Equinties - The Classics

Gm Equinauts

You have to feel sorry for Chepstow, whose big ‘the jumps are back’ season opening meeting, was destroyed by non-runners owed to the quick ground.

Some punters are calling for the fixture to be pushed backed somewhat and leave Cheltenham’s upcoming big one to kick start season proper.

We’re not quite sure what the best thing to do is to be perfectly honest but what we do know if we’re now fully in jumps mode. So, thank you Chepstow for still managing to get our buzz on.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

THE CLASSICS

Has a 2000 Guineas picture ever been so unclear at the end of a season?

The 1000 Guineas looks pretty solid. PRECISE is the standard setter, but VENETIAN SUN could still be a player should she train on (we don’t think she will), and TRUE LOVE is a monster.

But, for the boys, there are so many things to consider, and we have this weekend’s Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes to thank for that. Just take yourself back to right before the Dewhurst went off. Towards the top of the market, we had the unbeaten Group 1 winner ZAVATERI who people cried “would be shorter if not for his trainer” as well as the Coventry winner GSTAAD and the impressive Tattersalls Stakes winner DISTANT STORM.

And then, after the race, we’re left with a 25/1 winner who created more questions than answers. The great game.

We all thought the Dewhurst was red-hot pre-race, and it was hard not to walk away from the contest scratching our heads and asking whether the race was actually that good. So, is this year’s Dewhurst a race to follow?

The pure facts of it are this. GEWAN, an Acomb winner, travelled nicely, he showed more stamina/grit than his opponents, and he won. The three immediate places behind him were filled up by the three market principles, so the form of the race is probably worth something, and he should never have been sent off 25/1 in the first place. ITALY, an extremely immature horse off Aidan O’Brien went off 12/1, which is all you need to know.

Anyway, of course he is a Guineas contender for next year, and it’s worth asking what horses are left for him to beat in the division. There’s no guarantee ALBERT EINSTEIN is still in working order, BOW ECHO has to prove himself even if he is unexposed, and PUERTO RICO could well be for France. All of a sudden, if GEWAN upholds the form next May, he is almost certainly going to place in a Guineas.

Anyway, on Saturday’s performance, Andrew Balding said: “He's very similar to Chaldean. If you forgive Doncaster, he came here with every chance. The Acomb form was rock-solid and it's a relief that he's shown he's a top horse.

"It was really good to see Gewan back on track. We were saying before the race that he was overpriced [in the betting] because his York win was very good. 

"I think you had to forgive him Doncaster and his work at home had been very good. He still had to come and do it, but he was given a brilliant ride and he's a very good horse.”

As an observer, no sets of connections looked properly over the moon with the performances of their horses in the immediate aftermath, barring Eve who still retains all the pre-Dewhurst hype about ZAVATERI.

So, if you’ve spotted one in a novice/maiden earlier this season who could be Guineas class, it may not be the worst year to have a big-priced dart at the race.

Speaking of Classic clues, PIERRE BONNARD put himself into the Derby and St Leger picture for next year by winning the Group 3 Zetland Stakes. DELACROIX won this race last year, so there’s certainly a bit of extra pressure for this CAMELOT colt. We understand why the Classic chat for him began on Saturday, as he did some of his best work in the final furlongs.

Christophe Soumillon is certainly looking for that Derby horse to ride, and he thinks this could be it, as part-owner Michael Tabor said: “I asked Christophe if he was a Leger horse or a Derby horse, and he replied that he was a Derby horse as he's never won the Derby!"

It’s quite a long way to be thinking about the Derby, in fairness. Even if DELACROIX won this race last year, he was still quite under the radar approaching this season. There will be horses lurking below the surface currently, but PIERRE BONNARD is showing the right signs.

CHEPSTOW REVIEW

Champions Day is all the diehard Flat fans have left for this domestic season, and it’s shaping up to be a good day. If you can get over to Ascot, just do it. It really is fun.

But, with this in mind, we should really start reviewing some of the key jumps action, and there are some points to put forward from Chepstow this weekend. Now, the ground did destroy the meeting, especially on the chasing card, but we have a few key notes.

The first is about IL RIDOTO after his second to SAINT SEGAL in one of the biggest penalty kicks you’ll ever see. SAINT SEGAL is a perennial loser, and yet he will now probably be a 150-rated chaser because he beat a massively undercooked IL RIDOTO, who did his job perfectly.

IL RIDOTO was not there to win on Sunday, he was there to get fit. The Paddy Power Gold Cup is his “Gold Cup”, and eight of the last nine winners of the Paddy Power had prep runs. He did the same last year, and GA LAW was second in this race last year before finishing second again at Cheltenham. He should be off a winnable mark come November, so he is on the PPGC shortlist.

We’re also pretty sure WILFUL will win a nice one at some stage on the back of his Welsh Champion Hurdle third. He travelled all over the field approaching the second-last, but his mistake gave him an uphill battle after that flight, and he even stayed on for pressure approaching the last.

He was definitely one for our eye-catchers section, but he also deserves his place here, because he should come on for that outing fitness-wise. Greatwood Hurdle?
And finally, don’t forget about some of the horses who were non-runners this weekend.
THE KEMBLE BREWERY is still one of the best handicapped horses in training, NEON MOON was ready to go in the Native River (he could be one for Ascot soon), and Paul Nicholls failed to get his desired prep runs into WELCOM TO CARTRIES (Badger Beer target) and BLUEKING D’OROUX (Rising Stars Novices’ Chase target). The latter two would be a worry in their desired target races without a run under their belts, but the former two could be dangerous when their trainers decide to pull the trigger again. Fitness won’t be the thing that gets them beat.

TWEETS OF THE DAY

WEEKEND EYE-CATCHERS

INSANITY - SATURDAY 14.05 YORK

The Flat may be over soon, but just keep an eye out for INSANITY, wherever he may turn up next. The McNeill Family and Alan King are not afraid to run their Flat horses in the AW Championship series, so he could be one for that, and if they did decide this, four of his runs this season showed lots of promise. He should have won at York two starts ago, and he was staying on through the line on Saturday again. He maybe isn’t chucked in off his mark, but he’s honest and talented. Eyes on.

ROYAL INFANTRY - SATURDAY 15.20 CHEPSTOW

ROYAL INFANTRY was lobbing in the Silver Trophy, until all of a sudden, he wasn’t.
He looked like he’d play a part in the finish approaching the second-last, but he was just caught on his heels a bit, and he ended up coming home in third.
That was a fine effort for his handicap debut, and he probably won’t mind a bit more juice in the ground later this season. More fitness and more rain could put him spot on for handicaps later this year, and maybe even that 2m4f one at Haydock on Betfair Chase Day?

RISK ON

14.00 YA KARIM

Did really well to pass horses having been so keen on debut. Should he settle better he’ll be almost impossible to beat today in this field. Short so lever another.

15.12 JIMMYJEROO

Back to the scene where he scored over course and distance. Bred to be a fast ground chaser and he’s fit, this looks a brilliant opportunity. LELANT is the danger. 5/2. Half saver on LELANT - who don’t know is off and hasn’t had a run but is chucked in.

15.30 TRAFALGAR

Was a bet lto and nearly won. Back to 5f, he can be bang there. 9/2 a big price in the context of the race and is a good ew.

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