| |
Analysis & Selections by
.t.h.e. .r.o.o.k.
Whether it be "the race of the day" or a small prize round the gaffs, we will attempt to use our knowledge of the formbook to highlight the fancied horses participating each day and their characteristics and requirements. Hopefully this 'second opinion' provides you with a winner or two each day, or even reinforces your own view on a particular may even convince you to back some of those horses which we feel are the "ones to fear", or have decent eachway claims. whichever is the case, we hope the information is of use to you.
SELECTIONS - For each race, we have given you who, in our view, are the likeliest winners;
(1er _ THE WINNER?), as well as any runners who could run well at eachway odds;
(E/W
ALTERNATIVE) . Any runner from our features are shown before each race's analysis.
SANDOWN
Saturday 7th December
(¯¯ Iª¯ SANDOWN¯¯¯)¯¯¯ »- 12:50 Mitsubishi Shogun H 'cap Steeple-ch. £12000 added, 5yo plus, 2m 4f 110yds, penalty £8190, 5 runners.
|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯ªt¯¯|¯¯the¯¯|¯¯post¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|
¦ .t.h.e. .r.o.o.k. ¦:¬>- Hermes III, Mr Baxter Basics, Returning, and Dunston Bill can all be given chances in a n open looking handicap which
opens the card. Both MR BAXTER BASICS [6th to Cyfor Malta in the Thomas Pink Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November] and RETURNING [course and
distance winner, who was a well-beaten 4th behind Davoski at Ascot last time out] take
noticeable drops in class after contesting better opposition last time out. They may however
struggle to beat HERMES III if this ex-French gelding translates his ability to our fences. He landed two minor events over hurdles at the beginning of the year; most
recently when winning at Perth at the end of April and is sure to have been well
schooled .. he'll do for me.
¦ 1er. _ THE WINNER?¹ ¦:¬>- Hermes III,
¦ 2nd place?² ¦:¬>- Returning
¦ 3rd place?³ ¦:¬>- Mr Baxter Basic
(¯¯ IIª¯ SANDOWN¯¯¯)¯¯¯ »- 1:25 Doug Barrott Novices' H 'cap Hurdle £10000 added, 3yo plus, 2m 110yds, penalty £7052.50, 10 runners.
|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯ªt¯¯|¯¯the¯¯|¯¯post¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|
¦ .t.h.e. .r.o.o.k. ¦:¬>- Chief Cashier, Anatar, Kalca Mome, Picture Palace, Roman King, and
Balkirk, all have claims in another competitive handicap which comes next on the card. CHIEF CASHIER is likely to go off
favourite here having run well on both of his starts this season, most recently at Wincanton in November, where he failed by a head to beat Per Amore. He has strong claims here, and despite the
presence of ANATAR [a winner twice with AP McCoy, this partnership is reunited after being
beaten in a conditional jockeys handicap hurdle at Kempton in November], KALCA MOME, [an easy winner at Haydock last time out] and PICTURE PALACE,
[frustrating maiden last season who flattered to deceived on several occasions], I'll take him to score here.
¦ 1er. _ THE WINNER?¹ ¦:¬>- Chief Cashier,
¦ 2nd place?² ¦:¬>- Picture Palace,
¦ 3rd place?³ ¦:¬>- Anatar,
(¯¯ IIIª¯ SANDOWN¯¯¯)¯¯¯ »- 1:55 Extraman Trophy (Registered As Henry VIII Novices' Steeple-ch.) (gr. 2) £30000 added, 4yo plus, 2m, penalty £20100, 3 runners.
|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯ªt¯¯|¯¯the¯¯|¯¯post¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|
[ ("ONE TO JUMP 2003") ¯ are there any horses from "One To Jump 2003" our feature which; each season, provides a list of horses to follow during the national hunt season? ]:¬»- Le Roi Miguel (FR)
¦ .t.h.e. .r.o.o.k. ¦:¬>- A disappointing turn out for this decent
prize... never mind TYSOU, [who beat Krabloonik over course and distance on his seasonal
reappearance], IMPEK, [impressive in winning both starts this term, most recently
when beating Palarshan by 7lengths at Hereford], and LE ROI MIGUEL, [slightly
disappointing on his chasing debut where he was beaten fair and square by One Knight at Chepstow] may yet serve up a feast to savour. I dont think there will be much to choose between them, however I'm going to go with Le Roi Miguel to atone for that
disappointing Chepstow run.
¦ 1er. _ THE WINNER?¹ ¦:¬>- Le Roi Miguel,
¦ 2nd place?² ¦:¬>- Impek,
¦ 3rd place?³ ¦:¬>- Tysou.
(¯¯ IVª¯ SANDOWN¯¯¯)¯¯¯ »- 2:30 Mitsubishi Shogun Tingle Creek Trophy Steeple-ch. Showcase Race (gr. 1) £100000 added, 5yo plus, 2m, penalty £58000, 6 runners.
|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯ªt¯¯|¯¯the¯¯|¯¯post¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|
¦ .t.h.e. .r.o.o.k. ¦:¬>- Another small field... but what a line up!!! ... EDREDON BLEU; [who put in a
spectacular display when landing the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup Chase (Limited Handicap) (gr.2)]. FLAGSHIP UBERALLES, [The winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase (gr.1), who bids for an unprecedented fourth win in the race], CENKOS, [who beat Flagship Uberalles by 14l when landing
the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Celebration Chase over course and distance in April], MOSCOW FLYER,
[unbeaten when completing over fences - this seasons winner of the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase (gr.1) won at Down Royal on his
reappearance], WAHIBA SANDS, [a useful chaser on his day who goes particularly
well fresh - not seen put since finishing second to Fadalko at Cheltenham in April] and GET REAL [once a
useful chaser this giant seems to barely stay 2miles these days]. It'll be
interesting to see how the race pans out .. will Edredon Bleu try and make all or will Get Real and Cenkos try and to get fluster him .. how will Moscow Flyer take to the Railway fences... I wouldnt be surprised if this
isn't an epic - one of those races that lives long in the memory, howevr Moscow Flyer has the change in gears and I'll take a
chance on him being good enough to land this prize at this stage of his development.. Don't
be surprised if Wahiba Sands doesn't go close too .. I do think its significant
that AP rides when he surely could have got onto Edredon Bleu, remember this horse does run well when fresh and I wont be surprised if he
didn't make the first three placings.
¦ 1er. _ THE WINNER?¹ ¦:¬>- Moscow Flyer
¦ 2nd place?² ¦:¬>- Edredon Bleu
¦ 3rd place?³ ¦:¬>- Wahiba Sands
(¯¯ Vª¯ SANDOWN¯¯¯)¯¯¯ »- 3:05 William Hill H 'cap Hurdle (Listed Race) £70000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 110yds, penalty £40600, 12 runners.
|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯ªt¯¯|¯¯the¯¯|¯¯post¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|
[ ("ONE TO JUMP 2003") ¯ are there any horses from "One To Jump 2003" our feature which; each season, provides a list of horses to follow during the national hunt season? ]:¬»- Samon (GER)
¦ .t.h.e. .r.o.o.k. ¦:¬>- Twelve runners line up for the main hurdles race on
the card. MR COOL. [such a gallant second behind Baracouda last time out], QUAZAR, [a
good second to Rooster Booster at Cheltenham in November], SAMON, [well behind Galileo in
the Royal & Sun Alliance Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, he'd previously impressed when
winning at Taunton], WHISTLING DIXIE, [a useful handicapper, who was well beaten
last time behind Emotional Moment at Down Royal in November], IDAHO D'OX, [An
interesting runner who is capable of a good effort in a race like this, however he needs to improve on his seventh to Rob Leach at Ascot last time to be seriously
considered] JABOUNE, [a decent novice this season who was well beaten by Never last
weekend at Newbury], DEEP SUNSET, [an encouraging fourth on her reappearance
behind Rob Leach at Ascot in November], and SUD BLEU, [attractively weighted novice who flatters to deceive a little too much for my personal liking] would appear to have the strongest claims. If Sud Bleu was completely trustworthy, he would be
particularly attractive here, however he isn't (in my view) and despite being a lousy price I really do like Samon here. Richard Guest looked after him at Cheltenham and I
think this term he is capable of significant improvement (whether or not he obliges today). He is the (boring I know)
selection.
¦ 1er. _ THE WINNER?¹ ¦:¬>- Samon (GER)
¦ 2nd place?² ¦:¬>- Sud Bleu [e/w] if offered
¦ 3rd place?³ ¦:¬>- Quazar,
(¯¯ VIª¯ SANDOWN¯¯¯)¯¯¯ »- 3:40 Hogarth Recruitment H 'cap Hurdle £10000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 6f, penalty £7442.50, 10 runners.
|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯ªt¯¯|¯¯the¯¯|¯¯post¯¯|¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯|
¦ .t.h.e. .r.o.o.k. ¦:¬>- Ravenswood, Jollie Bollie, El Monty, Prokofiev, Oliver Cromwell and Ballyvaddy make the greatest appeal in
the finale. JOLLIE BOLLIE was particularly impressive when winning at Folkestone last time out and the second Indeed To Goodness, has since franked that form when winning
over fences. I will though have to go with RAVENSWOOD in the hope that his latest run at Chepstow, [where he
disapointed behind Springfield Scally] was a blip
¦ 1er. _ THE WINNER?¹ ¦:¬>- Ravenswood,
¦ 2nd place?² ¦:¬>- Jollie Bollie,
¦ 3rd place?³ ¦:¬>- Oliver Cromwell
|
|
