Equinties - title races

Author

BGP Capital
January 04, 2024

Equinties

Gm Equinauts

Hallelujah! Finally, finally, there is a raceable track. Even though it looks a very tough card, it’ll be nice to watch those big furry animals we all love (to bet on) fly through the air…on our 6” phone screens… from a work toilet cubicle… hidden from the boss.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

TITLES CHARGE 

Earlier in the season, Paul Nicholls said that if Harry Cobden was 20 winners away from Sean Bowen at the beginning of the year, he would give the jockeys’ championship a real go. As things stand on January 4th, the stable jockey at Manor Farm Stables is 29 off Bowen, who is currently out with an injury, meaning this will be the time for Cobden to strike. 

As many will know, January sees Nicholls give horses his flu vaccinations which usually sees his operation go a bit quiet. However, in his recent blog on the Paul Nicholls website, it seems like the Gold Cup-winning trainer is doing something a bit different this year. He said: “January is usually our quietest month of the winter but we will be a little busier than usual this time as we have staggered the timing of the bi-annual flu jabs for our horses. 

“More than half have already been inoculated but we will keep going with a certain number and they will get their flu jabs at the end of the month.” 

Might this change of tactics be due to the jockeys’ title race or to keep the winners rolling in to keep Hendo at bay? Henderson had a fruitful Christmas period, complemented by CONSITUTION HILL bolting up in the Christmas hurdle and is now only roughly £120k behind Nicholls.

GIRLS ON FILM

Yesterday, Simon Munir and Isaac Souede announced that their star mare, ZAMBELLA, had retired following her pulled-up effort at Doncaster on the weekend. 

The nine-year-old won a n impressive 8 Listed races during her nearly six-year career, most recently when hacking up at Aintree at the start of December (we tipped). 

Although she was unlikely to win, her retirement means she will be absent from the Grade 2 Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival which looks a brilliant, brilliant renewal. Let’s take a look at it:

DINOBLUE heads the market having won the Grade 1 Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase over Christmas and although she is classy, she has a few questions to answer.

She’s only raced over two-and-a-half once when she was well-beaten by BRANDY LOVE at Fairyhouse in the Grade 1 Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final. Furthermore, she will now have a Grade 1 penalty when lining up for the contest in March.

ALLEGORIE DE VASSY (6/1) blotted her copybook when soundly beaten by RIVIERE D’ETEL on the weekend, though don’t be getting too involved with Gordon Elliott’s mare at 14/1 for the main race in March. 

She was going well in last year’s rendition before falling and Elliott has now said right-handed tracks suit her better.

Although Elliott will be without her in March, he could have a good one to go to war with in HALKA DU TABERT. She jumped brilliantly and has proven herself over the trip, so she is a live contender this year.

AUSTRALIAN MARE TO BE SOLD

In what is another slow day for news in the UK, we’ve taken a trip to Australia to borrow some of their news. Lo and behold, there is something to bring to your attention as KIMOCHI, a dual Group 1 runner-up, is set to be offered for sale as a potential racing and breeding prospect at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale in Sydney in May. 

The four-year-old has been a model of consistency for trainer Gary Portelli having failed to finish out of the first three in all nine of her races. As a two-year-old, she finished second in a handicap and as a three-year-old, she got to within three-quarters of a length from TROPICAL SQUALL in the Group 1 Darley Flight Stakes. 

YOUNG BLOOD

13.28 HEREFORD

With no bumper at Hereford, we thought we’d explore some of the interesting pedigree’s of the youngsters, the majority flat recruits, in Hereford’s juvenile hurdle.

GOBLET OF FIRE heads the market here demonstrating how weak this race is. He faded late and quickly on hurdle debut for Hendo an posted a terrible rpr. Pretty sure SAXON WARRIOR hasn’t had a winner over jumps yet either and this lads dam has produced much. Perhaps the reason he is 7/4 fave is because he is trained by Nicky Henderson?

MAASAI MARA is the drifter, 11/10 out to 7/4. He cost £170k out of the John Gosden stable and went home with John O’Shea. By the late ROARING LION (such a shame he’s gone), he showed his aptitude on the flat being rated in the high 80’s and there should be no reason he can’t transfer that over timber.

SILVERBRIDGE is by ZOUSTAR - a bullet sire down under, it’s strange people are buying them for jumping here in the UK. There is small bit of stamina dam side.

FANTASTIC ARTIST has one of the better pedigree’s for this race. The late ZOFFANY has produced plenty of jumpers and his dam side is full of good milers so he might just get a slow 2 miles.

NACHTGEIST was brought over from Germany and will need time

Verdict: This is a bad race. NACHTGEIST might be one to track for next year. ROARING LION was a brilliant horse and in his short life as a stallion has produced some good flat horses. He has also produced a winner over jumps from the first five horses to try it over timber, encouraging. MAASAI MARA was by far the best British flat horse and if he can jump might be too good for the field. The drift does suggest he hasn’t been schooling well so unless he gets clipped back in late, NO BET.

RISK ON

Hard card at Hereford, no bet as yet. If there is it will be posted to X @equinties.