Sandown - 2:35, 3:10 (8 Jan 2005)
Course Description
A right hand, oval track of 1m 5f. The fences are quite stiff and there is a testing uphill run-in of 300 yards. The accent here is on stamina but front runners do quite well..
Analysis
2.35 Gr1 Ladbrokes Com Tolworth Hurdle Race (A)
An extremely competitive race and many have chances therefore my two against the field are Wild Passion and Astronomic. Wild Passion the Irish raider is a very progressive novice and has two impressive wins under his belt. He will definitely be in the shake up! The same can be said of Astronomic who is noted as an improver based on his recent win at Haydock.
As this race is extremely competitive, I’ll take the conservative approach and go with a 1 pt win bet on each horse.
3.10 Listed Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle Race (A)
Another competitive race on the card but I believe the winner will be either Monte Cinto or Thesis. I have already back Monte Cinto Ante Post based on his recent course and distance win that was won in an impressive time. Based on form book comments he is the one to fear in all 2m handicap hurdles throughout this season. I also like the look of Thesis! A front runner he was second in his recent race after a 363 absence from the track and he should be spot on today.
A 2 pt win bet for Monte and 1 pt for Thesis. Given the credentials of Winsley who was second behind Monte Cinto, I will pop down the bookies and throw him into a reverse forecast bet along with Thesis.
This race is also this week’s selection for the Racing Forum PriceWise competition. You can review entries from the other contestants via this link http://www.theracingforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/ikonboard/topic.cgi?forum=14&topic=1342
posted by Slipperytoad @ 1/07/2005 04:42:00 pm
2 comments
News Feed
2 Comments:
2:35
An competitive races with maybe a few clues for the Cheltenham festival
Wild Passion came 4 at odds of 5/2
Astronomic fell
Racing Post Comments
The two-mile novice hurdling division has lacked sparkle so far this season but this Grade 1 contest did at least attract the best we have seen so far with the pre-race market leaders for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in opposition. However, one of those, Astronomic, got no further than the fourth, while a steady early pace produced a packing field as those that were left moved towards the end of the back straight.
Already one of the stars of the season, MARCEL posted a personal best to win thisprestigious prize in grand fashion. Taking his record to nine from ten since joining Martin Pipe, the French recruit - unbeaten under Timmy Murphy - travelled ominously well throughout , a mistake at the penultimate flight not hampering his progress in the slightest. Keeping on with real gusto from the final obstacle, he saw his race out superbly to underline his status as worthy favourite for the Festival opener. Already a winner over the Supreme's course and distance, he sets a high bar for the rest toaim at and, with genuine rivals at this stage looking thin on the ground, the almost universal 7-1 quotes about him for Cheltenham - not to mention Cashmans' 8-1 tempter - seem perfectly fair and perhaps even a shade generous.
If Marcel ran a rattlinggood Cheltenham trail, so too did It's Just Harry. Far less experienced than the winner, and coming here with only wins at Hereford and Taunton to his name, he ran a race that positively screamed a step-up to two miles and five furlongs for the RoyalAnd SunAlliance Hurdle. Comfortable under Tony McCoy through the race's initial exchanges, he rather lost a threatening position at the head of the straight but then powered up the hill to take second, all the time making inroads into a winner who was certainly not stopping. He could now go straight to Cheltenham and, with further progress surely on the cards, he will be a live contender come March. As such, the 16-1 on offer for the SunAlliance with Totesport and Paddy Power is quite tempting.
Chilling Place almost certainly exceeded his connections' expectations. A horse who will only come into his own when he tackles fences, he has been talked of more as an EBF Final horse than a serious Cheltenham candidate, but he ran a cracker, his rider setting a clever pace up front and his mount not deserving the stumble that blunted his momentum after the final flight. He now deserves his place at the Festival, with the Royal And SunAlliance looking the wiser option.
Wild Passion left his trainerbitterly disappointed but whether he actually ran that much below par is debatable. His win in the Royal Bond Hurdle at Fairyhouse did not amount to tip-top Grade 1 form and he had every chance to shine here. Nevertheless, his trainer is no mug, and if he believes Wild Passion is capable of significantly better, he is almost certainly right.
3:10
Monte Cinto came 10th at odds of 3/1
Thesis came 7th at odds of 12/1
Racing Post Comments
Thesis couldn't make any advancement on his Windsor reappearance second, but he's better than he showed here.
Monte Cinto, so impressive when beating Winsley here in the William Hill Hurdle, carried Ruby Walsh on the bridle for a long way but then flattened out quite tamely. His trainer had warned punters beforehand that the horse had coughed after winning that last race and he ran here like a horse who was still feeling the effects of a bug.
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