It’s been a great summer of Horse Racing and we’ve now reached the start of the National Hunt Season so I’m going to keep you updated with my thoughts, my ones to watch and my suggested ante-post bets as we work our way towards The Festival at Prestbury Park.
Each week I’m going to run you through some interesting entries over the next week and going forward I’ll be reviewing how some of these performed with a view to targets through the season, whether that be Cheltenham or not. I’m also going to hopefully find us some well-timed bets as we look to navigate our way through the early part of the season and up to the end of 2023. From the new year it’ll be more of the same however we’ll have more substance than speculation to work with. But let’s focus on the task in hand as racing returns to Cheltenham for two days followed by a quality card at Aintree plus plenty of big names with entries on the other side of the Irish Sea too.
Before we kick on, I’ll just state that this column is written each Tuesday so we’ll have declarations for Wednesday’s and Thursday’s meetings however beyond that it’ll be mentioning those with entries and of course not all of those will run. I do think it’s important to keep a track of these entries though as it can be an indication of conditions a horse might be favouring and it’s a time stamp of when the trainers see fit for them to start off.
THURSDAY
Two British meetings with Carlisle the host of the most notable entries contained within their Novices’ Chase over 2m 4f. HOMETOWN BOY is one of my 10 To Follow for the season has been declared for the third time this month, but has twice been a non-runner by account of the ground. He handles most but I’d think after the 900+ day lay-off his trainer, Stuart Edmunds, is looking for at least some ease under foot. Also declared after a long break is ALAPHILIPPE for Fergal O’Brien who had just two runs in the 21/22 season, qualifying for the Pertemps Final before then going down by just a neck at The Festival in that Final. He’s 9 right now so will turn 10 in just another couple of months and it’s likely he’ll want further than this but he’s going to be one of many to take out of this race I think. GOOD RISK AT ALL is another horse with some Festival form having finished 7th of 26 in the Coral Cup last season. Fences could be the making of him but he wasn’t straightforward as a novice hurdler so I’d certainly need to see him jumping before any judgement can be cast. The last big name in here is GIOVINCO who has been highly touted by his trainer Lucinda Russell and that attention has not escaped the majority of the racing public either. He’s a 6yo with just 3 runs under rules but those came in quick succession last spring where he came on leaps and bounds with each run. He’s already a 143 rated horse and he’s got the potential to improve at least a stone on that this season so he could rank highly among the British Novice Chasers. No increase in Handicap marks for any horse beaten in here apart from Giovinco who can be changed as he’s not had the 4 runs over obstacles under rules yet, but being the top rated runner he’s unlikely to be raised without a victory. I suspect some others may need this run but Giovinco is expected to hit the ground running so anything other than a win would be slightly disappointing.
Over in Ireland we typically get big names running on Thursdays and Sundays and this week is no different. Clonmel hosts a 7-race card with the going currently Heavy and showers around. There’s a precautionary inspection on 7:30am Thursday but I think the card should go ahead although it will be testing ground.
In the opener, a Maiden Hurdle, we see CROKE PARK for Gigginstown and Gordon Elliott who comes with a bit of a reputation, although he was keen enough in his bumper when seen last May but looks a mud lark so the ground should suit. Willie Mullins plays his hand with THE ELECTRICAL KID who wouldn’t be the highest profiled runner in the yard but he was second to INTHEPOCKET in his point who secured a Grade 1 victory last season at Aintree.
We also see LIMERICK LACE back in action in a Mares Chase at 16:20 where she faces 4 rivals and gives weight away to all but one. She showed lots of ability last season as a Novice chaser while still looking a little green so if she straightens up this term she could well be a player in the Mares Chase come March but she will need to take this convincingly to start those aspirations.
10 To Follow – Dave Young (Cheltmental) Horses To Follow For The 23/24 Jumps Season
The 2023/24 Jumps Season is underway and we’ve got all our team to give their ’10 to follow’ for the NH season. Dave Young (Cheltmental) is the next to give his selections, which include six selections from the big Irish yards, as well as a Nicky Henderson mare he has high hopes for. LUCCIA (Nicky…
Mon 23 Oct 2023FRIDAY
It’s all about Cheltenham on Friday with 7 races on the first day of their two-day Showcase Meeting. There’s plenty of Irish entries, many of which will be fishing for their UK marks, but there’s quite a few seemingly well handicapped British runners too and we kick off with AFADIL who was a short-priced favourite for the 4yo Handicap at Chesptow where he was a non-runner when the ground went heavy. It won’t be that ground here and while this is going to be a more competitive race against all ages, we might just get a better price about him, and I think he’ll be quite the improver this season.
In the Novices Chase over 2 miles, we should see UNEXPECTED PARTY who put last seasons experience to good use when dispatching of Knappers Hill quite comfortably, again at Chepstow’s season opener. There’s potentially an Irish challenge as his main threats but both SOLNESS and MY MATE MOZZIE for me would need to step up their game to beat him.
HOMETOWN BOY also has an entry on the Friday so watch out if he doesn’t run at Carlisle on Thursday as this race is a Novices Handicap Chase so that might be more suggestive of a more competitive expectation. COLONEL MUSTARD, BROADWAY BOY, OUTLAW PETER and MOFASA are among the entries too.
The feature race is the Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle which has been brought forward from the November Meeting (something which was re-iterated to me recently) but I’m not entirely sure how close to an actual Grade 2 this will turn out to be. ACT OF AUTHORITY for Olly Murphy was behind Florida Dreams in his bumper debut and that horse features in my 10 To Follow after landing the Aintree Bumper last season, so some collateral boosting there would be nice. I suspect most people will have their hopes pinned on INTHEWATERSIDE running for Paul Nicholls as he’s another like Giovinco that appears in many peoples lists of horses to keep on side this season. The two-time bumper winner trounced his stable-mate last time out, but I remain to be as excited about him as a top prospect as others are so let’s hope he lines up and does something special.
SATURDAY
Day 2 at Cheltenham and Grand National hero CORACH RAMBLER could be seen in the 3m 1f Handicap Chase, a distance he’s recorded back to back Cheltenham Festival wins over in The Ultima. It’s a £60k race and with 25 entries it looks sure to be a competitive race with a few lower down the weights looking to have good chances such as QUICK DRAW and Corach Rambler’s stablemate YOUR OWN STORY.
A Pertemps qualifier follows this so keep your eye on who finishes in the top 4 but also pay attention to the fact ICARE ALLEN, BUGS MORAN, STUZZIKINI, WE’LLHAVEWAN, RINGDUFFERIN, GORTMULLISH & SHAJAK have been entered as Irish runners.
A couple of those are also in the Novice Hurdle after where I’ll be watching closely to how ILLICO DE COTTE fares for the Skeltons. Achieved a 93 RPR for his point win where only 3 finished but the second had experience and he battered him so for a Novice who’s bred for stamina and starting over 3 miles I’m hoping he could be a nice one.
Theres also a 3m Novices Chase where again HOMETOWN BOY holds and entry as does GIOVINCO but probably more eye-catching is dual Stayers Hurdler FLOORING PORTER.
Across the water we see the first day of Galway’s two-day meeting but it looks a lacklustre enough card. I do however, want to give KING OF KINGSFIELD a mention who, for me, is the non-conventional Gigginstown horse as I think he’s all speed and wants quick ground. Happy to be proven wrong but I don’t expect stamina to help bring about improvement in him and the grounds likely to be soft in Galway so watch this space.
SUNDAY
Typically, Sunday’s are a day for paying close attention to the Irish racing over the British but Aintree puts on a quality 7 race card including a decent Veterans Chase followed by the feature Old Roan Chase. The Old Roan has been a pointer to The Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham so if the fact there’s 8 horses in excess of 150 entered isn’t enough to lure you in then hopefully that potential form line is. We could see MY DROGO back and taking on HITMAN who was beaten just a head in this 12 months ago. Dan Skelton has also entered MIDNIGHT RIVER but I’m not sure if he’ll come here or if he’ll be trying as I know they are targeting the Coral Gold Cup this season at Newbury.
INTHEWATERSIDE also holds an entry here over 2m 4f in the Maiden hurdle and everyone’s favourite Handicap Plot LANGER DAN is on the card where he could face off against SONIGINO, MILKWOOD and KITTY’S LIGHT, the first of those mentioned who I understood wasn’t having another run over hurdles so that could be telling.
The second day at Galway sees Albert Bartlett form on offer in the Beginners Chase with AFFORDALE FURY and SANDOR CLEGANE entered but another of my 10 To Follow is in here with FAVOURI DE CHAMPDOU who will love the ground if it stays testing.
Wexford has a card which on entries could be a good one. Henry De Bromhead and Robcour are about to feature heavily as I start with AN TOBAR who bolted up in his point back in January 2022 but missed last season. He was highly touted as a potentially Ballymore type, so I hope we see him out in the opener. Connections also have mare LOOK TO THE WEST entered who fell in her first point behind Barry The Butcher which also had Croke Park and Man At Work in.
Another maiden hurdle in the second race, this time over 2m 4f but again we have Henry and Robcour getting a mention with JOUEUSE ROYALE who was beaten in both her points but looks a horse who is a bit quicker and probably better suited to these middle trips than the extreme.
The card finishes with a Mares bumper which houses two Gigginstown point winners in PALLAS ATHENE and WORKING AWAY, both of which I suspect to be hurdling this season.
FINAL WORD
So that concludes the first entry in this season’s Ante-Post book so while there’s been no suggestion of a bet I hope this has and will prove to be an informative opener. The racing really does start to climb from here on in so I look forward to reviewing what’s happened this week and scouting for clues next week.
10 To Follow – Dave Young (Cheltmental) Horses To Follow For The 23/24 Jumps Season
The 2023/24 Jumps Season is underway and we’ve got all our team to give their ’10 to follow’ for the NH season. Dave Young (Cheltmental) is the next to give his selections, which include six selections from the big Irish yards, as well as a Nicky Henderson mare he has high hopes for. LUCCIA (Nicky…
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