Ludlow 10/11/11

Going: Good

Race 1:Stourport High School Racing For Schools Selling Hurdle (2m)

1: Baccalaureate     2: Mount Welcome     3: Rolanta

Winner owned: The Yes No Wait Sorries, trained: Nigel Twiston-Davies, ridden: Sam Twiston-Davies

Only five were declared for this. Grade 2 novice hurdle winner Baccalaureate achieved his peak as recently as January 2010, and was a close fifth in a Cheltenham handicap hurdle last time. In between he had tried many types of race, but in sellers, it was four runs and four wins and a blank elsewhere. All four to line up against him were from stables on the cold list, and the apparent chance of Irish visitor Mount Welcome competing at the weights seemed to rely on a UK handicap mark that was unjustifiably high. Should have been a doddle. Not quite. Baccalaureate poodled along in front, and Mount Welcome seemed happy to track him a couple of lengths adrift. The confidence that Mount Welcome could quicken was justified, but Baccalaureate matched it. Not the suspense that the margin of victory implies, but a more fascinating race than expected.

Race 2: Towergate Aiua 30th Anniversary amateur riders' Novice Handicap Hurdle (2m 5f)

1: Maderson Blue     2: Roxane Bruere     3: Derwen Pryde

Winner owned: Maderson Blue Partnership, trained: Roger Curtis, ridden: Freddie Tett

Morally, the only headgear free runner, Border Lad, had the high ground in this, but as six of the nine sported tongue ties, it was a tribute to racing's green credentials, in the area of recycling old pairs of tights. Adopting a policy of being the only winner on the day not to make at least a mile of the running, Maderson Blue travelled well throughout, cruised onwards to win between the last two, fumbled his way through the last as if in search of defeat, and then stayed on strongly as Roxane Bruere struggled to keep in a straight line, due to fatigue. Derwen Pryde, debuting in handicaps after the requisite three hurdle races, produced the improved result, but was just a bit too slow. Rifleman, who has never been a paragon of honourability, was fourth. About par, given that he is much more amenable in chases.

Maderson Blue wins by this far, from Roxane Bruere and the staying on Derwen Pryde

Race 3: Weatherbys 2012 Point-to-Point Annual Handicap Chase (3m)

1: Rockiteer     2: Cootehill     3: Forty Five

Winner owned: Michael O'Flynn & John Nesbitt, trained: Henry Daly, ridden: Richard Johnson.

A very competitive affair, and the headscratching was enhanced by course specialist Tyup Pompey being out of his comfort zone quite dramatically. He has won at a bit further, but seems best at two and a half miles, and although his overall record is five wins from twenty-eight chases here, cunning placing has meant that he has never carried more than 10 stones 3 pounds in handicap races (5 of 14 when at the foot of the weights, including his Hereford win). Today it was 11 stones and a pound. Way too high! back to actually events rather than idle whimsy, Rockiteer has been a nightmare over fences, only winning one of sixteen, but regularly running well enough to make that stat confounding. He dominated from the fifth, and when Cootehill and Forty Five challenged him to fade into yet another placed result, Rockiteer was not to be denied this time. Backfromthecongo had his traditional poor autumn pipe-opener, but this time, uncharacteristically, failed to make a major leap forward in run number two. 

Race 4: Ludlow Branch Bluefin Insurance Solutions Beginners Chase (2m 4f)

1: Cucumber Run     2: Silver Roque     3: Cardigan Island

Winner owned: The Goblyns, trained: Nicky Henderson, ridden: Tony McCoy

On a marketing note, is an endangered species a good thing for a business to be naming itself after in this era of reduced confidence in economic stability? In a way, it was fitting for a race that threatened to throw up a ton of tantalising pointers, but delivered the exact opposite. Cucumber Run and Basford Bob set the pace, both jumping left, but Cucumber Run was worse and once he had a clear lead near the finish, there was a small fear that he may run out completely. Once over the last he was always going to hang on, but the much slower Silver Roque was able to stay in contention, adopting the simple technique of jumping efficiently and mostly straightly (one or two copycat dopey moments). Basford Bob, who needed the run, was very tired when he flopped over the last and unseated. Cygnet, the other potential danger to Cucumber Run, fell at the first. Cardigan Island was tailed off badly and inherited a place when Basford Bob lost his rider. 

Cucumber Run sees the winning post and is relieved that this nonsense is finally done with

Race 5: Jeff Taylor 60th Birthday Maiden Hurdle (2m)

1: Agent Archie     2: Inglesby Spirit     3: Platinum

Winner owned: D Gorton, trained: Donald McCain, ridden: Tony McCoy

A run of the mill two mile hurdle in which 88-rated flat mile and a quarter handicapper Agent Archie stood out as likely to the quickest lining up, the main threats being Jawhary (bumper runner-up in his only race) and 14 pounds inferior flat convert Lucky Breeze. And 87-rated flat horse Inglesby Spirit, as long as you wrote off a slightly disappointing hurdles start at Carlisle - maybe the track there was too testing. Agent Archie did get a bit worked up before the race, yet it was no problem when the race got going. He led before halfway, and was never going to let Inglesby Spirit pass him on the run-in. In third, Platinum ran his best race since coming to Britain, but there was still an off-putting tameness in the last couple of furlongs. 

The view from on high as Dr Anubis leads Agent Archie into the final lap. Next are Jawhary, Nobel Play, Platinum, Ingleby Spirit and Lucky Breeze.

Race 6: Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Introductory Hurdle (2m 5f)

1: Forgotten Gold     2: Joseph Lister     3: Giveitachance

Winner owned: Mr & Mrs R Cornock, trained: Tom George, ridden: Paddy Brennan

Introductory hurdles were devised to try and concentrate the best newcomers to hurdling into the same race, enhancing competitiveness. The mechanism was bigger prize money totals, but that is beginning to tail off and this race showed the consequences. One OK bumper horse, three ex-Irish pointers, one poor bumper convert and a decent flat horse that has been off for a year. No different to what would have turned out for a standard novice hurdle at the same distance. Nicky Henderson fielded two - the OK bumper horse (Dark Shadow) and the absent ex-flat one (Jopesh Lister). Tom George took them on with Forgotten Gold, who had appeared to take a big step forward on ordinary Irish pointing results when a fair second at Chepstow. The betting came down heavily in favour of Forgotten Gold, and he justified it entirely - the Chepstow race perhaps is better than the basic form looks. Joseph Lister had just got the better of Dark Shadow for second when the latter fell at the last. The runner-up could make a mark at this game, but the yard he is in means the it will be hard to profit from following him.

Race 7: Welshpool Branch Bluefin Insurance Solutions Intermediate Open National Hunt Flat Race (2m)

1: Open Hearted     2: Zafirah Moon     3: Ballylifen

Winner owned: The Queen, trained: Nicky Henderson, ridden: Tony McCoy

An unexceptional bumper, topped by French AQPS race winner Tresor De Bontee, but possibly a race waiting to be lit up by two newcomers from big yards Open Hearted and State Department. The former was from Nicky Henderson (61 bumper winners in five seasons, from 306 starts, and an incredible 142 finishing first or second). The latter was saddled by Philip Hobbs, whose last five seasons could only amass 160 bumper runners, with 31 firsts and 31 seconds. A rubbish effort, must do better! Open Hearted - by Generous, out of Romantic Dream - proved more than adequate for the task of advancing those stats a little further. Of the next three home, Zafirah Moon and fourth placed State Department did well enough, but it was Ballylifen was the one that exceeded expectation, based on defeats in three very modest Irish points.

Plus Points

Mount Welcome (race 1): Was only a pound wrong at the weights officially with Baccalaureate, but the gap between their results looks a lot wider. A replication of this effort ought to see another win to add to his Tramore two miler.

Rolanta (race 1): Should have had no chance at the weights with the first two, but on the long run before the third last, she was going as well as them and was only a handful of lengths adrift. Predictably she was unable to match their late pace. Back in small handicaps and over further, there are more wins to be had (the pair to date being on very quick ground, over 2m 3f at Exeter).

Derwen Pryde (race 2): Began sweating as the prelims continued, but showed enough in the race to think that a small race is winnable, even if he is not likely to run up a sequence.

Nudge And Nurdle (race 3): Has not won for two years, but it is only twelve runs, and he has run some races in defeat that would have been good enough to win on other occasions. This event was too biased to the front runners, and that outweighed an ideal course and going. Being down on a winning handicap mark should soon pay off. 

Silver Roque (race 4): Failed to win handicap hurdles when his yard was badly out of form, but on this evidence, handicap chases are winnable now that the team is firing again.

Agent Archie (race 5): May need to stick to the base trip on unchallenging courses, but he shaped like a horse with a hurdling future.

Canadian Diamond (race 5): Finished fourth, all those behind hugely tailed off. He did win an Irish bumper on fast ground, but the rest of his work has been fairly poor. He could be a contender in handicaps in this company. 

Joseph Lister (race 6): Should win races over hurdles. The price could be very short, especially back in this sort of level - or lower!

Down Arrows

Orpen Wide (race 2): The most experienced rider and most prolific horse in the field were unable to combine for another triumph. It continued a worrying run of mediocre (at best) performances. Has he finally drawn curtains on a busy career? And if so, should he not tell his connections?

Platin Grounds (race 2): In his previous race he had shown the first sign of there being any point in bringing him back from a three year absence. That was a three miler, and it was concerning that he dropped back in trip. However, his interest in racing looked a long way short of the minimum need on this occasion.

Forty Five (race 3): Has a record on good, before today, of 89U48, so the going was not any help at all, but even if he gets his beloved mud, the continuing failure to win a chase is becoming a concern, even now that cheekpieces have shown that they may be a massive assistance. 

Cucumber Run (race 4): May be happier going left-handed, but for now, his jumping confidence is a definite cause for concern.

Platinum (race 5): Is not to be written off totally yet, but he has yet to prove that he can run a hurdle race from start to finish.

Jawhary (race 5): Was prominent in the betting on the basis of a second in a Stratford bumper that has not worked out. He continued the theme of that race by ending up beaten miles here.

UK-Jumping Selections

Basford Bob (race 4): Might have copied the winner in going left, but brushed through the top of a few fences unprompted. When fitter, his jumping may improve, but for now we need him to prove to us that he can do it.

Empire

Maderson Blue (race 2): A glorious success for one of the leading contenders for horse of the year. A grand advert for the benefits of a year in a field providing his own amusement. People could learn from this. And a word for the sponsors - Towergate are obviously the greatest agricultural insurance brokers in the nation. See here: www.towergateunderwriting.co.uk/