The racing broadcaster has two new horses to keep an eye on following trips to Wetherby and Kelso, with one released from his stable.
You can follow all of Richard’s tracked horses with the Racing TV tracker.
Two runners this week and for both the obstacles got in the way.
First Shakeyatailfeather (BD, 13/2), who was just moving forward when getting brought down four out at Doncaster on Sunday. It was too far out to know how she would have fared and was a fair old melee, so hopefully her confidence has not been affected. She is retained.
Later on in the card a last-fence blunder by Iconic Muddle (second, 11/8) cost him his chance when second to Ladronne. It was his only serious error of the whole race, which was still in the balance at the time. He is released just because this looked a shallow race, but it would be no surprise if he was capable of winning a similar race in the near future. He proved he stays 3m even in deep ground, but a string of second places means he will likely go off short in the market next time.
My week at the races
A couple of my favourite tracks on a northern trip this week, starting with Wetherby on Thursday.
My gut feeling is that Willsburg would have held on in the opener had he not come down when stepping at the last. This handed the race to Magical King, who had himself made plenty of errors. Given how well the Stuart Edmunds stable is going, he’s probably one to take on next time as he should not have made such heavy weather of this. Tommy Time has rather harshly been raised 5lb for finishing second.
A win for Ali Star Bert looked unlikely two out and it seemed the shortcomings of others handed it to him. Coolmoyne emptied quickly, showing why he is a long-standing maiden, and you had to feel for Conor O’Farrell who had been hard at work on Le Grand Vert from a long way out, got to the lead on the run in but then got nailed himself as he possibly idled.
The most interesting horse on the card for the future looked to be newcomer GLIMPSE OF GLORY, who is added to the tracker after finishing third on his debut in the Junior Hurdle. He was well supported but has quite a stout pedigree and was just lacking a change of pace and perhaps some knowledge of what was required when it lifted. It was noticeable that he was strong at the line with ears pricked and I would expect him to make above average improvement especially if upped in trip.
Of the rest of the card, North Parade looked unlucky not to finish closer in the 2m 3½f handicap, getting stuck behind a weakening rival around the home turn and losing as much as six lengths. He made steady progress up the straight but could never quite land a blow, and even after another rise to 113 he remains in form.
Beaumesnil’s win in the last advertised the good run of form for trainer Susan Corbett, who would land her biggest success as a trainer 48 hours later at Doncaster with Pinot Rouge’s Listed Mares win. Her horses are worth keeping onside in the short term.
So on to Kelso for one of the most improved race days in the entire calendar – Morebattle Hurdle day. Local form has often held up with well despite the southern raiding parties, and that proved the case in the opener when locally trained Serious Operator held off the gallant Brewin’Upastorm, who had been rerouted after his hat-trick attempt at the National Spirit had been stymied by the weather.
There was early drama in the Grade 2 Premier Novices Hurdle with Brucio being brought down at the first, and in the resulting chaos at the back BERTIE’S BALLET got quite badly baulked. He had to do quite a lot of running as a result to get into a challenging position, before either the effects of that effort or the extra 2f found him out. He has been raised to 120 but is added to the tracker as the yard of Dianne Sayer is one I like, and the money beforehand signalled a better effort was expected despite it looking a tough task at the weights.
The big race, the Morebattle, was a triumph for local traners and local form with Cracking Rhapsody and Ginger Mail filling the first two places, having already fought out two finishes at the track this season already. There were no obvious hard luck stories and nothing added, but a pot of £120k being worth more than any of the Festival handicap hurdles proves there’s definitely life outside Cheltenham.
The Premier Chase was won in good fashion by Thunder Rock who proved his stamina in a race where Monbeg Genius disappointed in his Grand National prep run. A rise of 10 for Thunder Rock looks as if it could make him difficult to place off this, though.
SUMMARY
RETAINED – Shakeyatailfeather
RELEASED – Iconic Muddle
ADDED – Glimpse of Glory , Bertie’s Ballet
You can see the stable in full as it stands here.
