Equinties - weekend review

Gm Equinauts

Today might be called ‘Monday’, but for most racing fans, especially those more flat inclined, today marks the start of Breeders Cup week!

As always for the Breeders Cup, we will be sending out big race previews to our Weekender subscribers.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

CHELTENHAM

The chemical messages your brain flings out across your body to make you ‘feel’ are easily manipulated. Drugs, exercise, sex and bad handicappers running round Prestbury Park creating tight finishes and wide margin winners will all do it.

From that standpoint, Cheltenham’s October meeting was relative success - it was fun to watch and that’s probably where it ends. Nothing was learned from the meeting, but that’s fine.

Were there ANY horses to take away from the meeting?

Maybe POTTERS CHARM?

He won on ground that he wasn’t in love with, the front two pulled well clear of the third, and the post-race comments about him would make anyone believe he is a regenerated version of IMPERIAL COMMANDER.

It looks like the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the November meeting or Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle is his next target. Either way, he could be classy and should be noted.

Of the rest of the notable performances, VALGRAND was good. Supreme horse? No.

BROADWAY BOY (3rd behind SENIOR CHIEF) will be spot-on for the Coral Gold Cup,

WYENOT has boosted the GOLDEN ACE form nicely,

INTENSE APPROACH could be an Albert Bartlett as he is classier than BARDENSTOWN LAD according to John McConnell but he’s looking quite exposed now,

LORD OF THUNDER came down when travelling nicely in Saturdays opening race won by LISNAMULT LAD,

BLOCK ROCKIN BEATS looks a great addition to the relatively small yard of Oliver Signy.

You don’t always need to fi your notebooks to enjoy racing.

GROUP 1 MUSINGS

TWAIN. Did you know this horse two weeks ago?

No? Well, you’re the same as us.

The WOOTTON BASSETT half-brother to the Group 2 winner JUST WONDERFUL won on debut nine days ago, but just over a week later, he has a Group 1 under his belt.

Afterwards, Aidan O’Brien said that he is “obviously a Guineas horse”. Right, what to make of this?

Firstly, he was sent off 28/1 on debut in a seven-furlong soft ground Leopardstown maiden. 28/1!

He led home a 1-2-3 for Coolmore, but Wayne Lordan chose the well-backed SERENGETI instead who finished third, leaving the ride on TWAIN to the three-pound claimer MARK CREHAN.

That’s worrying.

Secondly, the Group 1 Criterium International was a pretty woeful Group 1 race.

The second, MOUNT KILIMANJARO, is certainly not one of Aidan O’Brien’s A-Team juveniles and the third, APPLES AND BANANAS, had pretty average form as well.

TWAIN’s debut performance was clearly good and Sunday was a nice effort, but 14/1 for the Guineas? Surely not?

Look, we could get this wrong obviously, but surely O’Brien will have better two-year-olds back home in Ireland, and that’s before you think of the other juveniles in other yards.

Speaking of Group 1 Flat races, HOTAZHELL just won the Futurity Stakes at Doncaster.

The front two look pretty solid and his win directly gives HENRI MATISSE, one of O’Brien’s Group 2-winning juveniles, a form boost.

One would have to be impressed with his attitude to keep on and put nearly five lengths between himself and WIMBLEDON HAWKEYE.

He’s won on good, he’s won on soft, he’s won over seven and he’s now won over a mile. There’s plenty to like.

BLUESTOCKING

Just as she was hitting her peak, the wonderful Arc heroine BLUESTOCKING has been retired to stud.

WEEKEND EYE-CATCHERS

WEVEALLBEENCAUGHT - SATURDAY 13.10 CHELTENHAM

The opener on Saturday saw WEVEALLBEENCAUGHT make his second start of the season after a good pipe opener at Worcester last month.

He was carrying plenty of condition at Worcester in September, and he put that run behind him to finish second to LISNAMULT LAD at Prestbury Park on Saturday.

The winner was an Irish raider who clearly had plenty in hand considering he still won in spite of the 10lb weight added by the British handicapper.

The third had been running through the summer as well, so it was a fair race and it was over 2m4f which is the first time he’s tried the trip since January 2023.

He’s well-handicapped based on old form and can land a nice one for Christian Williams.

GOWEL ROAD - SATURDAY 14.55 CHELTENHAM

The Pertemps Qualifier was an interesting race as THE WALLPARK won off a monster weight. He won’t win a Pertemps Final, but GOWEL ROAD might, especially if the ground is right.

He was rated 141 on Saturday, but his peak rating in 2022 was 146 and his form with CRAMBO looks good from last season.

Take THE WALLPARK out of that race on Saturday and he wins by a street, and he’ll definitely like softer ground better.

If the Twiston-Davies’ have any sense, they’ll fiddle with him and get him in the Final off 140 or even lower.

PETIT TONNERRE - SUNDAY 13.15 AINTREE

Well-handicapped Jonjo O’Neill horses are dangerous, but PETIT TONNERRE is so well-handicapped to leave him off this list.

MOVEIT LIKE MINNE might have won the opening handicap at Aintree yesterday if not for falling, so he deserves a word as well, but PETIT TONNERRE also caught the eye.

A mark of 125 does him a disservice considering he won off 135 on his yard debut in 2022, and he was given plenty to do by Jonjo O’Neill Jnr yesterday.

He stayed on through the line and will definitely come on for the run. He should be watched on his next start, especially over 2m4f potentially.

SIOG GEAL - SUNDAY 16.08 AINTREE

By the far the best girl in the closing bumper, she was given an absolute howler.

RISK ON

We tweeted we’d have a max bet on our X account today and it was going to be BELGRAVE but he’s been obliterated in the market when we thought he’d drift so we’re now reducing our stakes right down and going to play him as lev with a few other shorties.

14.40 BELGRAVE

This lad gave our previous ‘lev’ horse FONDO BLANCO a bloody good race lto and before that he finished a length behind another gamble winner for us, SHAMEFUL. Both of those runs were in deep condition so he will be fine in today’s heavy going. Beckett is flying too. His main market rival ONE MORE was last seen a bad second to MAKE YOU SMILE who won a Group 3 at Newbury on Saturday but that was a very bad race - a Group 3 in name only, it might prove little more than a Class 2 handicap. BELGRAVE should take some beating today.

At even money he’s not to be over bet but will be a strong bet for us and should be leverage for you on another. A nice little Monday double might be with FORCE AND VALOUR in the 18.30… we’ll play that standard stakes and if you wanted a little more risk on, add TEXAS STARIGHT in the 18.00 for a 7/1 treble - lunch money only as your money is relying on 3 horses to not let you down.

14.55 ENTITY OF SUBSTANZ

The Skelton’s could come away bagging the last three races at Ayr today but it’s this lad who looks most interesting. He looks a compete plot (in LANGER DAN colours to boot!). He’s very well bred and if anything like his siblings, could have >30lbs in hand. The Skelton’s can do no wrong at the minute. 7/4 is a goo bet and pray he’s not a complete waste of money but a total handicap plot!

15.35 FLYING SCOTSMAN

JP, Haslam and chief stopper Mulrennan is a dangerous combo but if this lad is off, then he can win this race. 7/1 a small stakes guessing bet.

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