rebelfm

There was no specific reason for visiting Leicester again in respect of awards following the review of each GB course other than it looked a good card and I fancied going racing over Christmas. Leicester receives a bit of stick on occasions regarding facilities etc but I have found it a really nice racecourse top visit. Today saw a good sized crowd for a Christmas family fun day so was quite a good one to gauge the course by.

The poor aspects are worth pointing out first. These include total chaos in the car park (why are there no stewards to manage the flow of traffic out after racing it was like Wacky Races getting out of a sludgy thus slippery quagmire), the attractions for the kids (they made Radio Chorley Day at the Phoenix Club look enticing) and a lack of food outlets (queues for the four ‘burger vans’ were so long that racegoers missed races whilst waiting for food).

There were some very good points though which included the Quorn tea-room (I really like this little oasis for some reason and although small one you have a table it’s a great place for a quite brew and a cake between races), the atmosphere of a big crowd (it’s nice to be at an event with a bit of buzz) and the was the viewing over the final chase fence (this has been engineered specifically to give the spectators a fantastic almost bird-eye view and is one of the best in the country).

However the best thing about the day’s racing was that we had a really mixed card today making it an interesting card. There were two valuable handicaps being the silver (a handicap chase) and bronze (a handicap hurdle)  fox trophies. There were two novice chases one a handicap. A novice hurdle and a selling hurdle. These attracted in general decent fields because we had good ground. The advertised good to firm in places did not seem to be prevalent.

We started with a  two mile handicap chase for novices at class 4 level. The previous form for all eight runners provided a suspicion that jumping errors were likely and that this would be a case of whoever jumps with fewest mistakes would prevail. In fact that is how it worked out. The length and a half winner was one of the outsiders Azfal. He has shown a preference for going right handed and does not see 3 miles out but does stay up to 19f. Often makes the running but can fade in deep ground. Today he jumped well and made all but benefited from others errors and as such was a bit fortunate just holding on when treading water in the run in. The second home was Surf And Turf who could be viewed as an unlucky loser. Made smooth headway from about four out and looked the winner until an awful blunder two out where Richie McLernon did remarkably well to hold on appeared to have sorted him. However got going again and way catching the winner up but just failed to haul him in. On the basis of this you would have him down as a positive from this race. This was only his second chase and he showed his jumping is improving and these are quite stiff fences. He may even prefer a longer distance as his hurdle form suggests 20f is well within his scope. The pair was eight lengths clear of Edgebury who ran OK but never really threatened. His breeding (close relative to Deep Sensation) suggests can make the mark over fences but there have been doubts over his temperament. Of the rest only Russian Conquest showed any potential staying on pretty well and thus giving the impression that further would be preferred. He has also run well here in the past.

We then had a two and a half mile selling hurdle where the favourite was Belle De Fontenay. She opened at 4/7 and then took a walk in the market to 4/5 before some late money led to a SP of 8/15. I had seen her run twice before with the most recent being a good effort to make all in a handicap where she was taken on for the lead and thus probably was made too much use of. Today there was a complete change in tactics with her and she was held up. I cannot understand these tactics as in my opinion all she does is gallop resolutely but without a change in gears. She led for a few hurdles entering the final mile off a modest gallop and when the leaders quickened she was completely one paced and plodded home a remote third. She was a stone better off than the winner and to be frank this smelt a bit. Keep an eye out for her as she is much better than this and needs to dictate affairs to be seen at best. I am not putting her down as a positive as this was such a disappointing run but she looks a plot horse somewhere soon. The winner was the lightly raced Ministry Of The Interior who was held up and quickened well off the slow pace. Best in the blinkers which were applied today and had in the past won after a long break. Previous run had been marred by poor hurdling and probably picked up an injury. Because of his history you would suspect that he cannot stand an awful lot of racing but was bought in for 5,000 guineas so is well thought of by connections. The runner up was Small Fry who was held up and quickened up with the winner from two out but couldn‘t maintain the pace and was eased when beaten. Form has been best on fastish ground and may have been flattered by the bare bones of the result. Of the remainder Madam Molly looked fractious in the paddock and mucked about at the start refusing to race and the 4/1 second favourite Dots Delight appeared to be having problems with the bit / tongue strap before entering the paddock and fell when going well at the 6th. I would forgive her this one and she could go close in a seller. However nothing of note out of this race.

The Lefeuvre Family  Help The Heroes novice hurdle over 2m4 followed. This was a great innovation comprising of an auction to have a race named after them plus attend the meeting dishing out the pot. The money raised is donated to this very worthwhile charity. What a brilliant idea and well done the LeFeuvre’s for bidding most for what I am sure was a highly enjoyable day. There are far worse ways of spending your money I would say. The race itself was a very decent quality. It was won by the Nicky Henderson trained Hilton Indiana who jumped very nimbly and stayed strongly to score by about two lengths. I had seen his debut months ago and had him down as one to follow especially over a distance of ground. I have also formed the opinion that he will make a good chaser in time. Difficult to fail to be impressed although did hit the last when fiddling it a bit. This was a strong gallop playing into the hands of those with stamina. I am looking forward to seeing him chase next season. The runner up was the Tom Scudamore ridden Bygones Sovereign. He made most until challenged for the lead two out. I thought he had enough in the take to reel the winner in approaching the last but stayed on at the one pace. He will be better over further and I have him as a positive after this race and can win a novice soon as this was a pretty decent event run at a true pace. The third home was the hot 13/8 favourite Medanas who had some decent form coming into this race so set a good standard. I think this third place today was another step forward and was beaten by some novices with plenty of potential. The trio were well clear emphasising that this was still a very decent effort so despite being beaten I would not being laying him next run. The rest were all pretty well tailed off including the well fancied Black Noddy who didn’t show anything like the potential it had on hurdle debut so it may well be that he was outclassed today. A second one to note from this race today was Wood Bank who is very closely related to Denman. He has not given a hard race at all today on his hurdle debut when finished a remote fifth. Clearly needs three miles and thus this was way too short but ran with much promise. Once in the right race he is sure to pick up a hurdle and obviously can be reasonably expected to do even better over fences with time.

The first of the features was the class 4 20f handicap chase for the Leicestershire Silver Fox. It produced a pulsating finish with three horses locked together over the last. It was a tight race on the book and little to suggest much of note going forward. The winner was Cootehill  which is named after a border town in County Cavan. Not the most memorable of places although has a decent limestone quarry. Cootehill was close up throughout and jumped more than competently to power up the straight and just hold on by a neck. I was surprised how well he jumped in comparison to some less than impressive efforts. Is now getting close to his useful hurdle form. Would not be a shock if went on from this especially over this 20f which suits him well. The runner up Forty Five also ran with much merit being yet another second for JJ O’Neill and McLernon. Is still a maiden over the fences and this effort being much more fluent than of late and is a positive. His 108 mark looks lenient and 20f going RH looks ideal. Third home was Quackers who had some really good form in 2008 winning a string of races and being rated 140. However encountered breathing issues combined with this severe rating led to a fallow time. Now down to 118 which is a wining mark he ran very well being run out of it on the run in. I think a stiff 20f is just too far and maybe 18f on good ground is optimal. I would not put anyone off backing when encountering optimal conditions. Of the remainder Nothingbutthetruth had some fair form but ran poorly suggesting that he needs to be ridden closer to the pace than this held up display, Thats The Deal come here off a decent run but this is too far and is better off over two miles who ran as well as could be expected but a couple of errors knocked him out of it down the back straight, Double dizzy went well but looks one who is best at those cross country races. There were a couple I had seen in the past. Quel Brure tried to force the pace and is best over three miles. However is very inconsistent. I had seen Roc De Guye win at Fakenham and I think that easy LH track is much more to his liking than this stiff RH test. 

The three mile novice chase was a decent event. It was won in fine style to complete a Nicky Henderson trained double in the form of Loose Performer. I had seen his hurdling debut back in January at Doncaster where he looked a future chaser. He has only had the two efforts over hurdles and you would suspect that he had shown plenty at home ahead of this chase debut. Front runner  and was jumping the rest into the ground when made a horrendous blunder on the tricky uphill fence along the back straight. Somehow the partnership remained intact. I thought he would then potter home from there as he emerged third. However he was soon back in a good rhythm and back at the fore turning for home jumping the remainder very well for a noteworthy win. I think he can carry a penalty and was impressive. The second home was the well bred Quentin Collenges (Heroes Collenges is a close relative) who came here having a decent chase debut when third to Wayward Prince in the book. He ran well to be second behind a progressive sort but his jumping is not fluent enough yet. I think he is a good novice but I cannot get too positive until there are signs of fluency. I think he will prefer going left handed with time as well. Third home was the experienced Ackertac who ran well but was not up to the class of the first two. Kauto the Rock has yet to show anything like the ability of his illustrious relative but ran OK for fourth.

We closed off with the class 3 Leicestershire Bronze fox which was a two mile handicap hurdle. This looked a very competitive event with plenty having good recent form and looking fairly treated. In the circumstances the acceleration shown by the winner Grammes And Ounces to quickly put this event to bed was impressive. This run was off 106 after a facile Hereford victory. Clearly goes best RH is still only on 109 and there is a valuable class 2 handicap on Saturday at Sandown which he is down on the entries as 109 avoiding a penalty but may end up out of the handicap if Afsoun takes his place at the head of the weights. He has two other engagements but both lead to a 7 lbs penalty. I think he is a strong positive until the assessor gets hold of him. The second is also a positive. Royal Opera looked the sort to suit a sharper track than this after a good run at Musselburgh. So a second to a handicap snip based on Timeform assessment must be viewed as a noteworthy effort. However he is now up to 124 on the basis of recent form which is a seven pound lift. On that basis he is a bit toughly dealt with but I would be keen to back given the right track. Of the rest I thought Binend was in the process of being given an easy after falling in decent company at Ascot last run but tipped up two out. Clearly got jumping faults but has plenty of promise. Pepite Rose ran well for fourth and is on a decent mark now. She is one which now that V Williams string is hitting a bit of form could well oblige.

Notebook

Surf And Turf (P)

Hilton Indiana (P)

Bygones Sovereign (P)

Loose Performer (P)

Grammes And Ounces (P)

Royal Opera (P)