Sunday's Meetings Windsor N/H 8 Races 12:10-4:10p.m. Thurles N/H 7 Races 12:20-3:45p.m. Fakenham N/H 7 Races 12:30-3:55p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Another good card at Windsor to conclude the Berkshire Million weekend with the added bonus of the rearranged Hampton Novices Chase as the card commencer. There will be some long faces at Seven Barrows if Jingko Blue doesn't win to confirm his place in the Brown Advisory Novice Chase (what those of us with grey hairs would call the RSA Chase) but it is an indication of the strength of the staying novice chase division that he is 50/1 for Cheltenham glory behind the likes of Ballyburn, The Jukebox Man and Dancing City. Lieutenant Henderson also has a fascinating runner in the mares novice hurdle - Khrisma won a couple of Grade 3 bumpers in France and was 3rd in a Grade 1 bumper so, providing her schooling has gone well, she may be a bit of value in receipt of 8lbs from the hotpot. Another who is in receipt of 8lbs from the favourite in his race is Ahoy Senor and it would be nice to see the old boy get his head in front again. Finally the bumper looks a very nice contest with 5 previous winners and a very interesting runner from Ireland in the shape of A Boy The Kid. Charles Byrnes isn't one to waste petrol money and his charge could go well at tasty odds.
Khrisma was VERY tenderly handled by Nico there - she put in some very slick jumps to move herself forward and Nico kept taking a pull to drop her back to 4th or so. Hands and heels up the run-in. I wouldn't be surprised to see her go very well in the Mares Novices Hurdle at the festival. She is out to 25s for that race but she was very much ridden with the future in mind today.
Watched the replay and it was almost as if Nico stopped riding her when she didn't pick them up at the 2nd last. I don't know whether he was expecting her to fly past them but he was very gentle on her up the straight. Also I'm not sure what happened after the last in the back straight? She seemed to stumble slightly and I though Nico was pulling her up - but just taking a pull apparently. I suppose it could be called disappointing but it was her first run over hurdles against more experienced rivals so I wouldn't discount her just yet.
Take a bow Sean O'Keeffe - a fine ride on Appreciate It. Really nice to see him winning again - 2 years since he last won
