Exeter - (1st Nov)
Course Description
A right handed hilly track, this course suits those that take to the severe gradients, therefore past course and distance runners should be respected. Such runners are unlikely to be long striding gallopers who find this course unsettling. The uphill run-in is 300 yards long
2:40 2m 1f - William Hill Haldon Gold Cup Chase (Limited Handicap) (Class A) Grade 2 5yo+
Analysis
A light modification in approach to place more emphasis on ratings and use stats as guide. Short listed on ratings are Contraband, Ground Ball, Kauto Star and Ashley Brook
Contraband is a smart novice, however is unsuited to soft ground. Kauto Star is an unknown quantity and takes a large step up in class. The Irish raider Ground Ball is a danger to all. Race fit from a maiden flat event over 2 miles he is yet to prove his ability over fences however he may leave me with egg on my face in the selection of Ashley Brook (1 point win).
A winner of the Gr1 John Smith's Maghull Novices' Steeple Chase at Aintree last time out beating War of Attrition by 16 lengths (who recently beat Kicking King) he is noted as a smart chaser and one to follow this year.
3:10 2m 1f - williamhillcasino.com Novices' Chase (Class C) 5yo+
Analysis
A match between Racing Demon and Chilling Place with the vote going to Racing Demon (1 point). This chasing type, ran very green green in his last race (Gr1 Royal & Sunalliance Novices' Hurdle Cheltenham) runs very well fresh and is noted as an exciting chase prospect this year based on very bullish trainer comments and reports.
Chilling Place has race fitness on his side is potenially another horses to follow. However on his most recent outing ( I was there) his jumping looked a bit 'dodgy'. Also his trainer after the race indicated that he is suited to better ground.
posted by Slipperytoad @ 10/31/2005 10:20:00 pm
2 comments
News Feed
2 Comments:
2:40 2m 1f - William Hill Haldon Gold Cup Chase (Limited Handicap) (Class A) Grade 2 5yo+
The key learning from this is that this was a handicap and analysis should have been modified accordingly
Racing Post Comments
A race that is traditionally one of the first real highlights of the National Hunt season, but it soon turned into tragedy with triple Gold Cup winner and the apple of the racing public's eye Best Mate collapsing near the final fence, having sufferedfrom a heart attack. Rarely has a horse caught the public imagination as much as Best Mate and little more can be said than that he died a racing great.
This looked a cracking renewal with last season's top two-mile novice chaser Ashley Brook meeting opposition from a horse who would have pushed him for that title had injury not curtailed his season, Kauto Star, and his somewhat ‘forgotten' Arkle conqueror Contraband. Being a handicap however this brought the likes of the unexposed Kadount and MONKERHOSTIN into contention and it was the latter, whose last outing over fences saw him destroy a good field in the 2004 Bonusprint Gold Cup, that emerged victorious.
Held up off the strong pace set by Ashley Brook, he was running away with Richard Johnson for most of the way and some quick, fluent jumping down the back straight propelled him into a threatening position as they turned for home. He held a narrow lead jumping the fourth last and it was clear from two out that he had thetired Kauto Star beaten, ultimately clearing away for an impressive victory.
His record over fences since joining the Hobbs yard reads particularly well, his only defeat in four outings coming in the 2004 Paddy Power Gold Cup, and he now has that as alikely target again, but in the long-run one would have to think he has major claims in something like the Ryanair Chase having beaten last year's winner Thisthatandtother pointless in the Bonusprint.
With Azertyuiop out for the season Kauto Star looks set to represent the Nicholls team in all the top two-mile events this term and he will no doubt have delighted connections with this reappearance effort.
Last seen finishing a controversial second in a novice chase here in January when Walsh remounted the gelding after he had capsized at the second-last (an incident that caused his injury), he was believed to be in need of this and so it was no surprise to see him get weary in the final quarter mile having cantered into the straight. There was no disgrace in failing to give the winner weight and the extremely high regard in which connections hold him is to be respected with the future in mind. He is in the Paddy Power, but that will surely come too soon and he is likely to be given a bit more time.
Those who were looking for a performance of Champion Chase proportions from Ashley Brook will have been disappointed. Last season's efforts in both the Arkle and at Aintree suggested that he could pose a threat to the likes of Moscow Flyer and the now injured Well Chief, but his rider's suspicions that he requires further proved founded as he seemed to be outpaced from the turn into the straight.
Strongly supported in the market beforehand, he had to give a fair bit of weight to the front pair, but as he looked fit in the paddock and had made winning reappearances at this course for each of the previous two seasons, better could have been expected. Ridden to take a decisive early lead by a jockey who was confident in his ability to jump and travel, it is quite possible a bad blunder at the eighth took a bit more out of him than had looked likely and as a result he deserves another chance. There is no doubting he has a huge engine and it is now likely that he will step up in distance.
There was quite a gap back to the remainder who were headed by one of the rank outsiders See You Sometime. Rising 11 now, the gelding has faced some stiff tasks in his time over fences and spent virtually all of last season racing exclusively in graded company, but he was rarely disgraced and this was a fine reappearance effort.
On the downside, he is not going to be easy to place off this sort of mark and will probably continue to find winning hard.
Arkle winner Contraband would have found this ground a tad softer than ideal, but his race was over after an horrendous error at the fourth that resulted in the fence being dolled off for the remainder off the afternoon. He did well to finish where he did considering, and he could be an interesting contender for the Paddy Power if seeing out the trip.
Mister McGoldrick earned a very high rating after some smashing efforts last season, but he was always likely to struggle here giving weight to some talented performers. It is safe to assume the run will bring him on and better can be expected next time.
Kadount progressed into a smart novice chaser last season and rounded off the campaign with a gallant second to Fota Island at Aintree. Therefore it was reasonable to expect a good show off of a feather-weight, but having made some ground into a challenging position at halfway, he was struggling from well over half a mile out and ultimately dropped away. This was not an easy race to make a seasonal reappearance in however and it would not surprise to see him step up on this.
Irish challenger Ground Ball was the only runner to have had a recent outing (on the Flat 20 days previously) but it made little difference and he was beaten too far for this to be his true running.
3:10 2m 1f - williamhillcasino.com Novices' Chase (Class C) 5yo+
Racing Demon is one to follow this year in the memory of Best Mate RIP)
Racing Post Comments
Although little in the way of compensation for the Knight yard, the victory of RACING DEMON at least provided them with something positive to think about and, given he was in need of the run, it has to go down as a smart effort.
Not seen since finishing a slightly unlucky second to No Refuge in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle, chasing was always going to be his game and he displayed here that he has the necessary speed to develop into an Arkle contender.
Always travelling fluently, his jumping was good and did not seem to be affected by a low head carriage.
Recent course scorer Chilling Place set a good standard, he himself being a smart novice, but one always got the impression Timmy Murphy thought he had him beaten and he foundan extra gear after the last to win a shade comfortably.
Admittedly he was receiving weight from the second, but Racing Demon was conceding race fitness and there is no doubting that he is the most promising two-miler we have seen so far this term.
Chilling Place posted an excellent effort, leading from the outset and battling on well, but he was just lacking the winner's touch of class at the business end. This was a step up on his initial effort and he may yet be capable of further improvement ona genuinely sound surface.
Shuhood struggled in two Grade One events at the major Festivals last season, but his earlier form was decent and he made a satisfactory start to his chasing career. He was beginning to tire when pecking badly on landingat the third last and it is safe to assume he is a fair bit better than the bare result. He should be able to find a similar race if going the right way from this.
Green Tango was inferior to most of these over hurdles and he was outclassed on this chasing debut. He is a fair sort however and will find easier opportunities.
Nyrche created a favourable impression when bolting up in a course and distance chase in heavy ground back in April, but he was not so effective here in a better race and was beaten some way from the finish. He is surely better than this, but now has a bit to prove.
Yes Sir was officially rated the best of these over hurdles, though whether he was better than the winner is open to question. A slight error at the first seemed to unsettle him and a more serious blunder at the fourth resulted in him dropping back through the field. He was never going thereafter and this was nowhere near a true reflection of his ability.
Post a Comment
<< Home