Tuesday's Meetings Wetherby N/H 7 Races 1:55-5:05p.m. Taunton N/H 7 Races 2:10-5:20p.m. Wolverhampton(E) A/W 7 Races 5:30-8:30p.m. Racecards At The Races Racing Post Sporting Life Good Luck Follow this Link for Equine Flu Discssion & Updates
Right, this horse Montestrel of the Williams’ He won so nicely on debut against the Nicholls Triumph horse, and then went to Cheltenham where the experience seemed to blow his mind. That was the race that Never Adapt showed lunatic tendencies beforehand and the other horse who was playing up was Montestrel. He is a lovely horse for the future and with the hood fitted it will hopefully settle him and allow him to run to his Chepstow form. If he does he should be odds on!
I'm always wary of early season Chepstow form Nass (how often has the Persian War winner gone on to do anything of note?) and that was Quel Destin's first run for Nicholls. He has clearly come on massively from that and I don't think it is a given that Montestrel would get anywhere near Quel Destin these days. I'll stick with Mr Scaramanga and his third nipple. Should hopefully come on for his debut run in January (a time when his trainer is usually quiet).
He has to be one of my all time favourite Bond villains of all time. Unquestionably the most campest as well! I always think a classic Bond villain must be either (i) incredibly cold, heartless and evil, or (ii) very, very camp.
But if his next run is to be a handicap will connections want an easy win (or indeed any win) today??? Possible raising of the perches and all that...
The bloke in Skyfall was both camp and creepy. Probably the only Bond film with Daniel Craig that is anywhere near the mark.
I think you are very wrong about early season form from Chepstow. I’ve not got ATR website available to me now, but I think the form from that meeting is really strong for the season and especially the normal novice races are full of horses to follow. I’ve gone on about the Rocco/Bennys Bridge form but it’s also the same for the mares novice race too. Even that juvenile hurdle, look at the rating of the third home!! Now that’s not to say Montestrel is going to hit the lofty heights, that might have been his gold cup etc, but I saw the horse at Cheltenham and think he’s got plenty more to give and had an excuse that day for his awful run.
The Fred Winter last season had bottom weight of 126, Envole Toi is rated 121 and will probably be the horse they do the form around. So he will need to win this well to get a handicap mark to go to the Fred Winter.
Don’t you think Montestrel is currently (not taking today’s run into account, of course) on something like 140-141??? If you literally go through Quel Destin’s current perch (146) that is what his Chepstow run equates to. I personally think (and again I stress this is being said before what he does later today) the handicapper will go through this run and totally dismiss his Cheltenham effort due to Elizabeth Kelly telling the Stewards very honestly, after they enquired into the horses running that day, that it wasn’t his true running as he was ‘never travelling’. Incidentally, her mother was far most mysterious and said she ‘could offer no explanation’! The old boy handicapper may say Quel Destin has improved since Chepstow and therefore mark Montestrel down slightly but I still think he ‘currently’ is entitled to something like 135. Surely, he’s already on a sizeable impost for the ‘Fred Winter’ hence why I think they wouldn’t want a big win today. But I’m just thinking aloud really. Re Chepstow novice form incidentally could the best this term be, ultimately, old boy Dickie Diver?!? Especially in view of what his victor, that day, did next time. Dickie cost a small fortune and now looks a very creditable ‘Albert Bartlett’ candidate. Think he is set to run this weekend again.
Montestrel's main problem today might be staying out of the way of the no-hopers. Plenty of fancy odds being offered by those bookmaker chaps.
I’d love an audition for the post though! In all honesty I’d love to have been in that car on the journey home from Cheltenham after Elizabeth and her mother gave the Stewards different accounts to explain Montestrel’s run – one being unbelievable honest and the other somewhat nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more. First rule of horse racing, Spike, always make sure your stories tally when marched in front of the old boy stewards.
I wonder how likely we are to see Laurina tomorrow? Current going is good / good to yielding in places which is clearly not her preferred going but with the only realistic opposition from the same yard perhaps Willie will see this as a nice exercise spin to put her spot on for the Champion Hurdle?
Champion Hats future form. 3 winners, Quel Destin (5), Elysees (2), Fanfan Du Sueill (1) You are wrong about the Fred Winter though as the good Dr has one very nicely perched in readiness for that!
Significant move in the Wetherby bumper for Jamie Snowdens LEGENDS RYDE (5's from 25's) who is a half sister to the very useful Kings Ryde. She will need to have been well prepared if she is to beat ZOUTOISE though. I backed the latter on debut and she was very impressive.
