Have to add Empiracle to this thread. Jeremy Scott's son of Kris Kin (who is starting to have a few NH winners as a sire and I think is definitely a sire to follow) he ran in the bumper at Huntingdon today against rivals from the Twiston-Davies, McCain and Longsden yards and was a most impressive winner - video here. He travelled powerfully throughout the race and pretty much pulled himself through to 3rd place at the end of the back straight. Entering the home straight, he was badly squeezed for room but Nick Scholfield simply pulled him out wide and he sauntered away from them on the bridle, putting 7 length between himself and the eventual 2nd, previous winner Pure Style in about 50 yards. As the race was run at a snail's pace for the first mile it makes little sense to look at the time, but the way Empiracle travelled and then accelerated at the end of his race bodes very well for the future. As mentioned, he is by Kris Kin out of an unraced mare, but interestingly his dam sire is Good Thyne, sire of Brave Inca and Bannow Bay, so some speed in that side of the pedigree too. He'll run with a penalty in his next bumper but based on today's evidence that won't stop him.
Update 26th October from Sporting Life: Jeremy Scott hopes to finalise the ownership arrangements of his potentially smart bumper horse Empiracle. The gelding, who carries the colours of the Somerset trainer's wife Camilla, bolted up on his debut at Huntingdon earlier this month. "I've had one or two enquiries and we're hoping to either sell part of him, or create a syndicate," said Scott. "He has come out of the race well and I hope he'll be good enough to go to one of the big spring bumpers, whether it's Cheltenham, Aintree or Punchestown."
Quick update 21st January: Clearly the plan is to keep Empiracle under wraps until we have better spring ground and then aim him at the big festival bumpers. Despite being freely available at 20/1 for the Champion Bumper over Christmas, it was the appearance of Nick Scholfield and Jeremy Scott on Channel 4 Racing on January 5th (when Melodic Rendezvous took the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle for connections) that caused his price to tumble. After talking up Empiracle on the Morning Line, Nick Scholfield went as far as saying that Melodic Rendezvous couldn't live with Empiracle on the gallops at home - and this after landing the Tolworth !! After those comments his price collapsed to the now ridiculous levels of 8/1 (Boylesports best priced at 10/1) for the Champion Bumper, which is shocking value at this stage. I'm pretty sure Scott won't risk him on heavy ground and he will likely go straight to the festival (or may even swerve it if it came up soft or heavy) so I would advise waiting until the day to back him. I hope a few decent sorts come out of the woodwork to push his price out a little, but if we have decent racing ground on the 13th of March I will be all over him
I doubt there'll be much of an improvement on the price Oddy. One of the owners uses a forum i sometimes frequent and they're are very confident on his chances. I would imagine many others have listened and followed suit.
I'm still hopeful - I backed Champagne Fever last year in early January for the Champion Bumper at 20/1, he then hosed up at Fairyhouse at 1/4 and was about 8/1 for the Champion Bumper. On the day he went off at 16s !!
Empiracle might drift on the day but I cant see it being bigger than 10s .... With the jockey being very upbeat about the horse and the trainer also its my bet for the Bumper providing its good ground.
