Equinties - ride of the year

Gm Equinauts

Two from three bets landed and a full house for our Young Blood verdicts meant for a ‘proper’ Saturday.

With most on Racing X seemingly backing winners on the Saturday, it was a long way back down to earth as Sunday threatened to look a damp squib with Naas cancelled last minute due to the weather.

Enter, Plumpton races.

Who’d have thought that Plumpton racecourse would provide the moment of the weekend, more, the moment of the whole damned year!

Check this out:

Hats off, Joe Anderson. Top f*cking draw.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

RIDE OF THE YEAR

Before we get into the meat and bones of today’s newsletter, we need to give a shout to Joe Anderson for quite possibly the ride of the year… IN JANUARY! 

The five-pound claimer was going nicely along until the sixth when his mount, TRANSMISSION, took a dive and ejected him from the controls. Clinging as if his life (and a lot of money) depended on it, he clung on to the neck of the horse and managed to swing his leg back into the saddle… he had to ride without his irons for the next four flights!

The recovery was one thing, but the fact they went on the win the race, easily, will etch that ride into the upper echelons of racing history.

As much as this may be after timing, he had pretty a nice horse underneath him to get the job done…probably why he was so desperate to hold on! Formerly with Colm Murphy in Ireland, the seven-year-old, sporting the same silks as IMPERVIOUS’s former colours before she moved to JP McManus, placed in two nice PtPs and then finished second to INTHEPOCKET on his debut under rules in a two-mile maiden hurdle in October 2022.

He was then campaigned in level weights races until his first handicap outing last month at Ascot when second at 18/1, so he was still a bit unexposed off a mark of 119 coming into yesterday. We say all of this because, going on his comfortable win, it’s quite feasible he could continue his progress upwards…depending on what the handicapper does to him! 

EYE CATCHERS OF THE WEEK

This week has been a tumultuous time for jumps racing, but dry weather should see the National Hunt fans back on their feet this week… as long as it doesn’t freeze! As such, we have compiled a few horses – both winners and losers - from the last week that we liked the look of to catch in the winner enclosure soon.

Please note - these aren’t horses to back next time out, more horses to look out for in their optimum conditions.

THURSDAY 13.28 HEREFORD - MAASAI MARA

Our Young Blood pick. So unloved in the market for no reason (6/4 out to 5/1), he should have won this race only for the better ride from James Bowen onboard his opposition. By ROARING LION he has the stamina and speed to win a weak juvenile hurdle. 

THURSDAY 14.10 LUDLOW – SAINT DAVY

Jonjo O’Neill’s seven-year-old made his seasonal return a winning one at Ludlow to beat a well-handicapped EMITOM by one-and-a-half lengths, with the third, HURRICANE HARVEY, a good 30 lengths behind. As O’Neill said post-race, he is a “chaser in the making” (classic!) but it’s interesting that they started him off over hurdles this season as Jonjo O’Neill Jnr said at the end of last season that “he’s going to be a chaser and I like him a lot”, so he is certainly one to watch to see what they do with him now. 

SATURDAY 13.30 WINCANTON – FAKIR 

Once racing in Gigginstown silks, FAKIR has dropped heavily in the handicap to a mark of 101, though he ran well in defeat at Wincanton over a trip of two miles that was probably too skinny for him. FAST BUCK was well-handicapped on old form and loved the ground, so he sort of ran into one there – a return to two-and-a-half or further in the slop could see him back in the winners’ enclosure. While on the topic of Anthony Charlton‘s ex-Milton Harris horses, keep one eye on NACHTGEIST who finished second to THROUGH THE AGES in the Plumpton opener yesterday. Harris liked him a lot as a juvenile for this season and yesterday was his third run over hurdles and was on ground he probably wouldn’t have liked. He has the ability to win an easy summer juvenile contest.

SATURDAY 13.40 NEWCASTLE – TWO AULD PALS

Another former Flat horse who has taken to jumping reasonably is TWO AULD PALS since his move to Lucinda Russell. Both of his seconds in novice hurdle company have seen him pull well clear of the third and he was desperately unlucky not to win on Saturday. He came a neck away from winning, though if he runs in another novice hurdle he’ll be without a penalty and should either pick up an easy one. Not one to follow for too long though.

NAAS IS FREE!

Naas’ Lawlor’s Of Naas card has been rescheduled to Friday following the abandonment yesterday, and even better, it will be free to enter! What a move by the stricken course.

The only race held yesterday was NIGHT AND DAY’s success in the foggy gloom, though track officials called a halt to proceedings before the second contest. So, if you fancy a Grade 1 card in Ireland, Naas is the place to be on Friday.

THE LEGEND OF BLACKBEARD 

And finally, BLACKBEARD, the lovable Ballydoyle colt, now has a foal after ARABIC CHARM gave birth to a filly on Tuesday. 

Admittedly, we are a bit late to this news, but it’s worth sharing for those who didn’t see it (we didn’t!).

TODAY’S BEST STATS

SAWPIT SIENNA hosed up in the 16.05 last year having previously come 2nd in it the year before. Targetted. She returns for the third year in a row, 1lb off last year's mark repping a yard who have landed a few gambles recently. Nicholls is 57% in juvenile hurdles at Taunton. 

YOUNG BLOOD

As we did last week when there was a distinct lack of bumper races to look at, we will preview this section with one of the divisions of the maiden hurdle at Taunton. 

13.25 TAUNTON

With the Hendo and Nicholls French imports unsteady in the market, Skelton's GOONHILLY has been backed into fave. He is by MOUNT NELSON who is not the best NH sire. OSCAR WHISKY is connected on the dam side so there is promise but he really is the only stand out thing on his page. He looked a bit of a boat last time out too.

TUTTI QUANTI is solid second fave for Nicholls. His only bit of form is second behind a horse who went on to win black type in France. By a new sire CHANDUCOQ, his grand sire is VOIX DU NORD who was very good at producing them. Proper French ped, he'll love the ground.

JOYEUSE is beautifully bred, by NO RISK AT ALL and out of a half to the mighty EPATANTE. Won a race out in France and was picked up by JP for 250k! Old JP is obviously hoping this girl is like her superstar Auntie. 

ONEWAYORTOTHER has a lovely pedigree. By GREAT  PRETENDER and a half to a couple of winners. Needs to improve but his page suggests he will in time and for a fence.

INTO THE PARK needs further.

BLUE GRASS (named after the grass in Kentucky) isn't good enough and the rest are handicappers.

Verdict: As we always say in this section, this is all about blood. We do not take into consideration the market moves (or in this case, stats either!). The pedigree pick in this race is JOYEUSE. Her drift out to 5's on the exchange is stinks but this can happen to JP’s horses. We backed a horse called HEART OF A LION on chase debut and he drifted all day before being cut late and he hosed up. She's had plenty of time to acclimatise, more time than Nicholls'. Skelton's looks a boat. Hendo's is the pick!

RISK ON

We’ll play the drift on Hendo’s relation to EPATANTE, JOYEUSE, 5.6 on the exchange.

No other bets as of yet.

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