crowd.

Race 6: Williamhill.com - The Home Of Betting Handicap Chase [2m]

1: Zorro De La Vega     2: Dean's Grange     3: Mister Matt

Winner owned: Yen Hall Farm Racing, trained: Sarah Humphrey, ridden: Charlie Huxley

This race changed dramatically in the home straight, where three horses had gone clear. Callisto Moon was being niggled along in front, but responding, when he fell at the second last fence. Zorro De La Vega did well to sidestep him, and probably had the race in hand when Sky Calling came down at the last. That left Dean's Grange to inherit a rather fortunate second, which he had no chance of gaining without the accidents. Tony McCoy had been the only jockey to drag a win out of Mister Matt so far, although it is not certain if a speedsters track like Kempton is his ideal venue. It certainly looked that way today. Temple Place completed the line up, but he could not complete the course, adding to a fairly dismal record going right-handed. 

Race 7: Williamhill.com Novice Hurdle [2m 5f]

1: Fennis Boy     2: Cock Of The Rock     3: Aaly

Winner owned: Chris F White, trained: Tim Vaughan, ridden: Richard Johnson

A fairly downbeat end to the card, with a six runner novice hurdle of no special note. Fennis Boy had failed in twelve hurdle and five chases in Ireland, so a decent half-length second on his debut in Britain did not necessarily signal the turning of a new leaf. He just to be  seemed to be getting the better of Cock Of The North when the runner-up ploughed through the last. 

Plus Points

Dr Darcey (race 1): Was outpaced from the off, but kept battling away and plugged on for fourth on his hurdles debut. He usually wore blinkers on the flat, and it may be that they will be essential over hurdles as well. Alternatively, steadier run races on softer ground or over further (both flat wins at 1m 6f), will suit.

Greylami (race 3): Not a fantastic start as a hurdler, but there will be plenty of less competitive races to be tackled in the coming months. 

Book 'Em Danno (race 3): All wins have been at Market Rasen (not ideal for a horse trained near Haverfordwest), and for the most part the form of them looks OK, so when his yard is back in form, he will probably respond accordingly, and if the handicapper has foiled hurdling progress, chasing is an option.

Nothingbutthetruth (race 4): Started off blundering his way round quite pathetically, but about halfway he warmed up and began to regain some of the ground lost. He is not certain to last three miles, and did not quite convince in that area here, yet he did show that if he can operate on full power from the start, there are more wins to be had. Some sort of brain switch is needed.

First Avenue (race 5): After a year off, he had been quite poor in 2011, but things took a turn for the better when he was beaten a nose in a flat claimer last month. This translated the recovery to jumps, and as long the handicapper does not take this form literally (which would be officially insane), there are wins to be had - probably on good or good to soft.

Cock Of The Rock (race 7): A winning British pointer, he went 1213 in bumpers, but there has been something a touch unconvincing about his hat-trick of seconds over hurdles. Chasing could put that right. 

Aaly (race 7): Never seriously put in the race, he kept going to sweep aside the stragglers late on and grab third. It does not amount to much, but was definitely an improvement on his earlier bumpers and hurdle runs, which could be significant when handicaps come into the equation.

Down Arrows

Lady Chloe (race 1): The error two out stopped her in her tracks, but she had not been convincing before that, and as the competition ought to be heating up soon, the pressure on her should get greater.

Kingston Tiger (race 1): Pulled up after a first flight blunder on his debut, but avoiding that faux pas and with the visor added, he showed no great aptitude for jumping here. 

Australia Day (race 2): Was not as reckless as on his debut, but still looks one to be taking on, especially if one of the oppo is prepared to challenge him for the lead. When doing so, be prepared to accept that sometimes, like here, things will fall his way.

Inef (race 3): Dropped away sharply after the third last, and even though her Plumpton form looks OK, she seemed the type that should already be doing better over hurdles.

Pat's Legacy (race 3): Another highly rated flat horse, his stamina for hurdling was borderline, and getting worked into a sweat before the race will not have helped. He never got competitive, and remains a questionable candidate for the job.

Traffic Chaos (race 4): Made his chase debut here, and looked unhappy with what his trainer was asking of him. It was not just jumping, there was a general sense of indifference. 

Total Submission (race 4): Another making his chase debut, he was sent off favourite, but lost all chance with poor jumping.

Nearby (race 5): A performance far, far below his level, and without the excuse of big fences.

Via Galilei (race 5): Did not struggle from start to finish, just the finish, but seemed to give up rather feebly.

Sky Calling (race 6): Had been struggling over fences, and seemed to be making a step in the right direction, only to spoil it with another fall. 

UK-Jumping Selections

Dean's Grange (race 6): A bit lacklustre on the whole, not really competing with the three that went clear in the manner that he should have been able to.