Lincolnshire at leisure
But who wouldn't want a nice day's summer jump racing at the track which probably does it better than most. I do like the announcer here he puts a phenomenal amount of effort into this and is the total professional. I think he does Southwell and Nottingham as well.
The card opened up with a selling hurdle over 2 mile and one. The hot favourite Hucking Hero was an uneasy in the market having sweated up a bit. Raced a bit too freely and was picked up before the last and seemed to tire badly. He will have to settle much better to stay even the minimum trip and I think he remains a negative despite having the ability to win a similar event. This was not a good seller but Red Skipper did not have to be fully extended to win today. Pulls a bit and not entirely fluent he did settle better than most which enabled him to challenge hard held and only had to be loosened to win by an easy ten lengths. This was his first hurdle win but not before time having run reasonably well in prevoous efforts. Third home and outsider Pobs Trophy ran creditably bespite sweating up a little beforehand, this is his sphere but is better suited to sharp tracks like Plumpton. Is on form at the moment. Belle de Fontenay was a well fancied mare in this race but did not produce her form being pretty well taken off her feet by a fast gallop despite looking fit and well beforehand. Probaby better on softer ground. The front running Mutajaaser was edgy in the parade, jumped with a lack of fluency and pulled too hard for his own good. Thetasteofparadise lost its race early on when her saddle slipped and had to be pulled up.
The seller is led by the hard pulling Mutajaase who could only finish third
A varied card then moved on to an early juvenille hurdle over seventeen furlongs. It was a good close race where the Alan King trained just prevailed. He looked a bit backward in the paddock despite having had a couple of flat runs since a break since the autumn. Rated 70 on the flat without much promise, hurdled reasonably well after an early blunder. The runner up Royal Bonsai looked in good condition in the paddock but really didn't have any luck at all today. Made an error two out when making a move, once balanced again was then short of room and once an opportunity emerged had not enough time to assert. This was a very encouraging run and must hold a good chance of winning next time out. Will probably be suited to further with time. Third home Reach Out showed more fluency than on debut but was held by two promising youngsters. He will continue to find winning hard as better three year olds begin running although looked a touch backward and will benefit from the run. Previous winner Market Maker was not good enough to carry his penalty but probably improved on his debut win. He held every chance until the pace quickened approaching two out and his fluency went. Arizona High was 3/1 favourite who was fancied to turn form around on Market Maker with the weights in his favour. However ran prominently until error around halfway and was quicky outpaced. You would say he will probably have to drop to sellers in due course. Fine Style was also fancied on the back of at least having won on the flat and had a third on hurdling debut. In a similar way that his unseating wasn't a big shock last run, successive mistakes signaled no chance today when short lived effort pettered out three out. Basilica looked backward in the paddock showed for a bit but was soon out with the washing. Go went at the first. Jellyvator was edgy beforehand and despite being prominent early was soon beaten.
Winner Red Mercury returns to the winner's enclosure
Good run by Royal Bonsai who is worth keeping the right side of
The two mile four novice chase culminated in a three way battle from the last. The winner was favourite Point of View whose success was really based on a sound display of jumping for a novice plus looked in very fit condition as his recent intensive campaign would have signalled beforehand. Was being caught close home so if his chief competitors had jumped better the result would have been different. But they didn't and that is obvioulsy of major importance for novice chases. Can he kee winning? I think a move to handicapping would be worthwhile, is a btter chaser than hurdler and on that basis an OR of 130 or lower would be favourable. Pyrancantha was not that fluent and did make at least one serious error, lacks pace. Third home was unlucky loser Sunsetten (bit edgy in the preliminaries to my eye) who looked all over the winner approching the last when slipped and nearly unseated jockey wholost his irons. Despite not being hard ridden on run in was only six lengths of the winner. I know he has had three thirds in his efforts in novice chases, but this was an improved effort and I think he can pick up a novice especially over these easyish fences. Exiles Return failed to jump with fluency. Home She Goes looked well but was beaten by better chasers and may benefit by restricting efforts to mares only novice affairs.
Pyracanta leads the way but could only finish runner up
Big race of the afternoon was a class 3 handicap chase over two mile seven. This was won by the prolific Ostland who was completing a hatrick comleted in five weeks. As can be expected looked fit and well beforehand. Is still very novicey making a lot of errors and edging right under hard driving from the last to just hold on. Is talented but is likely to go up a fair bit on todays 128. If he met Rockiteer again I would favour the later. He was unlucky as was squeezed for room on the run in as the winner drifted and I think it may well have affected the result. He has won here recently staying on over 2m4 and with the summer plate coming up soon I make him a decent bet off this mark to be successful. Kirkhammerton stayed on in eyecatching manner without getting a hard time of it to be third. Worth a go over 3 mile plus and is on a good mark. The trip noted is despite both wins to date being over 2m2. Of additional note are the facts that jockey Danny Cook weighed in two pound heavier and got a serious level of suspension and that he still doesn't look fully wound up yet. This further underpins the fact that his mark at present looks one to win off. No Panic was fancied in the market but exagerated waiting tactics didn't put him in with much of a shot today although did finish fourth. The moody Nostringsattached was never in with any chance and was pulled up before the straight. Chorizo was well backed today and was leading or prominent for much until faded when pace quickened about three out. He is quite exposed in the market and having to take on class 3 rather than class 4 opponents is quite a step which he is just not up to on the basis of this run. Saphir des Bois jumped well but was backward in condition and is sure to benefit from today's run.
Eventual winner Osland in the pre parade ring
A two mile one furlong novices' handicap hurdle was next up. This was a closely fought race which suggests that it was tightly handicapped. The winner Silver Lady was held up and produced two out running on to just prevail by half a length looking a tricky ride but was coaxed home by a useful seven pound lady claimer Carey Williamson who has ridden her to the three from last four rides which is very impressive. Has only gone up five pounds and must be due a large increase now. Suits fastish ground and a hold up tactics. Has done little wrong but I think her run is due to come to the buffers with a reassessment. Executive Hall was coming here with a big slug of weight and had also been on a hot chain of novice and handicapping events. Ran as well as could be expected just couldn't hold on against a nicely handicapped and in form challenger. This makes the effort of the third home Lombok all the more commendable. He was held up off the pace, came into the race entering the straight and looked all over the winner at the last but failed to quicken. This was a very encouraging effort, attracted a lot of market support and I would say wuld suit a tight track so a similar event at Plumpton for example where the trainer has the odd winner would be a claxon to break into the bank. Solway Blue ran with credit appearing to suit a longer trip as stayed on fine. Has run with credit before at Perth and has not always looked like a longer trip has suited. Remains a bit of an enigma. Golden Dream attracted support and started as 9/2. Was in with a chance 2 out but was weakening when bumped on run in. Had a bit of a rough race but could not claim to be particularly unlucky. Still not likley to lose maiden tag based on today. Waldo Winchester ran ok but was pulled up lame. Galileo Figaro was backed a bit today, pulled a bit and his sketchy jumping led to the partnership being broken by the second flight.
Lombok in pink parading
Moore gets off Lombok after blowing up when cruising. Can win soon
Two mile seven novice handicap chase looked a bit trappy. It was won by Mumtani (who looked well in the paddock)with a fine jumping run coming from behind and the length and a half winning distance was on the comfortable side. Jumping is his main attribute, but that could not be said for the fairly short favourite Bob Will. He was very far from convincing in his jumping despiite looking on a very useful handicap mark. On the face of a series of seconds and one win you would think another win is close at hand, however I believe that he will continue to be short priced, that unless his jumping takes a radical improvement he is always open to an improver so I think he is a lay for the foreseeable. Third home Walls Way ran with much credit on his chase debut running as if a drop in trip would be useful Has a bit of form over two miles four and has the ability to pick up a similar event off current mark. Second favourite Gunner Rose who looked to need the run today and appears to be on a fair mark but is nowhere near fluent enough to win yet and did not seem at ease over fences just yet. In the circumstances ran reasonably well. Kilshannig looked fit but shape doesn't look a typical chaser to me. Mistakes soon put paid to his chances and is best avoided over the fences. Hardwick Wood was making a bit of progress when a mistake knocked the stuffing out off him. Looked well and his style and form suggests best at quirky tracks such as Fontwell.
A two mile one furlong bumper was a very exciting close three way photo. This gives the impression that the race deteriorated into the classic muddling paced race prevaillent in these types of events. But this was a well run affair at a fair pace. It was won by the well fancied 4/1 shot Must You Go (he looked a little backward in the paddock) who came with a rare rattle from 2 out to just get up on the line. He is closely related to champion bumper winner Cork All Star. Not to be underestimated as thoroughly genuine. Bellapais Abbey also showed resolution and looked to have got up halfway up the final furlong only to be nutted. Again is a well bred National Hunt family so it looks a very fair bumper. Third home behind these two debutants was the McCoy ridden Leath Acra Mor (looked particularly well beforehand) who had been gradually improving in bumpers and looked a lve contender. Held vevery chance staying on well to go down by two heads so whilst more exposed than the first two home is still improving. 3/1 favourite Bookemdano, who appears weak in comparison to most of the field today, had looked a difficult ride based on his bumpers in Ireland and looks one to avoid like the plague as appeared highly ungenuine when holding a winning lead 2 out going down tamely behind three moderate but gutsy opponents. He almost got beaten for fourth as Bollin Tahini showed stamina going home. He was well clear of the remainder and looks like a stiffer trip might help aas was doing his best work coming home. Rhinestone Rebel had shown promise on his debut when second here ran green and was edgy in the preliminaries.
Horses Noted
Hucking Hero (N)up £10
2
Strong in the market next time in Uttoxeter seller at 6/4 held up but again looked like was inlikely to stay. Still a negative
Royal Bonsai (P) up £267
1 13/8 1 10/1 1 16/1
Has been running well on flat to keep fresh and his two hurdle victories have been very good indeed and even off 130 I expect even more especially if tried over further. Worth taking on the top juveniles and is entered in a grade 2 at Donny at the weekend. Best on flat tracks by the looks of it. Went on to win a listed juvenile nect run at big odds. Still a positive
Rockiteer (P) up £50
3 3 1 7/1
Has been racing well since I maked him down as a positive and after a couple of decent staying on thirds and down 3lbs to 117 he popped in when pushed up in trip to three miles. Up 7lbs now so will be laft
Kirkhammerton (P) down £30
0 F 0
been a disappointment and binned
Lombok (P) up £25
0 3 1 7/2
Left alone over too far over 2m3 when returnin. Kept up improvement shown in 17f race when running next over similar trip at the unsuitably tough Towcester. Kept ticking over on the level and then won well at Plumpton. I had said break the bank in similar at Plumpton and that's what I did. Up 6lbs and shelved
Bob Will (N) up £40
4 0 0 3
Not shown much really and even after four more runs still hits ffences and gets knocked out of his stride. I will give him a rest now
Bookemdano (N) down £42.50
1 2/1 1 9/4
Won next bumper easily. I then took a chance inlaying him on hurdle debut and to be fair he looked a decent novice and was a risk to lay so was binned.