Equinties - Supreme shakeup

Gm Equinauts

A brilliant weekend’s racing made for big bets landed,

good horses noted,

and futures markets moved.

But before we get started, a quick shout out to Ben Curtis who has been riding out in the States. We thought we did well this weekend, but he’s on a different level… he’s collected nearly half a million in prize money from just 16 wins since he’s been there. Wow.

We’ve barely heard of Fair Grounds, New Orleans… how the hell have we got it so wrong over here?

Now, let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

THIS WEEKS EYE-CATCHERS

Monday sees our section on eye-catchers come rolling in. Field sizes were limited in some of the top races on Saturday, but we’ve still managed to find a couple that could be good to watch for the future. 

RIALANNAH & TERRESITA - FRIDAY, HUNTINGDON 13.50 & 15.55

This newsletter has a habit of finding siblings running on the same meets or days, our Saturday banker double a case in point. 

Two siblings out of BRIXEN ran at Huntingdon Friday and both turned out to be eye-catchers. 

RIALANNAH, by MOUNT NELSON, was given a cold ride by the young supremo Cobden but finished off strong to chase the front two mares home. That will prove winning form. 

The other half sister, TERRESITA (WESTERNER), was down to her second-lowest handicap mark on her first start over fences. She ran a solid race after 267 days off the track to finish second and bar a couple of slow jumps, on the whole looked to take to chasing well. 

Race fitness will be on her side nto and a step back up to three miles could suit. The handicapper might drop her a few lbs and if they do, will be on a winning mark for an in form yard. 

KLITSCHKO - SATURDAY, 12:40 WARWICK 

KLITSCHKO, ran a good race in the two-mile handicap hurdle but just found the winner, a horse with good form in the book, too good. 

The second was reluctant to start and got the first all wrong but Brendan Powell positioned him right out the back to switch off. He stayed on eye-catchingly well to finish second suggesting he needs stepping up in trip.

A good ground horse, catch him over 2m4f.

SUPREMELY COMPETITIVE

The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle has a new favourite after Sunday’s action as ANNIE POWER’s first, MYSTICAL POWER, put in an electric performance in the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle. 

As always, Racing X was divided. Some on loved her:

And others were a bit more…errr, sceptical:

Here’s our take.

People instantly crabbed her for running in the summer time at Ballinrobe (in a bumper) and then at Galway (in a novice hurdle). we think don’t look into that too much. Yes, it’s not the traditional route, but he was four, a baby, at the time and stepped on a track well before FACILE VEGA and MARINE NATIONALE did in their relevant careers. Maybe he was just a bit more forward and the team at Closutton could get cracking? 

The form would be a bit of a worry. JIGORO was beaten by a very average FLAMBOROUGH on debut before beating not much in Navan and JAMES’S GATE is not what we once thought he could be.

You would have to love his turn of foot and his time is a fair effort, but his jumping and form would be a small worry. As a Supreme favourite, he is too short, but we can’t draw many negatives for he is clearly talented and his pedigree is BIG.

BEST OF BRITISH

As for another Cheltenham Festival ante-post market shake-up, GREY DAWNING launched himself forward in the standings for the Cheltenham novice chases after his facile success in the Grade 2 Hampton Novices’ Chase. 

Again, it’s not a case of this horse is a world beater, as there are both positives and negatives to his performance, the negative mainly the rider onboard.

GREY DAWNING benefitted from a fairly strong pace set by both BROADWAY BOY and APPLE AWAY to sweep by around the bend. It says plenty when he has enough time to almost jump off the course twice on the run-in to the line and still remain on the bridle.

But still, you would have to love how he wasn’t asked many questions by Harry Skelton and his winning margin was lengthy. The team around him are already talking about a potential Betfair Chase tilt! 

After the run, he was cut to 10/1 for the Brown Advisory, though the Turners could be an option and he is 25/1 for that.

MORGAN’S STAR GONE

This year’s Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase promised plenty pre-race with five fantastic horses lining up under starter’s orders, though only four returned home as NOTLONGTILLMAY unfortunately suffered a fatal injury. 

This part of the game is something we all accept coming into it, though the event never gets easier and for a horse like NOTLONGTILLMAY, he will be sorely missed by all connections and plenty of fans in the game. His valiant second at the Festival and in the Paddy Power will forever be remembered.

RIP NOTLONGTILLMAY.

As for the winner, BANBRIDGE became the first Irish winner of the contest as he saw of PIC D’ORHY to win by just under two lengths.

He is now a standout 5/1-shot for the Ryanair with just ALLAHO shorter in the market at 3/1.

YOUNG BLOOD

HEREFORD BUMPER

JACOBIN heads the market here and is very short at even money. He got spanked lto and the form would have been boosted had it not been for our man Maxwell beating ROCKING MAN on a rocket French recruit. As we said last time, JACOBIN's pedigree is a little opaque but there are several winners dam side, including flat so should run well.

JJ has been the bumper king this season, nearly everything he runs either wins or goes close. His KING OF TARA should go close too. Pedigree a proper NH pedigree.

MOKORO is getting backed, 5's into 3's meaning the books are closing the ew play. He must be showing something at home as his pedigree isn't inspiring.z

SOUTH OMO ZONE must be better than he has shown under rules so far. He's gone from 20k, to 30k to 80k in the sakes he's been in and is related to several nice winners dam side.

GOLD FOR ALEC has some good flat pedigree dam side and is by PLANTEUR, who although doesn't get bumper winners, gets flat winners over the trip. MAX DYNAMITE immediate dam side, this lad is definitely one to watch at a massive price.

The others can't win.

Verdict: It will be no surprise to see Nicholls' and JJ's fighting out the finish, but this race is definitely open to a big price horse and in our view, that could be GOLD FOR ALEC. He is 3/1 to place.

RISK ON

We’ll have a small go on the Hereford bumper bet, plus:

13.07 BILLY BOI BLUE

Surprised this lad isn’t face for this. The drift says he might not be off but he has some of the best form coming into this and his pedigree leaves him open to big improvement. Small play on the drift at 7/2.

15.37 MOONLIGHT ARTIST

Undoubtedly the worst race of the day and won’t take must winning, open to an unexposed improver. That should come in the form of Kerry Lee’s. Was a big gamble on yard debut, but basically pulled up needing wind op - she delivered the goods after that. She won so easily lto, she could have a lot more in hand and Hereford will suit her front running style. 7/1 ew.

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