THE OPEN MEETING '04 - Horse racing selections by FURLONG TO GO!!; (furlongtogo.co.uk) - Thoughtful intelligent race reading. A horse for every race, every day !!!.

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MARKET RASEN
Saturday 31st August
3:00 Audrey Buttery Reunion Novices' Steeple Ch. - £6000 added, 5yo plus, 2m 6f 110yds, penalty £4111.25, 7 runners.
Ashgar, Misty Ridge, Sijujama, and Mount Gay, are the only runners which make any sort of appeal in the second. Punters are likely to have Ashgar down as a banker, especially with "A.P." on board.... I can see where they are coming from, however he is notoriously lazy and makes no appeal at likely odds. He was very hesitant at his obstacles last time out at Southwell and if one of his rivals were to expose this weakness, he could even thrown in the towel and sulk (which he has done before). Misty Ridge and Mount Gay, have run creditably of late over hurdles however it is Mount Gay [a winning point-to-pointer], who may be able to take him on. His second placing at Perth 27 days ago was a sound effort, and he is in my view worth taking a chance with {if they had been eight runners he'd have been an excellent eachway wager}.
¦ 1er. _ THE WINNER?¹ ¦:¬> Mount Gay,
¦ 2nd place?² ¦:¬>- Misty Ridge,
¦ 3rd place?³ ¦:¬>- Ashgar [USA],

Mount Gay obliged at odds of 7/1.
.t.h.e. .r.o.o.k.

MARKET RASEN
Saturday 20th July
Tote Scoop6 Summer Plate. (H'cap Steeple Ch.). £65000 added, 5yo plus, 2m 4f, 16 runners.
"As much as I like Demasta, there is so much pace here, that I cant help but think that the front runners may go too fast for their own good here. It makes sense [in my view], to be looking for something likely to be able to travel well... and despite my very negative comments above... I have (since the runners were declared), had a lot of time for the chance of Chicuelo (at eachway odds). I think some horses suit certain trainers, and I think this horse has a better chance of winning a race like this with Martin Pipe than Ian Williams - not because I necessarily think Pipe is a far better trainer than Williams is... its more to do with understanding this type of horse. Nicholashayne - more than most training establishments - does particularly with their foreign purchases. I think this is in part because due to the amount of time/effort they have invested into studying not only french form, but also how certain trainers educate their young horses - adopting if/when necessary previous regime/style of training. Secondly, (more importantly), some french breds improve after a season's acclimatization. A look at this horse's form in France and you'll find, for example, his good third to Sleeping Night and Ilnamar (beaten 8½lengths) in the Prix Morgex (Chase) (Grade 3) , or his third to Sleeping Night and Douze Douze in the Prix Maurice Gillois Grand Steeple-Chase Des 4 Ans (Chase) (Grade 1) in November 2000. He has certainly been given a chance here off of only a handicap rating of 116, and I can't see him not finishing in the first four.... He'll do for me".
"ANOTHER WINNER FOR "ONE TO JUMP 2003"

WORCESTER
Sunday, June 9th 2002
Tote betXpress Hurdle {H' cap}. £20000 added, 4yo plus, 2m, penalty £13897, 14 runners.
Cupboard Lover, Saragann, Dick The Taxi, Barren Lands, Boater, Bernardon, Inn Antique, Barren Lands, and Knight's Emperor make most appeal in a decent handicap hurdle for this time of year. There is bound to be market support for Cupboard Lover, especially after his smooth win at Newbury on the flat earlier this week, however in Bernardon, and Inn Antique, he meets two potentially well treated "improvers". I have a high regard for Bernardon, who I literally haven't stopped raving about. This former Group winner in Germany is much better than the form he showed when trailing home at Chepstow last time out, and off of this handicap mark, he is worth chancing.
Bernardon held on to score at odds of 13/2

ASCOT
Saturday 16th February, 2002
1:30 Amlin Reynoldstown Novices' Steeple Ch. {Gr.2}
Realistically, course and distance winner Arctic Jack, Father McCarten, High Cotton and Ex-French recruit Jimmy Tennis are the likeliest winners of this Grade 2 event. I have a healthy regard for Arctic Jack, and I'm certain he'll run creditably here, however, I've been monitoring Jimmy Tennis's career and always thought that he could make the grade over here. He was one of the better four-year-old chasers in France in 2001 and despite an absence of 140 days hopefully can make best use of the weight for age allowances he receives here.
JIMMY TENNIS won - 3/1

2:00 William Hill H’cap Hurdle
A very competitive handicap hurdle with several of these having strong claims. Farmer Jack, Teaatral, Lord Brex, Aspirant Dancer, Creon, Mr Markham, and Ideal du Bois Beury all have serious claims. Father Jack (who was probably ridden too positively last time out) is sure to go well and probably would have been my selection if Ideal du Bois Beury hadn't been in opposition. I thought he won with a bit in hand under top weight at Leicester last time out and looks very appealing off of the minimum weight.
IDEAL DU BOIS BEURY won - 10/1

DISCLAIMER:
In no way does "Furlong To Go!! guarantee that selections posted above will win the specified races advertised. They are merely an indication based on current form. Whilst the selections, and advice are the basis by which we will personally place our own bets, like you, any selections that are backed, are done so at your own risk.