Early December Weekend Reflections

A Sad Start

Before I start with my thoughts on the winners and runners out this weekend I must say I was gutted by the sad news regarding Oscar Whiskey and Ballbriggan, both horses losing their lives out on the track at Sandown and Aintree respectively. Oscar Whiskey in particular as he was a real favourite of mine, a prolific winner with a record of 16 wins from 28 starts and a multiple Grade 1 winner. My thoughts go out to connections of both horses.

Oscar Whiskey on his way to winning the Welsh Champion Hurdle. RIP

Saturday - Tingle Creek Day

Henderson with a treble on the card at Sandown, plus other around the country; Nicholls taking the big race of the day at the Esher track and nails a 59/1 Group 1 double...the old guard are certainly back! It was a great day down at Sandown and this is where I will start the review.

I was fortunate enough to see some great racing thanks to the kind Bet Racing Nation folk off whom I won 2 tickets, and it saw Sam Twiston-Davies and Paul Nicholls take their first Grade 1 race together as Dodging Bullets won a very open-looking Tingle Creek at 9/1, beating old boy Somersby who ran excellently from the front and Hinterland, who ran much better than on his season opener, possibly aided by the hood he wore first time up. The winner appeared to banish the doubters who questioned his resolution with this impressive victory; if Sire De Grugy and Sprinter Sacre don't make it to Cheltenham (a very real possibility) then this race isn't far off the Champion Chase field and Dodging Bullets has beaten them all well on ground that wouldn't have suited. He was cut into 12/1 for Queen Mother glory come March but I'd be very wary of taking that price personally despite the impressive nature of this win as this horse always seems to produce his best form before the turn of the year. I'd want to see another decent run late Jan/early Feb time before I would commit to DB for any Cheltenham race.

The 2nd in the race, Somersby, produced his best run for a whilst going from the front but I wouldn't think there would be much more improvement to come out of the old timer for all this was another great run in the race. Hinterland was much improved from seasonal reappearance and Nicholls can be positive going forward with him; there are certainly Grade 2 races to be won with this one. Vukovar will be interesting on his next run as it did look like he needed this after a long break from the racecourse; will Fry let him take up his entry in the King George now or keep him to the 2 mile trip? Of the rest God's Own jumped very poorly, strange as previously he had been impressive in this department and Balder Succes didn't do anything obviously wrong but was well beaten back in 4th. God's Own looks set to step back into Novice company for the rest of this season which in my opinion is a smart move by Tom George. I've already touched upon the sad news that overshadowed this race for me and won't go into it again but there was nothing I'd really want to be backing from this field for Queen Mother glory yet.

The runners in the Tingle Creek coming round past the winning post

Elsewhere on the card The Champion Jockey AP McCoy rode a double on the card for JP as he won on Cup Final and Snake Eyes in the 2 handicap hurdles on the card. Vibrato Valtat received a great ride from Noel Fehily as he was delivered from off the pace to storm past the front running Dunraven Storm and Irish Saint in the Henry VIII Chase, a 2 mile chase for Arkle hopefuls. This was an absolute peach of a ride from Fehily as VV must be delivered late, something Sam TD got wrong at Cheltenham last time out, and the winner ran on very nicely up the Sandown hill which bodes well for Cheltenham. I really doubted VV's resolution and desire for a battle but I must say I was impressed here as he came from off the pace, had a little bumping match with the 2nd and 3rd and then stormed past them to win. He also seemed to be suited by the fast pace set by Dunraven Storm out in front, something he should also get in the Arkle, and 20/1 may not be the worst e/w bet as you could see him stalking out the back and staying on again in March. You can sense I am already eating a bit of humble pie after penning my doubts over Vibrato in this blog!

Nicholls looks set to step Irish Saint up in trip after he disappointed after going off as an odds-on favorite here as there didn't look to be any excuses for this one; the JLT is a possible target (16/1, miles too short). Court Minstrel finished a mile back and I'm not sure if anything will come out as a reason for this run. He won't have liked the ground but still ran a shocker.

The Champion Jockey in the paddock after his win on Cup Final

Up at Aintree Sam Waley-Cohen enhanced his excellent record around the National Fences as he stormed to victory on board the 13 year old Oscar Time (33/1 for Grand National glory). We also saw Holywell beaten again in a farce of a race I'd be wary of reading too much into as they missed out 9 of the 19 fences due to low sun, the bane of the jumps racing scene at the moment! Holywell unshipped his jockey Richie McLernon mid race, however for all I am not a fan of Holywell for the Gold Cup if you are on ante-post certainly don't go tearing up your ticket just yet. This horse is a spring horse, needs the blinkers on and really needs AP McCoy on board before we know he is going to run to his potential. If he turns up in March it wouldn't be the biggest surprise if that was where his sole victory of the season comes!

Ma Filleule ran a much better race than on her reappearance and traveled beautifully in this race. She is perhaps the one I would actually take out of this, for all Sam Winner was an impressive enough winner...at 50/1 could Ma Filleule be worth a speculative Gold Cup punt or am I just being attracted by the price here?

Finally on Saturday Clarcam paid Vautour a huge compliment as he hosed up over at Navan, jumping well and winning as he liked as. Vautour smashed this one by 8 lengths last time out...is it really wise to oppose the Willie Mullins chaser whatever race he fancies taking on at Cheltenham? I really hope it is the Arkle as I love seeing these top chasers taking the fences at high speed, it is a joy to watch and Vautour no doubt has the potential to be absolutely anything.

Sunday - Shock as Britain stages some decent action!

We had some really good racing on both shores on Sunday, making a welcome change from the usual 2nd class affair we English usually offer up on the day of rest. Why we don't make the most of the weekend, where the public are most available to go to the races, has long baffled me especially when compared to the stuff we get over in Ireland on a consistent basis. However this week was a pleasant exception to the rule as we had some top action from Kelso and Peterborough, as well as the top stuff from Punchestown and Cork.

Wishful Thinking came out on top of a good renewal of the Peterborough Chase, beating off Eduard (who was a close 2nd to Hennessy winner Many Clouds last time out) and Wonderful Charm (just denied by Don Cossack in Ireland previously) as he jumped superbly to take this 2m4f Grade 2 race. Philip Hobbs is having an amazing season and this was another demonstration of his training ability, with Richard Johnson getting him out in front and remaining that way for the entire distance. Given the way Hobbs seems to have turned Wishful Thinking around who would rule out a tilt at the Ryanair for which he is a 20/1 chance. Eduard may well have got closer, if not claimed victory, with a better jump at the last and Nicky Richards has a young improper on his hands who may well turn this form around later in the season as you would imagine he has more improvement to come that the winner. However there is no substitute for form in the book and I'd sooner take the 20/1 for Wishful Thinking than the 25/1 for Eduard.

One of my favourite horses Don Cossack delighted me as he took the Grade 1 John Durkan Chase over at Punchestown ahead of Boston Bob and Gold Cup 2014 winner Lord Windermere, although the latter was running over a trip shorter than ideal on seasonal re-apparance. However the Don looks another who has been reformed by his trainer this season, he is now three from three this season and at 8/1 he is my idea of the Ryanair winner come March. He has always no doubt been a talented animal, however has frustrated greatly at times but this season there are no signs of inconsistency and this was a really impressive victory. The King George was ruled out after the race, which makes me think connections will be keeping him to the Ryanair trip this season as if you will get 3 miles anywhere it should be at a course like Kempton, however given the potential Cheltenham targets the more sensible bet would be the 7/1 for DC to win any race at the Fez. Lord Windermere ran a very good race on reappearance, keeping on in the latter stages, and he is in danger of being hugely underestimated in the Gold Cup market at 16/1. He will certainly come on for this run and as I've said time and time previously the Gold Cup is a hugely open race yet again this year. I'd rather be on him at 16/1 than Holywell at 14/1 that's all I'm saying!

Don Cossack makes it 3/3 this season (Photo Alain Barr Racing Post)

Elsewhere on Sunday we saw another impressive showing from Black Hercules from the Willie Mullins yard as he made it 2/2 over timber, however when No More Heroes was withdrawn from this race early on Sunday it did appear to be something of a penalty kick. Obviously he was trimmed in the Cheltenham markets but I'm not sure how as he didn't have to beat much here (9/1 for the Albert Bartlett) and for all it was nice to see him jump round again if you hadn't backed him for a Cheltenham race before today I don't see why you would be now on the back of this.

Over at Cork Felix Younger was impressive as he beat a competitive field to land the Grade 2 chase there, with Twinlight a huge disappointment in the race. He beat a decent few horses here, the likes of Days Hotel, Alderwood and Mallowney over the 2 mile trip and has the chance to take another step up in form terms in the Dial a Bet chase over Christmas. An impressive showing there could see Felix make some waves in the Queen Mother Champion Chase perhaps although I don't think he is good enough myself. Grade 2 races are more this chaps level and it was a good victory today.

Mala Beach took advantage of an absolute howler of a jump by Un Atout early on in the Beginners Chase, it was actually impressive he managed to finish, as Mala Beach won on good ground for a change! The winner is definitely a better horse on soft or worse ground so this was a top effort and one full of encouragement going forward as we was really proficient in his jumping. I'm not sure if Cheltenham is the target as he has previous been quite ground dependent but wherever he goes next he will be of interest to me, however quotes of as short as 14/1 for the RSA make little appeal.

That's all for this weekend, it was a weekend with a few high quality races and definitely saw a few shake ups in the Cheltenham markets. No doubt we will see a lot more after next weekend, with the Cheltenham Showcase meeting taking place on Friday and Saturday, so check back this time next week for another weekend review.

Thanks for reading!

Alex