Monday 15 March
IRELAND'S EYE
One would have expected that we would have a quiet Monday in preparation for the impending battle which starts tomorrow but none of it as we are faced with three interesting jump meetings at Stratford, Taunton and Plumpton. Though none of our selections today will be anything like the prices of many of the victors at Cheltenham this week we nevertheless hope to add to our tank with two short priced favourites in hunter chases at Stratford and Taunton while an Evan Williams trained runner can beat some more fancied rivals in an open novice chase over an extended two miles at the latter venue.
There are no signs of our fine run abating as we notched another good priced brace of winners yesterday with Vintage Oak (8-7/1) landing a competitive Navan handicap hurdle while saver Inistioge (7/2-10/3) took her second chase at Limerick. Also saver Brownpolish (7-13/2) finished a good third while in our back up service Acapulco (3/1) just went down in a Navan novice hurdle while our second best Morning Supreme (1/2) took a mares novice hurdle at Limerick with our choice For Bill (7/2) back in third.
The 2-50 at Taunton – a 2m 1/2f novice chase this afternoon looks an interesting betting contest with all but one of the five runners holding winning prospects. Local trainer Paul Nicholls charge the four time hurdle winner Lady And Co probably will go off favourite on her second start in Britain having shown promise when placed in Graded chase company in her Native France. However it could pay to oppose the 5yo mare and the one that gets the vote is the Evan Williams trained West With The Wind who finished with a flourish when beaten less than a length by the warm favourite Acordeon at Ludlow. Though possibly flattered by that effort the 121 rated dual hurdle winner is suited by better ground and though he disappointed over hurdles on most recent effort the Paul Moloney ridden 5yo can beat the more experienced Henry Daly trained Rockiteer who has been beaten some way on his three chase starts to date but the son of Rudimentary boasts a decent track record having landed a 2m 4f novice hurdle and finishing a close third on his bumper debut.
Former Irish trained pointer/hurdler Penny Doc will be fancied to follow up his Folkestone hunter chase victory in a similar 2m 7f event at Stratford today at 4-10 but he faces a couple of couple of promising and progressive English pointers/hunter chasers in My Old Piano and Just Talking. Though the York runner made hard enough work of landing his maiden hunter chase over 2m 5f on soft ground 12 days ago better ground here should bring about the necessary improvement in the 9yo who was just touched off by Christies hopeful Rudi Trucker in the Tetratema Cup at Gowran last year. My Old Piano may not have been anything special on the track previously but the David Easterby trained 8yo has seemed to find his true vocation in points and he made a fine winning hunter chase debut at Leicester less than a fortnight ago when easily accounting for a decent pointer. Another promising pointer who can play a leading role is the former Irish pointer Just Talking who has landed five of his six points since joining his present yard though the 8yo showed little when tried over fences in the past.
Polly Gundry is one of the more accomplished lady riders on the British point to point scene and the champion rider can land the 2m 7 1/2f hunter chase at Taunton today at 4-50 with the relatively unexposed Rockwithacaveman. A nine time winner in points the 8yo has run in three hunter chases to date and though the Old Vic gelding has not shown that much to date he did nevertheless finish runner up to Le Duc over 3m 3f on good to fast ground last year at Newton Abbot and was not beaten that far in his other starts. Having failed to land favouritism in a point on his seasonal bow a month ago against a former useful chaser he should be spot on for this assignment and he can open his account in this sphere in what looks a highly winnable affair.
It is going to be a big week for Harry Findlay and though the colourful gambler may not be too bullish about his prospects of a second Gold Cup victory for his star Denman on Friday he could have reasons to celebrate following the 3m 1 1/2f hc hurdle at Plumpton today at 5-00.
In what is a modest contest he can land this Class 4 event with the former Irish pointer Quedillac. Though the 6yo took 8 pops before finally opening his account ‘between the flags’ at Dawstown some ten months ago the consistent sort ran creditably against some fair types and more importantly the prominent running type has shown a decent level of form since joining the Tim Vaughan yard. The son of Clerkenwell has filled third berth on all starts to date on better ground, including two bumpers and his last couple of efforts stepped up in trip have been quite encouraging and with another step up in distance here the Dean Coleman ridden gelding can make most to land the spoils here on his seasonal and handicap hurdle debut at the expense of another consistent sort in the more exposed hurdler (15 runs) and flat winner Count Boris who has the benefit of match fitness with three runs under his belt this term already.
CHELTENHAM PREVIEW (continued)
1-30 WEDNESDAY – 4m National Hunt chase
This all about jumping and the ex John Berry trained ABBEYRANEY will be ideally suited by this test having beaten a decent sort in the Hollinwell (gave 6lbs) at Hexham to finally open his chase account at Hexham over three months ago. Former English and Irish pointer Giles Cross and Fabalu lok the best placed options.
2-05 – 2m 5f novice hurdle
The Irish will be fancied to land this contest for the fifth time in 10 years with Rite Of Passage and Enterprise Park looking their main hopes but they face stiff opposition from the home team in the unbeaten former Irish pointer PEDDLERS CROSS and another ex Irish pointer in Finian’s Rainbow with a marginal preference for the former from the McCain yard.
4-00 – Coral Cup 2m 5f hc hurdle
One of the races that the professionals swerve and in another very open renewal we will side with a long priced fancy in the former useful Irish point to pointer ON RAGLAN ROAD from the Howard Johnson yard despite the fact that the 7yo has not been seen since falling at Aintree last April in a Grade 1 hurdle. Nicky Hendersons Quantitiativeeasing and Irish challenger Mourad are others to consider.
ADVICE
BET 4pt win WEST WITH THE WIND 2-50 Taunton
BET 2pt win (saver) ROCKITEER 2-50 Taunton
BET 4pt win PENNY DOC 4-10 Stratford
BET 2pt win (saver) MY OLD PIANO 4-10 Stratford
BET 5pt win ROCKWITHACAVEMAN 4-50 Taunton
BET 4pt win (nap) QUEDILLAC 5-00 Plumpton
BET 2pt win (saver) COUNT BORIS 5-00 Plumpton
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