WITH the Champions meeting at Ascot behind us, the major races on the level for the remainder of the season take place on foreign shores, notably the Melbourne Cup, Japan Cup and of course the Breeders Cup at Del Mar.
So from here on in the jumps’ season begins to get into gear starting with Cheltenham this afternoon where the big feature of the day is the William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase at 2.20 over an extended three miles and for which the second season chaser, Broadway Boy, will probably start favourite for the in form Nigel Twiston-Davies team.
Set to race off a mark of 149, the six-year-old was once thought of as a possible Gold Cup horse. So if he is still held in the same high esteem, then he must surely go close here if his yard continues in red-hot form — especially as this young horse has a cracking record around here.
However, I am happy to see him win at that kind of price, and my each-way alternative has to be CHASING FIRE.
Two from six over the larger obstacles, this son of Maxios will appreciate the forecast scattered showers and remains totally unexposed over this distance, with his yard in great form to date in the early part of the new jumps’ season.
Of his other rivals, the hugely well-handicapped Escaria Ten and Henry de Bromhead trained Senior Chief look the main dangers.
HDB also has the hat-trick seeking MARV MICHAEL (1.10) and he should go close in the opening two-and-a-half-mile novices handicap chase, while the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Qualifier (2.55) may go the way of SUPREME GIFT.
The Henry Daly trained charge is four from nine in his hurdles’ career to date, and a good ground challenge over this extended three miles looks a solid make-up for him, and he gets the vote Irish raider Como Park.
The penultimate flat card at Doncaster features the William Hill Futurity Stakes at 2.40, in which Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes hero, Wimbledon Hawkeye, may start the market leader ahead of the Aidan O’Brien charge Delacroix. Both have excellent claims, but I am going to side with Godolphin’s ANNO DOMINI.
This beautifully bred son of New Bay is two from two in his brief career to date with victories at Newbury and Sandown Park, but he is a hard horse to get a hold of as he only just does enough in his races.
His breeding suggests this softest ground he has encountered shouldn’t prove a problem and I feel he has the most scope to improve over the two favourites and the recently supplemented Detain, who is set to have his first run on turf.
There are a number of really tough handicaps on the Town Moor card, but the outcomes of these events will revolve around how much rain falls late on Friday afternoon, with an otherwise dry forecast for the 48 hours leading up to this afternoon.
Aberama Gold has won the Join Century Racing Club Handicap for the past two years, but I have a feeling despite his attractive handicap mark, the seven-year-old may well find the ground drying out too quickly, but such conditions should suit WALBANK a deal more.
This still lightly raced four-year-old found five furlongs around Catterick Bridge a shade too sharp. This more galloping track may see him reverse that form with the winner Vintage Clarets, with perhaps recent easy Nottingham winner Woolhampton the biggest danger.
Later on, THE REVEREND (3.15) is taken to come back to form now that he is dropped from a mile-and-three-quarters to 12 furlongs.
The three-year-old is set to have only a sixth career start and can see off his senior rivals here, the best of which is most probably Promethean, who is going in the other direction, distance-wise, with his first run over the trip.
The infuriating Racingbreaks Ryder finally got off the mark belatedly this season after promising much and delivering little when he ran away with a class four handicap at Catterick off a rating of 76 last week.
A new mark of 82 here may well be enough to stop him in his tracks in the 5.00 and in receipt of a bundle of weight, ONEMORENOMORE may well be good enough.
The four-year-old won over the course and distance way back on April 26, and he should have no problem with the forecast conditions.
Now fully 3lbs below that victorious rating of 67, I fancy that the bottom weight will be good enough to beat the well-handicapped veteran pair Zip and Broken Spear.
The ground is likely to be even more testing at Newbury and that will very much suit ARTHUR’S REALM. The six-year-old bay gelding loves to get his toe into the ground and showed last time out at Haydock Park that his turn is just around the corner. The long run home should suit this long striding sort as he bids for a sixth career win.
Finally, we go under the lights at Chelmsford City racecourse, and it may be worthwhile having a second look at ALTANERA (7.30) and SEAMORE (7.00).
The former has very few miles under his belt and seemed to relish the extra yardage at Wolverhampton, and this further step up to two miles looks perfect for her.
The latter finally returns to one mile, his only start over the trip having come on his debut five runs ago.
