Equinties - Festival Facts

Gm Equinauts

The Saudi Cup happened Saturday and this prize money was won by the top 10.

Imagine owning a horse and being good enough to pick up some prize money here. 10th place is more than most horses (and their mums) earn in a life time!

Luckily the newsletters resident Intern tipped the winner!

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

GRAND NATIONAL 

Both Willie Mullins and Gavin Cromwell probably had a smile on their face after Saturday’s Grade 3 Bobbyjo Chase as I AM MAXIMUS led home VANILLIER. 

This season’s Drinmore Novices’ Chase winner gave 12lbs away to last year’s Grand National runner-up, and although he got in tight to the last, he got the job done well. 

Both I AM MAXIMUS and VANILLER travelled well throughout the race and one can assume Cromwell’s grey has just one day in mind, and it certainly wasn’t Saturday. As for the winner, Willie Mullins had big words for him post-race and even the Gold Cup could be on his agenda next year. 

I AM MAXIMUS was pushed in to be the 12/1 joint-ante-post favourite for the Grand National alongside CORACH RAMBLER and VANILLIER. 

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL

On and off the track, we received a few pointers towards this season’s Cheltenham Festival this weekend. Starting with the performances on the track, KALIF DU BERLAIS and BLOW YOUR WAD, two of the Grade 2 winners at Kempton on Saturday, won’t be heading to Prestbury Park in March. 

Starting with the former, he was talked up as a Gold Cup horse after his Kempton success earlier this season, and he certainly showed he has plenty of ability to fight back and beat GIVEMEFIVE on the line. 

Nicholls believes he is “one of the nicest we’ve had in a long time to go chasing with”, so he is certainly going to be a hype horse going forward. It’s now up to him to prove it. 

As for BLOW YOUR WAD, he improved his Kempton record to three from three after he won a fairly weak race. Sheppard admitted he may be one for right-handed tracks going forward, so a return to Cheltenham looks out of the question.

As for the other graded winner at Kempton on Saturday, LUMP SUM, the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle winner won’t go to the novice races at Cheltenham but he could pitch up to a Festival handicap depending on his reassessment from the handicapper. 

Away from the track, Willie Mullins finally played his FACT TO FILE hand as he revealed the Dublin Racing Festival winner is likely to head to the Brown Advisory rather than the Turners. 

The seven-year-old by POLIGLOTE has always looked like three miles would be best in time, though in recent years we have seen Mullins have a preference towards the Turners for stayers in the making (take GALOPIN DES CHAMPS as an example). However, with both races looking like weak contests, the master of Closutton has made his choice and, as such, he is an 11/10 favourite for the longer novices chase.

FRANKEL FEVER

It seems to be all about FRANKEL at the moment, but then again it always has, his whole life. His Classic winning daughter NASHWA, which means Fragrance in Arabic, is being readied for a shot at the Dubai Turf next month in Meydan.

She’s a tough old bird, last year she was placed in the Irish Champion Stakes, Juddmonte International and the Nassau Stakes over 10 furlongs. She did however win when dropped down to a mile in the Falmouth Stakes. Looking at her race record, the nine furlongs of the Dubai Turf looks very suitable.

Sticking to the FRANKEL theme - SPIRIT DANCER and ENGLISH ROSE gave him a Group race double in the Middle East. It was the Sir Alex Ferguson owned and Richard Fahey trained athlete that has captured everyone’s attention. He beat a very good field in the Gr2 Neom Turf Cup, and on doing so picked up £945,000 prize. It’s been a fruitful few months for Spirit Dancer as he won £500,0000 at the end of November when he won the Bahrain International Trophy. The Dubai Turf seems the likely target next, he’ll have to take on Nashwa, but £1.7million to the winner sounds fun.

Last weeks Winter Derby winner MILITARY ORDER was looking like he was going to be forgotten, to end up as the brother of the famous Derby winner ADAYAR. Both by FRANKEL. Sheikh Mohammed has sent some lovely mares to Juddmonte’s poster boy, and interestingly both the dam of MILITARY ORDER and the previously mentioned English Rose who won the Gr2 Balanchine at Meydan are both out of DUBAWI mares. It’s a cross that is very relevant; MOSTADHAF, HOMELESS SONGS, obviously ADAYAR have all won at the highest level. In fact when you look at GALILEO, and GALILEO’s son the cross becomes very significant.

WEEKEND EYE-CATCHERS

BIG JOHN WAYNE - SATURDAY 1.05 NEWCASTLE

After his fall in the Newcastle opener on Saturday, Lucinda Russell has since come out to say that BIG JOHN WAYNE is “one to dream for” after his eye-catching debut under rules. 

The six-year-old was neck-and-neck with MOON CHIME, a horse with good form in the book, heading to the last, but his willingness to jump saw him come out of Derek Fox’s hands too early and he had a crashing fall. He looks like a lovely thoroughbred and could be a chaser to follow going forward. 

BOWTOGREATNESS - SATURDAY 15.37 KEMPTON 

There has been a big target for BOWTOGREATNESS all season, and it seems like a lot of people thought Saturday’s Coral Trophy was the race for him. As Ben Jones jumped the third-last, it looked as if success was very much on the table, but two sloppy jumps over the final two fences saw him lose vital ground and finish third.

Trainer Ben Pauling can’t stop raving on about him and how well-handicapped he is, and with Pauling’s love for Cheltenham, he could pop up in something like an Ultima with a right good chance.

A bit further and a left-handed track will suit him better and he must have a good chance if turning up to Prestbury Park next month.

HELTENHAM - SATURDAY 16.10 KEMPTON 

It looks as if GOLDEN SON is going to return to Kempton in three weeks’ time for a handicap chase over the same course and distance as his Saturday success, but he could also be joined by HELTENHAM who was a close second to him. 

Harry Skelton got a bit of flack for the ride, but it wasn’t as bad as some people thought and he gave a few lengths up at his fences. Either a return to Kempton or a trip to Aintree could see him go well, but soft to heavy ground plus perhaps even further could  see some improvement. 

SAMMY’S GUARANTEE - SUNDAY 16.10 HEREFORD 

Under a huge weight of 12-1 and against the very well-backed ONE EYE ON VEGAS, Tom Lacey’s SAMMY’S GUARANTEE ran a good race on handicap debut at Hereford yesterday. The runner-up opened as a 9/4-shot but drifted out to an SP of 13/2, and thanks to ONE EYE ON VEGAS (who was punted like it couldn’t lose) that saw her become very easy to back. She lost her right fore shoe as well and still finished out her race well-enough, so she could be one to keep onside nto. In the same race IN D’OR could be one to follow next year. Our man Maxwell owns it and having come from France will have needed time to acclimatise which it should have had by now but Venetia not in good form so one to keep an eye on when yard firing. 

RISK ON

Two shorties today unfortunately, bigger prices in the week.

16.10 I AM MAX

Won a bumper very easily lto. This race is a two horse race and this lad has a much better pedigree vs market rival TWO AULD PALS. Even money.

19.00 LIEUTENANT RASCAL

The most experienced in a weak race. 11/8.

The two worth a small 3.2/1 double.