Equinties - going good for mudlarks

Gm Equinauts

Horse riding is an incredibly dangerous sport, that cannot be overstated. Inject speed into the mix and race riding becomes one of the most dangerous sports invented by man.

We often take the sport and its competitors for granted. There are so many races a day, most, luckily without incident that we forget standing on top of a half a tonne a mile travelling 40mph isn’t normal.

As we peer into our phones or on the TV screens, we are so dissociated with the reality of it we might as well be playing a computer game. A quick reality check might be to imagine chucking yourself out the car door when you're next clocking 40mph on the road - that’s as close to falling off a horse in a race as you can get.

Sadly it often takes tragic accidents to remind us how dangerous the sport it. Graham Lee’s paralysis after a freak accident when leaving the stalls a most recent poignant reminder.

This morning came the most grave reminder of them all.

Our thoughts with all connected to Stefano.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

GOING GOOD FOR MUDLARKS

The Aintree Grand National meeting is just over two weeks away, with the feature contest set to be run with a maximum field of 34 for the first time, reduced from 40 in a bid to improve welfare. 

Jump racing’s most famous race is always one that stops the nation, and yesterday we got our first official going description.

The Mildmay Course is soft on both the hurdles and chase tracks while the Grand National course is soft, heavy in places. The rest of this week is a mixed bag of weather, with Wednesday and Thursday potentially producing more rain which begs the question - which horses will LOVE a sloppy Grand National? 

CORACH RAMBLER (on pedigree) would prefer good ground so we’ll look past him to next in the market I AM MAXIMUS. Certified slop lover, he shares the same daddy as TIGER ROLL. Recently posted his career best in heavy ground. If we use GDC as a bench mark, can the ground close the gap between him and CORACH RAMBLER?

CAPODANNO is another JP horse who will love the mud. Out of a MUHTATHIR mare, he’ll go in heavy. Was last seen finishing a good 4th in the Ryan Air. 

Another Irish mud lark is MAHLER MISSION who will be John McConnell’s first ever Grand National runner. Last seen finishing a good second behind the ill-fated DATSALRIGHTGINO, they skipped Cheltenham with this in mind and his front running tactics might see him hard to peg back.

As for the British contingent, NASSALAM will try to defy a mark of 161 but the slow conditions are likely to suit massively. After all, connections ran him in the Gold Cup because of this but he was well beat by CORACH RAMBLER in it so it’s hard to make a case for him. 

At a mammoth price? Perhaps old boy ROI MAGE might have a squeak to place if it went super heavy and slowed the race down. He finished seventh in last year’s renewal which was on quick ground, but his last win in France was in slop. Connections have also confirmed that James Reveley of IL EST FRANCAIS fame will get the leg up and he is a jockey who on well with him.

Subscribe to our weekender edition for full race by race previews for the whole Aintree Grand National meeting.

NEW TIME FOR WATHNAN

Plenty of top owners like to have trainers that only train for them. After all, Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah, owner of horses like HAATEM, CADILLAC, and AL MUSMAK, took his horses away from Kevin Philippart de Foy because he wouldn’t be his private trainer.

Why is this relevant? Well, although they won’t have all of their horses with one trainer, Wathnan Racing is set to have a “small number” of their horses with Hamad Al-Jehani, the current Qatari trainers’ championship leader, in Newmarket. 

Al-Jehani, who trained the former John and Thady Gosden-trained JEFF KOONS to Qatar Derby success in December for Wathnan Racing, will move to Newmarket and operate out of the lower yard of Tom Clover’s Kremlin House Stables. Al-Jehani will still train in Qatar over the winter, but his move to Newmarket will see him train a small number of horses owned by Wathnan Racing, and Tommy Allen, assistant trainer to George Boughey, will move in as Al-Jehani’s assistant trainer.

Olly Tait, Wathnan Racing adviser, said: "Hamad’s had a brilliant first season training Wathnan horses in Qatar and we're delighted to be giving him this experience”.

KARL BURKE STABLE TOUR 

The start of the Flat season is a weird one. Have we started yet, or should we wait until the Grand National is over? Anyway, Karl Burke has done a stable tour with the Racing Post and we’ve sent the intern to have a look over the piece to pick out the best nuggets of information.

Firstly, he has three entries in the Derby this season – CAVIAR HEIGHTS, ARABIC LEGEND, and GOLDEN WEST – all of which are big prices. GOLDEN WEST is two from two and he beat SAYEDATY SADATY by three lengths at Epsom who has since finished second in a Listed race, but Burke was also sweet on CAVIAR HEIGHTS.

On CAVIAR HEIGHTS, he said: “He’s a lovely, scopey horse and I really like him. He came from Andrew Balding, who thought he was definitely a black-type horse. We’ll find out if he’s up to his Derby entry but he’s working nicely and could go for the Listed 1m1f three-year-old race at the Craven meeting. He’ll have an entry in the Dante too.”

One horse that probably shouldn’t be forgotten about this season is ELITE STATUS. He was sent off 7/4 for the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes won by VALIANT FORCE after a demolition job in the Listed National Stakes at Sandown, though he could only muster third at Royal Ascot.

He won a Group 3 after but was pumped by VANDEEK twice and is on a recovery mission this season. He said: “He’s wintered well and looks great. He’s huge, he’s got a backend like a settee and looks all power. Time will tell whether he’s a 5f or 6f horse but he’ll probably have to start at 6f in the Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot. I think he should stay, and he’s a high-class horse.”

Burke also highlighted SPORTS COACH as a dark horse to follow who he thinks could be a “Group sprinter in the making”, and based on his Wolverhampton win on Boxing Day to beat George Boughey’s INFLUENCE, he might be bang on the money.

Finally, BEAUTIFUL DIAMOND showed plenty of ability last season, notably when second to CRIMSON ADVOCATE at Royal Ascot, fifth to RELIEF RALLY in the Lowther, and a good winner of the Rosebery Stakes.

Burke also thinks she is full of class, as he said: I’m delighted with her, she’s wintered particularly well and is showing a lot of speed at home. She’s strengthened and got quicker. It’s tough for three-year-old sprinters but she’ll probably start in the Listed mares’ race at Bath, then she’ll have to try 6f again unless we wait for the Temple.”

RISK ON

15.25 ELEMENTAL EYE

Blood bet here against either horses who’d prefer better ground or girls. This chap has a mark so it’s weird he’s still running in a novice event but that cold be quite clever by Jardine knowing most won’t be trying, themselves trying to get their own mark? 13/2 ew.

18.30 CELTIC WARRIOR

Should have won lto when we tipped at 10-12’s, frustrating. He’s had a run now so would have come on for that and edges it in warm enough race. 2’s into 13/8 still a bet. We have also played CELTIC WARRIOR and ELEMENTAL EYE to place top 2, the double paying 4/1.

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