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LEICESTER WINS THE 2011 MILLWALL STANLEY AS BEST NO-ONE LIKES US: WE DONT CARE COURSE

I was at Leicester today to award the Millwall Stanley for the inaugural No-one likes us we don’t care trophy. It went to the much maligned track in sunny Oadby. There are several courses which I see get periodic stick from various sources. The ones are notice most often are Leicester, Southwell Pontefract and Redcar. This is generally because they have had less investment, they are often in an industrial setting and the standard of racing is not always that hot. I think that of these four the clear winner of the award on the basis of it might have been warranted in the past but it isn’t now is Leicester.

This second visit in a short period of time was on a quite raceday but there was still a very healthy crowd here today. There was one bad peice of news and that is the excellent little cafe underneath the stand known as the Quorn Room was shut until further notice. I hope this is only renovations rather than a permanent plan. Also I hope that the changes do not precipitate a significant change in the ambiance. 

The car park today was a little less frantic to get out but still slow. The features of the course worth reiterating are the fine paddock having several decent trees within them, the elevated view over the final chase fence is the best place to view racing and the conservatory styled cafe area under the new grandstand I discovered since the Quorn was shut. There were few concessions around today but there was a donut van, the decent steak sandwich provider and some books / clothing on offer at the other one.

Getting in for a decent card including a racecard was only £12 and this gave access to all areas which was very good value so well done Leicester. The racecard was all in black and white but was ‘free’ so no quarrels from me on that score. However I would have been a bit miffed at paying £2 if there was a need to purchase an additional one. The racing today was another varied card. We had a novice hurdle and a feature novice chase worth decent money well above the tarrif for its classification. There was a seller and three handicaps two of which were chases.

The first up was the two mile  novice hurdle which had a weak favourite in the David Pipe trained Kazlian who took a big walk in the market from an opening evens to 7/4 before returning 13/8. He had won very easily last time out but that was on an easier track. Plus his hurdling had looked less than fluent. Today he motored clear for a very comfortable win. This was not a bad run for a juvenile as I thought this race looked a decent test. He hurdled much better today and it would be interesting to see how he gets on if he was upped in class. However it is worth looking at the rest of the field to gather a realistic opinion on his future possibilities. The only serious contenders today as the race turned out were strong staying types who will need further. The two mile specialists were beaten out of sight as Kazlian outpaced them with a decent turn of foot.  Cost a lot of money off the flat. I cannot make my mind up about this one as he really was hacking all over them today and should be a big positive but I will hold fire.  The one big positive was third home Enroller. He was held up towards the rear and was slowly bought through. He was never near enough to threaten and had a relatively easy race. I am sure he needs at least two and a half miles, is improving all the time and his excellent flat form of winning a group 3 means he has plenty of class. He must win when tried over the longer trip and I make him a very strong positive. High On A Hill is sort of the fly in today’s ointment on the basis that he didn’t look too hot on his modest flat mark of 74 and not too exciting a hurdling debut. However he did run with promise and was close enough two out before being outclassed. Could be OK but I have a nagging doubt about this form in relation to his relative position and distance behind the winner as I think he was a touch flattered. However he is not a negative. Of the rest the biggest flop was Tuscan Gold who held every chance and hurdled fine but was outclassed today. I thought he had run with promise on his debut at Huntingdon. I think he is not as good as that form appears and is best avoided. Eurythmic has a good class pedigree including El Gran Senor as a relative off the dam line. However hurdled scruffily again today. Hidden had been second on his debut in what is turning out to be a very ordinary race and he looked moderate today. Oriental Cat has not transferred a bit of promise from the flat over sticks and again looked to lack aptitude for this game. Status Symbol was useful on the flat including when third in a listed race. Raced prominently making most of the running but wilted in the straight after a series of mistakes however this was a promising debut and could well go close when tried over further but will need to sharpen up on his hurdling as he clobbered a few today. Swaling did not transfer the good second to a decent sort in a bumper last year in this outing and finished distressed today. Miss Hilton was completely outclassed.

Race 2 was a two and a half mile handicap chase at class 4 level won Travalo. Ridden ably by young claimer James Best. Stalked long term leader and old man of the party Kerkabellic until produced for a decisive run between last two fences. Has got quite a decent pedigree with his dam being a half sister to Ardross and Gesedeh. Not sure what this says going forward but this was an odd race in many ways. The well fancied Paul Webber horse Edgebury ran absolutely no kind of race at all and was tailed off before making a futile late flurry. He has been mulish before and looks one to lay more than back so is a negative going forward. We lost Le Reveur early, Phar Again looked a bit one paced but was handicapped out of it really on his current mark being 7lbs off last years’ win in this event. Morentito looked to have the race won when leading into the straight but was collared late on and has previously found two and half in soft ground difficult (he comes out of this well given better conditions and maybe a bit less than his current 103 rating). Jockey was banned for 7 days for whip abuse. Moscow Chancer again showed that he runs all over the place, bumping / hampering other horses and is a difficult ride. He has ability but did the same as he did at Haydock and was a decent lay today on the evidence. A bad horse to back this one and will continue to be a negative.

Race 3 was the two and a half mile seller where we had a very hot 1/2 favourite in previously good class juvenile of 2010 Westlin’ Winds.  He had been dropped in trip for today’s event and looked thrown in. Came through to lead over the second last and held clear advantage on run to the last but was not kicking on under hard driving. I don’t know whether he is just paceless or mulish but this was a clear winning opportunity, his juvenile form at handy tracks suggests he has speed, I thought he was well ridden to hold every chance and his hurdling was not bad at all. Therefore I can only guess that he is a bit of a hard horse to get right. He must have showed something though as he was claimed for the six grand by someone who had seen something more than I had. I wonder how much he would have gone for through the ring is he had of won? In my book though he is a negative as too high in the weights to do it in handicaps and sellers are tricky races for this sort to win.  The winner was a tall big old thing called American Cricket who has not had much racing of late and hurdled well picking up the favourite on the line. He is an eleven year old and attracted no bid. The one positive has already been picked up in previous posts and that is Group Leader. As suspected he didn’t stay this 2m4 and really needs two miles. He ran well today giving himself every chance from three out but didn’t stay the final half mile. I think he will win when put over the appropriate trip. The other three looked moderate and unlikely to be a threat even at this level.

Race 4 was a class 4 handicap chase over two miles. It was an exciting race for the neutral but a terrible race for me. I had two in the race as serious lays. One was favourite Kenalek who I had also laid at short odds on to be placed. The race started brilliantly from my betting point of view as this ex pointer demolished the first to such an extent that it was out of action for the rest of the day. He then proceeded to jump poorly until being eased down at the end of the back straight. I hope the horse is fine but these fences are stiff and I was not surprised that he found them tricky (reported that lost two shoes leading to poor display, sounds like typical trainer fob-off to difficult owners been there on that one before). It could also be the case that the chestnut was miffed that there was an interloper in the ring before the race when the number four in the fifth race, Valid Choice, was also there despite being a bay. It took the officials ages to spot the error even though several racegoers including myself tried to point out to the stable lad that he was a race too early to be in the paddock.  Retribution for me followed though as a horse I thought to have been a jammy winner last time out and a consequential lay just got up. I didn’t lay Smart option much but at 12/1 I didn’t need to. All the gains from Kenalek whipped out! Share Option now has a double to his name and this wasn’t a bad race of its sort. I know hat-tricks are uncommon but I think discretion being the better part of valour I will take him off my negative list on the basis that he hurt me bad today. His jockey the claimer Lee Edwardsagain rode a well timed late run on him and he has a bit of style this lad, keep an eye on him. It was a win on merit as Azfal ran a game race and almost held on replicating his effort off a lower mark here over CD in December. Azfal is a good consistent chaser and I would not be surprised if he continues to be in amongst them going forward. Genuine sort. Call It On ran OK to be third but could not keep up with the first two and I think he could do with a bit of respite from the assessor. Olympian was always prominent but his not a great jumper being far too safe. Makes no real errors but spends too much time in the air which affects his chances massively. I doubt he will be able to win over fences at this sort of trip to be honest and might be better over longer trips where others mistakes may provide him with a chance. I will not be too confident of his winning potential going forward. Blossom King again failed to sparkle with his jumping much the same as he did here in December behind Azfal.

Race 5 was the feature race of the day which was a three mile novice chase. It was won by a great show of jumping by the very useful Baille Anrai. He was hunted around for the first circuit, had to be shaken up three out (when leader appeared to have slipped the field) but quickened very nicely to lead half way up the run and score by nearly two lengths. His jumping was very good at pace and I think this is a very useful novice chaser. He had previously run second in the grade 2 Persian War which is a stayers novice hurdle of significance. I have him as a huge positive going forward and I wouold not be shocked to see him has a shot at a festival engagement maybe the Sun Alliance although I personally would channel him to the Jewson. The second was Valid Choice who did well over hurdles and this was a very nice run over fences. Possibly a little flattered by proximity to the winner but so what as the jockey rode a judicious effort. He jumped fine and I think he has potential. The unlucky loser was  Soir D’estraval who was going OK but was chopped for space around the final turn as it became apparent that Valid Choice wasn’t stopping. How can you get hampered in a four runner chase over three miles. Like we say in greyhounds he looks the sort to find trouble in a solo. The Hemmings owned Larks Lad again jumped without fluency and his chances in novice chases based on the penalty accrued for his walkover win will be at the hard end of the difficult scale. He may be better off handicapping.

We closed off with a competitive class 4 handicap hurdle over two miles. It was won in decent style by Mujamead who triumphed by four lengths. He had previously won off 111 over CD a few years ago and today’s 79 looked tempting with 8/1 a good price. The rest over six months was never going to be a problem has gone well fresh and the return to Tony Carroll where he had been at his best in the past was a positive. Always close up led over the second last and powered clear being another to benefit from highly promising claimer Lee Edwards. Whether he can win again depends on how much the assessor takes into account however has not always kicked on and may well be one best fresh. Second home was Refusal who as a juvenile is coming to terms with this handicapping lark with an improved display. He is not badly in on 100 and considering that the winner was so well in he could be a winner without a penalty if coming out soon. He is still a little bit of a tricky ride as jumps out a bit to the right on occasions and maybe a small novice hurdle would be a better option. Third home Mahfal was given far too much to do by his claimer partner although an early error might have torn up the plans. His 94 rating looks fine and as a juvenile has plenty of scope, one to keep an eye on and despite making late progress I do not think he specifically needs further but maybe if he is ridden closer to the pace that would be helpful. Disappointment of the race was 9/4 favourite Ruby Crown who was pulled up. She doesn’t seem to act well on tacky ground and 105 still looks a generous mark. If she is O, which hopefully she is, I think the money may only be leant.

Notes
Enroller (P)
Edgebury (N)
Moscow Chancer (N)
Westlin Winds (N)
Group Leader (P)
Baille Anrai (P)