Fontwell 03/10/09

It was charity, Irish and music day for Fontwell, and it all added up to a sizeable Saturday crowd. The Irish element was the predictable band at the back of the stand and shared commentating duties between Lee McKenzie and visiting Gerry Hannon – the latter no doubt relishing the lack of 25 runner handicap hurdles. Ironically, there were less Irish trained runners than usual. Perhaps Perth should have an Irish day, to free up slots for British trained horses? On the music side, Fontwell has been guilty of the usual tragic Abba tribute bands that should be euthanised for the good of the human race, but they had The Saw Doctors for this last year, and put the majority of other tracks (those insistent on putting up manufactured pop acts that deserve to be guinea pigs for CIA torture techniques) to shame by having The Levellers this time around. Racing followed by eco-anarchist punk-folk, or vice versa. If anyone still seeks Googlewhacks, that must be one.

Going: Good to Firm (Good in places), changed to Good (Good to Firm places) after race 1 - i.e. before a chase had been run.

Race 1: RR Donnelly Supporting Sussex Community Foundation Juvenile Maiden Hurdle [2m 2.5f]

1: Riptide     2: Hector’s House     3: Ravine Rose

Winner owned: Gone To The Bar Racing, trained: Donald McCain, ridden: Jason Maguire

On a day dripping in exciting finishes, this was the only real cakewalk, with Riptide sweeping away the opposition untroubled. He had the best of a modest batch of hurdling form in the book, and early falls for Strong Storm (sinking sea going misadventure buffs' stabs at the Exacta) and Tombov made his life much easier. The least discouraging newcomer, Beaubrav, ground to a rapid halt after the third last. From Riptide's point of view, at least he did not have to struggle to see the remainder off.

Race 2: Costain Supporting Cancer Research UK Handicap Chase [2m 6f]

1: Majic Moments     2: You Can Of Course     3: Miss Merenda

Winner owned: Nigel & Barbara Collison, trained: Charlie Longsdon; ridden: Paddy Brennan

A winning chase debut for top weight Majic Moments, whose presence at the head of the racecard highlights the limitations of the ones that took him on. Initially there were eight, but two unseated early, and two pulled up at halfway, one lame, the other disinterested or a tack problem, perhaps even both. Scholar King was a big threat turning for home, but he fell three out, leaving Majic Moments clear, and although his margin diminished rapidly on the run-in, he did cling on. Just. You Can Of Course has ominously failed to get within 27 lengths of the winner in any earlier race. The Black Lion's second to Sarah's Gift two runs ago is solid enough for this grade, but he ran poorly at Plumpton after (more to it than just the trip). Between the last two fences he seemed set for second, yet ended up fourth. A bad sign, but he only lost by three lengths, which is not so bad. Some sort of multiple personality disorder may be at work.

From front to back: Majic Moments, Scholar King, You Can Of Course and The Black Lion do very little as the photographer catches the action a lap too soon. Although You Can Of Course does look ready to brake sharply, he didn't.

Race 3: Wipro Supporting WaterAid Novice Hurdle [2m 4f]

1: Risk     2: William’s Wishes     3: Ashmolian

Winner owned: The Picnic Party, trained: Charles Egerton, ridden: Tony McCoy

Only four ran, but they were well bunched approaching the third last, where Ashmolian's lack of match fitness was beginning to tell, and Dot's Delight fell, having just started to be pushed along, but with her not yet seriously struggling. William's Wishes had always been travelling well behind the leader, but, for the umpty-thousandth time, Tony McCoy had got the race run perfectly for his mount and when William's Wishes challenged, Risk had enough in hand to eliminate the threat. Risk had taken a few runs to win over hurdles, but the horse he beat last time had won twenty-four hours earlier (and prior to the loss), so the chancers were probably those that made him second favourite.

Tony McCoy has a spare second for a small scale tribute to the Charge of the Light Brigade, whilst the runner-up prays vainly for Russian intervention.

Race 4: Clancy Docwra Supporting the NSPCC Claiming Hurdle [2m 4f]

1: The Good Guy     2: Olivino     3: Massams Lane

Winner owned: Cotswold Hunt Partnership, trained: Kim Bailey, ridden: Jason Maguire

This race produced an upset with The Good Guy making all and clinging on despite jumping right form start to finish. He was a previous course and distance winner, so perhaps the awkward technique is a legacy of a failed stint chasing. Or mockery of the opposition to mentally reinforce his superiority. Early in the race Olivino did not seem to be travelling especially sweetly, but he gradually got going. He has a roughly 25% win and 25% placed rate over hurdles, which is mostly at 2 miles, but the trip was hardly a problem. Massams Lane was given an awful fright by the manic bellowing of the mascot race commentary, and played up a little after. Given that and the fact that even with an unhelpfully high rating he was not well treated at the weights, the run is somewhere above creditable, and below exciting. Like a lemon meringue pie when someone has stolen the meringue.

Race 5: Morrison Utility Services supporting Chestnut Tree House Handicap Chase [2m 2f]

1: Nudge And Nurdle     2: Kirby’s Vic     3: Pilgrims Lane

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

The achievement of Nudge And Nurdle in winning this should not be under-estimated. His solitary previous run on fast ground saw a resounding loss, his four wins had come after breaks of 42, 165, 70 and 30 days, yet here he had run the previous Sunday. They had also all come over 2m 5f or further. In fact, having the stable jockey on board, in preference to yard neighbour Kirby's Vic was the only real plus, if you believed that being 25 pounds below his last winning mark was best exploited on another day. A wobble on landing two out was a moment of danger, but after that, plain sailing. Kirby's Vic went 12211 in 2008, and improved for his comeback run a week earlier. Whether he is weighted to win is another question, as this race was not riddled with rivals in red hot form. Just when it seemed that King Brex was making a fair chase debut, he weakened quickly and pulled up. If the cause was fitness, do not rule out a dramatic improvement soon.

All the evidence is that the success, achieved with some daylight, was hard work

Race 6: 4D supporting the RNLI Handicap Hurdle [2m 2.5f]

1: Rock Me     2: Kijivu     3: Sweet World

Winner owned: Alan Hill, trained: Lawney Hill, ridden: Christian Williams

Another good finish, with Rock Me making a winning debut for his new trainer. Although he had done reasonably well a while ago, recent runs had been lacklustre, and there is no telling how long the change of scene will continue to liven up his ideas. In contrast, Kijivu had been easing back to form in his last couple of races after a spell suffering ginormous defeats, and she maintained the slow progress. Sweet World avoided Maria Antonia for the first time in five runs, but found his modest winning percentage taking another small dent as the replacement oppo proved stronger - the grass is often greener etc. With a course and distance win on good to firm, and both career wins being first time back from a long break, Meet The Legend understandably drew betting interest, although 5/2 was not a generous offer, and he posted a laboured run, but finished lame.

Race 7: Southern Water supporting AAIR/AWAAIREbear Intermediate Open National Hunt Flat race [1m 6f]

1: Mayberry     2: Keep Talking     3: Alwaysonthemove

Winner owned: Lady Bland, trained: Emma Lavelle, ridden: Jack Doyle

Mayberry had the best form in the book, sixth twice in fair races, and she duly won, but Keep Talking, an Irish import that had made no show at Tipperary, certainly made her pull out all the stops. Had he not veered badly right on the run-in, Alwaysonthemove would have been on the premises as well. If there is a prize for the best percentage of bumper runners finishing fourth, Seamus Mullins has a claim to it, and newcomer Annimation maintained the record by staying on from the back. Not an outstanding race, but horses could improve from it when upped in tripped.

Plus Points

Majic Moments (race 2): Jumped soundly and is probably capable of building on this win, as long as the reduction of his lead from eight lengths plus to a neck between final fence and finish line was due to a six month lay-off and not signs of mental unreliability. How does a pedantic horse react to a spelling error in it's name?

Dot's Delight (race 3): Was not very good on the flat, but is definitely better over hurdles. Hopefully the fall has not dented her confidence too much, because she looks capable of winning.

Nudge And Nurdle (race 5): Will jump in the weights, but still be below his last winning chase rating.

Kirby's Vic (race 5): Entered this rated 110 (last won from 98), but his record on officially good or faster going is now a fine looking U41121182.

Warpath (race 5): Was allowed a long overdue drop in class, and ran OK. He led early, dropped back when headed and then stayed on, as expected over a trip shorter than ideal.

Arctic Cape (race 6): Second in both hurdle runs, he had top weight, but did not look desperately in need of an extra couple of furlongs. A drop back to the bare two miles will help.

Down Arrows

Tombov (race 1): Nobody expects the best of Alan King's juveniles to be here today, but Tombov's record of 121 lengths last of 15 and a fall is disappointing, even allowing for a 2009 flat career of two terrible tailed off runs keeping expectation low.

Miss Merenda (race 2): Has become a bit sulky over hurdles and although she had little difficulty with her first view of fences in a race, she only rallied from a near tailed-off position when she realised the race was imminently over.

Musashi (race 3): Seemed to be demoted to claiming company prematurely, but having lacked a touch of toe for two miles, ran like a non-stayer. Perhaps it was a cunning plan to keep his imminent handicap mark down, but it was not visibly encouraging.

Star Shot (race 5): Has been winless since April 2006, and is 0/10 in chases. A switch to Tim Vaughan produced no immediate signs of that being rectified.

Kijivu (race 6): Another fair stab at things, and despite a winning history, she does look a bit timid in a finish at times.