Equinties - pounds in hand

Gm Equinauts

The result of Shark Hanlon’s appeal came through yesterday, exactly one day after he sold most of his horses in a dispersal sale. Very unfortunate timing.

Whether you’re with or against the Shark, it’s a rotten situation.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

HANLON HANDED RESPITE

The IHRB confirmed yesterday that Shark Hanlon’s initial 10-month ban had been reduced to six, three of which are suspended.

So, Hanlon is only out of the game for three months.

The appeal hearing occurred on October 14th and the panel said they would take up to 14 days to make their judgment, and it took them until the following Wednesday to give their findings.

To make it the day after his dispersal is savage. They could have told him the day before or even given him the early heads up so he can make an informed decision on whether to carry out the dispersal of his horse.

The fact they didn’t kind of stinks

This isn’t defending Shark’s actions as the event, no doubt, brought the sport into disrepute.

However, people have done worse and found a way to carry on. Hanlon, one of the fastest-growing names in horse racing due to the success of HEWICK, now has to start again.

Remember that interview with Sky Sports Racing when the initial ban was placed? Makes you think.

THE AMERICAN DREAM

Listed winner. Group 1 third. Group 1 winner. Group 2 winner.

That’s the subsequent form readings of the four horses that finished behind SHAREHOLDER in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

We’ve readily spoken about how highly we rate its form this season, and both the first and fifth from the race are set to take on each other at the Breeders’ Cup in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Those horses are the aforementioned SHAREHOLDER and his owner-mate AESTERIUS, both horses looking to give Wathnan a big success on the big American stage.

On first viewing at the two-year-old contest, Godolphin doesn’t have any entries and the two potential Ballydoyle horses have slight question marks.

IDES OF MARCH is unbeaten in two but his form hasn’t been franked to the same level as some of the others here, while WHISTLEJACKET arguably has his best form in softer conditions despite his obvious upsides.

It’s reported that James Doyle has yet to pick which horse he will ride. If we were guessing, we’d potentially say that AESTERIUS will be the one.

He’s been a lot sounder as SHAREHOLDER has had just one run since and has been off the track since the middle of August, and AESTERIUS is coming off the back of winning a Group 2 and 3.

Either way, he has a tough choice to make.

POUNDS IN HAND?

Don’t you love it when common sense prevails?

In July, Fergal O’Brien hinted at starting DYSART ENOS in the Listed Mares’ Hurdle on Charlie Hall Day at Wetherby, a standard starting place for open company hurdling mares.

However, a few conversations between connections must have occurred since because they are looking to use her generous handicap mark of 131 in next month’s Greatwood Handicap Hurdle.

It makes sense. The Wetherby race is worth just over £14,000 to the winner whereas the Greatwood has a prize pot of over £55,000 to the winner, and it’s around a course she already knows.

She won at Prestbury Park in December when victorious in a novice hurdle, and while that was on the new course compared to the old course that the Greatwood will be on, experience around the undulations of Cheltenham is invaluable.

Why could O’Brien’s six-year-old by MALINAS be chucked in? Well, she beat the subsequent Cheltenham Festival winner GOLDEN ACE (now rated 143) by nine lengths in the Aintree Mares Bumper in 2023 and she has already downed Harry Derham’s useful QUEENS GAMBLE before as well.

The Greatwood, naturally, could be quite a hot race this year. GO DANTE was using the Welsh Champion Hurdle as a prep run for the contest, LIARI will come on a bundle for his run at Chepstow, and BURDETT ROAD could switch from chasing down KYPRIOS to charging over hurdles.

The jumps are well and truly back.

RISK ON

A bad day in the office yesterday betting wise - two shorties and two big odds, all beaten with not even a sniff of a place! But at least we have the Fontwell horse to track and back soon - he’s good. Anyway, we were due a day like that.

Today we’re playing two horses, at very different prices!

16.20 NAHI

Bolted past the re-opposing WEST ACRE at Kempton lto and ruined his race but he looked very quick. Back to 5f will suit today and we although we loved WEST ACRA on debut (we maxed him), but we think he’s perhaps not quite the horse they thought they had. We can see NAHI getting an early lead and this time, not giving it up! 2/1 is a value bet in what should prove a two horse race.

16.25 CARIAD

This will be her her last run for connections before the sales so naturally they’ll be hoping, more, desperate for a big run. She has good form at the track, albeit in lowly races but the ground and trip today should be right up her street. We also think Scott might have got her trip wrong the whole time - her second dam is littered with horses who’ve won over further. At 25/1 across all good bookmakers (Bet365 & Skybet paying 4 places) she is the very bottom of the market but could be a great value ew play in a shocking race! We think she should be priced about 4/1 on her Nottingham figures. Fingers crossed!

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