Wednesday's Meetings Kempton A/W 8 Races 12:55-4:40p.m. Doncaster Flat 7 Races 1:10-4:15p.m. Punchestown N/H 8 Races 1:15-4:50p.m. Uttoxeter N/H 8 Races 1:30-5:15p.m. Cork(E) Flat 8 Races 4:00-7:30p.m. Wolverhampton(E) A/W 9 Races 4:00-8:15p.m. Racecards At The Races Racing Post Sporting Life Good Luck
Kempton 12.55 - Porfin 14/1 Uttoxeter 5.15 - Little Jack 8/1 Wolves 6.15 - Ghayahib 20/1 E/w singles and treble on these.
At Doncaster the Sceptre stakes is very open with a mix of 3YO's and older horses. It is hard to make a confident case for any of them and that is why it is 9/2 the field and there is plenty of four places available for each-way purposes, with William Hill actually offering 5 places at 1/5th the odds for a place. That's a decent concession. There has been money for Bounce The Blues, who has joined Andrew Balding from Ireland and her chance really depends on what we make of her last run. She had seemed modest enough in three starts, winning the 3rd of them but that race was a bad maiden where the umpteen time loser So Wonderful was runner up and although she did eventually manage to win a race for Aidan, she has been poor in general this season. Bounce The Blues was rated 84 on OR after that run but it was her next race, where she suddenly popped up at 20/1 and earned a new OR of 99, that brings her into the reckoning here. I am a bit sceptical about her shock win at big odds and the first real sign of proper improvement on her 4th start and her new rating still leaves her needing more yet. She has only been with Andrew Balding for six days and that is a bit short to work the oracle for a new trainer. Mubtasimah is narrow favourite in some lists and the William Haggas filly took her form to a new level at Newbury in June when winning a Listed race. That effort saw her rating rise to 105 but she was disappointing next time at Chelmsford when she was only 4th behind the filly who was second to her at Newbury. I suspect the return to turf has prompted both Simon Rowlands and Hugh Taylor to tip her up today but that Newbury race hasn't worked out very well and the only winner to come from it in 20 starts was from the filly who won Mubtasimah's last race. I'll leave her despite the two ATR tipsters putting her up. Jubiloso looked an excellent prospect at one stage last season but she tailed off and then disappointed on her return this year. I feel she needs to prove herself now and is too short for me to be involved based on her last couple of runs. I'll pass. Althiqa has run to a decent level of form this season and she was ahead of Cloak Of Spirits in France last time. It was heavy ground that day though and over a mile. I feel that Cloak Of Spirits looked like the winner in the closing stages that day, only for the petrol tank to empty and two fillies wore her down in the closing stages. Althiqa looked beaten by the Hannon filly that day and it took her all her time to wear her down. Down in trip I am confident Cloak Of Spirits will reverse the form. Cloak Of Spirits was no match for Love in the 1000 Guineas but that is nothing to be ashamed of. I reckon today could be the day where she regains the winning thread and I'll have a decent go on her at 5/1 in a race where she looks potentially the touch of class in the field against some with question marks. 3.15 Doncaster Cloak Of Spirits 5/1 Hannon was confident earlier in the season that this filly would come good yet and hopefully she can kick on in the final furlong today.
Morning Hong Kong racing is back on our screens 2.45 Happy Valley-Lightning Steed Each Way @ 7-1 [Skybet] Consistent performer
Any thoughts on the 1:30 Uttoxeter ? I like River Dart who has won after a break in the past and decent conditional booked (Ben Jones). Tony Carroll is a trainer who operates well at Uttoxeter over the last 5 seasons (52 runs 5 wins 14 places PL 7.50). In handicap hurdles at this track 36 runs 4 wins 9 places PL 13.50. River Dart will be suited by the going.
That race is a good example of how handicap marks vary between flat racing and jumps racing!! Take the Dr Newland Employer horse, rated 65 on the flat, and goes here in first handicap off 81. Mi Laddo rated 47 on the flat, rated 90 over jumps. No Thanks rated 60 on the flat and 97 over jumps. River Dart 56 and 95 Harbour Sunrise 40 and 87 Rocket Ronnie 43 and 85 Ali The Hunter 49 and 83 Global Wonder 55 and 82 Giga White 82 on the flat and 98 over hurdles. So if you deduct the flat ranking from the hurdles and lowest difference first Giga White - 16lbs Employer - 16lbs Global Wonder - 27lbs Ali The Hunter - 34 No Thanks - 37 River Dart - 39 Rocket Ronnie - 42 Mi Laddo 43 Harbour Sunrise - 47 It really does show how difficult it is to handicap horses and which one of those would you suggest is the likely winner? I would say Giga White and Employer will both be likely to run well. The former likes to finish behind horses and the latters yard haven't been going that well (despite a few winners).
In the 2.00 at Uttoxeter I'll take a chance on frontrunner Ballyfarsoon who runs of lowest ever handicap over hurdles today (9 lb below last winning mark) and should improve for comeback run at Cartmel recently. Tom Midgley takes off valuable 7 lb. Maybe Ballyfarsoon can take 4th place at least at 25/1 in this 16 runner handicap.
I think Court In Matera has the form to do well in this event? His sire, the unraced Irish stallion, Court Cave, is a very successful sire of NH racehorses. Quite a reasonable current fee at €4000 a crack!
Dakota Gold was beaten last time but bumped into an up and coming sort who looks very smart. The pair were well clear and Dakota Gold had shown good early speed at York that day. The pair were miles clear and if you ignore the winner Dakota Gold was a 4 length "winner" I felt that Moss Gill was behind a below par Battaash in the Nunthorpe and was perhaps flattered to finish as close on the day. With some cut in the ground I expect Dakota Gold to run well and based on his last start he might take the catching today. 2.10 Doncaster Dakota Gold 11/4
Mugs double time. 1.40 Doncaster Gumdrop 5/1 4.15 Doncaster Eeh Bah Gum 7/2 Gumdrop landed a Nursery last time but is higher in the weights now. I reckon there is a chance of enough improvement to defy the higher rating. Eeh Bah Gum ran better last time than for a while and today's mark of 78 compared to his last winning mark of 83 gives him a chance if building on his latest start.
Good early speed from Dakota Gold as expected but I think we saw today what the trainer said about lacking that ability to go again in the closing stages when the ground isn't soft enough. He came under pressure earlier than you would have wanted to see and although he stuck on he could not respond to the finishers today. Tarboosh was hardly winning out of turn and Urban Beat has run a sound race for Johnny Murtagh. Moss Gill was never really in it and I had been concerned about the Nunthorpe run being overrated.
Can't believe how many were backing a 2yo against those hardened sprinters today, in all my time watching racing the only one I can remember doing it was Kingsgate Native, might be missing some but he's the one that stands out. Sumptous from midgely using Beverly as a gallop for this BTW. please log in to view this image
