Equinties - weekender

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Gm Equinauts 

Nice to bang in another winner yesterday with GOLDEN LYRA going in. 

I think today could be big. One of the horses we're gambling, I've been waiting months for an entry. Today's the day, let goooo.

Oh, and if you do have it off today, don't forget I'm plugging the anti-hangover 'miracle' pill. This was a text last week from my guinea pig friend... if you like to sesh hard but have regret in the morning - MYRKL is the answer. 

We have three low-field but high-quality races to look at from Wetherby today, coupled with the fact we get to see the BGP Hall Of Famer BRAVEMANSGAME out and we have ourselves a proper Saturday.  

Let's dive in.

Headline Roundup

Listed Mares’ Hurdle 

Five will go to post for the Listed Mares’ Hurdle over two miles and the market is headed by last year’s winner MOLLY OLLYS WISHES for the Dan Skelton team – she is looking to begin her season in the same way she did in 2021. 

Harry Skelton stole victory last year with a perfect front-running ride onboard the mare, now returning at 8yo to this minimum trip for the first time since last year’s renewal. 

The next best in the market is Lucy Wadham’s MARTELLO SKY, a 6yo grey that boasts a 100% win record in all of her season-opening races – one fillies bumper, one bumper against the boys, and a handicap hurdle off top weight at Market Rasen last year. I actually love this horse, we've taken some great yield from her in recent years, look:

Though she is labelled as a bit of a ‘mud lark’, she has won all three of her races on good ground to add to her soft and heavy ground wins – today’s ground should be no issue, it’s just a question of does she have the pace for today's quick 2mile race and is she fully tuned? I expect both answers are yes.  

Needing to find roughly six pounds on official ratings is Alan King’s NINA THE TERRIER under the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle-winning jockey Tom Bellamy. she started this season with a respectable second to SONIGINO at Chepstow lto so you know she's fit and firing today.

Our view: This is a two horse race between MOLLY OLLYS WISHES and MARTELLO SKY. Ask me who wins this race, I'd say MOLLY OLLYS WISHES... but ask me which horse I'd rather own, it would be MARTELLO SKY. 

Fat Dan will have targeted this meeting with PROSCHEMA looking laid out for it and MOLLY OLLYS WISHES returning to defend her title in this, which some might argue, from a ratings basis, that this year's renewal is an easier race and therefore worthy fave. But I just really like MARTELLO SKY. She's a proper horse, has a great attitude and is always trying. I'll be cheering her on, but Wadham's yard form means no bet. 

G2 3 mile Hurdle 

35 minutes later, the first Graded event of the day gets underway as just the six take to the Bet365 Hurdle over three miles, a race that sees the JP McManus-owned SPORTING JOHN head a fairly open market.  

Displaying a form book that reads 31FP/141-, the seven-year-old is the only Grade 1 winner in the race as he beat SHAN BLUE over fences in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase in last February 2021 – if he is on form today, and he usually is when coming off a break, he will take a lot of beating. 

Win at Cheltenham three starts ago, beating PROSCHEMA who fell two out: 

The biggest two rivals to Phillip Hobbs’ 154-rated hurdler are the 1-2 from last year’s renewal of the race as both INDEFATIGABLE and PROSCHEMA look to do battle once again.  

The former was the victor 12 months ago when receiving seven pounds from PROSCHEMA – this year, Paul Webber’s mare is only carrying one pound less than Dan Skelton’s seven-year-old and she hasn’t seen a hurdle in public since her second to MCFABULOUS at Sandown in the Grade 2 Select Hurdle. 

As was last year’s second, he travelled into the race very strongly under Harry Skelton but was given too much to do and ultimately didn’t have enough time – following a pipe opener at Chepstow 21 days ago, he should be spot on for today, though he could do with the rain staying away.  

Our view: I mentioned in a previous newsletter I received a message from a very good gambler telling me to get on PROSCHEMA. I'd normally trust his info blind but honestly, I can't see this one so I'll be just watching the race with interest but withoutinerst if you know what I mean. 

Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase 

The Charlie Hall Chase sees out the graded action at Wetherby today, the grand finale... the denouement, and what a race it is. A 3m contest with the winner collecting £56,950 for connections – in years gone by, the big guns like CUE CARD, SILVINIACO CONTI, and CYRNAME have won it. 

Of the horses just mentioned, the final two were trained by the current Jumps Champion Trainer, Paul Nicholls – he fields the legendary BRAVEMANSGAME this year looking to begin his charge toward the Cheltenham Gold Cup in good style.  

Starting for the first time since his wind op in July, his first Grade 1 chase victory came in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on Boxing Day to beat AHOY SENOR who he reopposes against today – if he returns to that form, we could see another monstrous performance. 

In the last 24 hours, sustained market support has come for Lucinda Russell’s AHOY SENOR, so much so that he is now the 11/8 outright favourite – the seven-year-old by DYLAN THOMAS has only ever finished 1st, 2nd or UR throughout his career and he is looking to add to the win column today. 

The record between him and BRAVEMANSGAME reads 2-1 in favour of AHOY SENOR and he bolted up lto in the Grade 1 Mildmay to beat Nicholls’ top chaser comfortably, running to an RPR of 166 in the process – these two could put on an all-inspiring renewal of the Charlie Hall if both horses turn up in good form. 

Despite the promise of the top two in the betting, Joe Tizzard’s ELDORADO ALLEN is the highest-rated horse in the field by one pound. When returning to the track from a break that is 50 days or longer, the eight-year-old grey is 3/5, including Grade 2 Haldon Gold Cup success last year and a promising second to SHISHKIN in January 2021.  

His biggest triumph of last season came in the Grade 2 Denman Chase at Newbury to beat ROYALE PAGAILLE and CLAN DES OBEAUX on his first start at three miles – whether he is an out-and-out stayer is yet to be confirmed, but today’s conditions of a nice galloping track on the softer ground will work well.  

Our view: When BMG and AHOY SENOR last clashed at Aintree, BMG was over the top (Nicholls had him wound up for Cheltenham , not Aintree) and L'HOMME PRESS ran flat - in short, the race fell apart but there's no denying AHOY SENOR looked a monster. BMG has disappointed too many times against AHOY SENOR now for me to have a strong view on him, but I do think he's a special horse. Head says AS, heart says BRAVEMANSGAME.

Bumper previews

Ayr 

I've talked a lot in the past about the Crawfords targeting Northern English and Scottish bumpers as ways to bag an easy W to increase resale value. They head the market in this race with LARGY RAY. He's related to good winners and the rightful fave imo. Not going to talk about the horses, I think Crawfords LARGY RAY just wins.

Ascot 

This is a warm one and the market seems to be getting it right atm.

Interestingly, MARTELLO SKY's half-bro actually heads the market (BRIEF AMBITION also a half, who many of you will remember finished second to our Dave in the Newbury Listed bumper a few years ago), BILLY BOI BLUE for Fergal. 

I reckon he'll be good in time but he's already had a run and given Fergal has them ready first time out, I'll draw a line through this one thinking he won't improve.

FIRE FLYER for Nicholls next in market, a full-bro to SEVERANO (he finished just out of the places in one of the best British bumpers in recent years) so he has the potential to be smart.

Honeyball runs one for Harry Redknapp. You have to go quite far back dam side to find anything useful but Honeyballs always are feared in bumpers and Harry aint gonna buy a yak is he! 

I like Pauling's horse, SAMAZUL on breeding too - a half to a few good horses up to WARRIORS TALE 154.

Our view: Nicholls' FIRE FLYER win and hedge with Pauling's imo. 

Further news

Back to his Best 

For those of you who may not know the name Jim Best, he's a trainer who plays the game but was just stupid enough to get caught doing so.

The Lewes-based trained was banned for four years by the BHA in April 2016 after he was found to be guilty of stopping horses, specifically, two horses called ECHO BRAVA and MISSILE MAN, with the help of Paul John, a jockey who was banned for 150 days as well.  

Links to a Sky Sports article and the ECHO BRAVA race are below: 

Article: 

ECHO BRAVA: 

Fast forward to this year and Jim Best is (officially) back alongside his wife Suzi... training the gamble of the day. YOU LITERALLY CAN'T WRITE IT!

No Luck for Gordon 

In what was meant to be an interesting contest between GELINO BELLO and PRESS YOUR LUCK yesterday at Wetherby, the latter managed to spin around as the flag dropped to start the race and unseated his rider, Tom Cannon.  

For connections of the horse, the seven-year-old was sent a whopping 235 miles from Chris Gordon’s yard to Wetherby only to not even get a run – that is bad ‘Luck’. 

There are several issues I have with the current rules which I think need changing. Gordons horse should have been allowed to run. 

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Risk On

13.03 FERENSBY

13.50 JOE DADANCER

Only 90% fit but the best Paulings ever trained … apparently. Strong single. 2/1.