Friday 17 July 2015 23:39, UK
Sky Sports presenter Alex Hammond previews a busy weekend of Flat racing and valuable summer jumping action.
The Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival kicks off on Saturday with the meeting at Ripon and concludes at Pontefract on July 26.
During that period myself and six other (hopefully in-form!) racing folk will take each other on in a tipping competition with the aim to raise a decent pile of cash for charity over the nine days in conjunction with Sky Bet. We are each given £50 a day to bet on any race at the Yorkshire venues during the festival with any profits shared equally between three charities - New Beginnings, the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
So, the pressure is on and you can guarantee that we will all be tapping up our contacts to try and unearth some decent winners.
The "Magnificent Seven" are made up of Sky Sports football presenter Ed ‘Shrewd’ Chamberlin and Sky Bet’s Racing PR Manager Michael ‘Shin Dog’ Shinners, leading trainer ‘Sheikh’ Richard Fahey, Channel 4 Racing’s Jim McGrath, award-winning journalist Tom O’Ryan and Sportinglife.com editor ‘Comedy’ Dave Ord. So, wish me luck!
Aside from the Festival there is a decent weekend to look forward to with the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh, a valuable card at Newbury and Summer Plate day at Market Rasen amongst others.
Starting in Ireland and the Oaks has cut up a bit with the news that both Diamondsandrubies and Pleascach were not amongst the final 10 declarations.
That leaves the David Wachman-trained Curvy at the head of the market. This filly is progressing through the ranks and is four from four this campaign with her best effort to date in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot last time out, beating Irish Guineas winner Pleascach. Wayne Lordan takes the ride in Ryan Moore’s absence.
Aidan O’Brien has a quartet in the mile-and-a-half Group One, headed by Words and Joseph O’Brien rides. She comes into the race unbeaten in two starts and the form of her latest win in the Munster Oaks was franked by runner up Carla Bianca at Leopardstown on Thursday.
Oaks winner Qualify maintains her partnership with classic winning jockey Colm O’Donoghue. I was disappointed with her no-show in the Irish Derby even given she was taking on the colts.
At bigger prices, O’Brien has Oaks seventh Together Forever and Kissed by Angels, who was well beaten in the Irish 1000 Guineas last time out and is stepping up from a mile.
I really fancied Jack Naylor for the Oaks and she has a great chance of Classic victory on a more conventional track. Jessie Harrington’s filly was an eye-catching fourth in the Irish Guineas but was only sixth at Epsom. Her stamina isn’t guaranteed but this track ought to suit much better than Epsom.
Covert Love is one of three British raiders. Hugo Palmer has trained her to win three of her four starts, including all three this season. She is steadily progressing and steps up from a mile and a quarter, which looks like it will be a benefit.
James Fanshawe never sends horses over to Ireland without good reason and his record backs that up. His Speedy Boarding won’t mind the rain that has fallen and is progressing. The step up to a mile and a half promises to bring about more improvement too and although her Newbury win hasn’t had too many chances to be franked, she has a shout at a decent price.
John Gosden is enjoying a great season and he runs one of the outsiders in Gretchen. She can’t be dismissed though as she was still inexperienced in the Ribblesdale behind Curvy and that experience will have stood her in good stead. You could do worse I think than to back Gretchen to finish in the first three but my money’s on the unexposed Words for the O’Brien team.
Onto Newbury now where the big money is on offer in the Weatherbys Super Sprint and as ever the race has attracted a strong line up with the top stables holding multiple entries.
Once again Messrs Fahey and Hannon are numerically the best represented with eight for Fahey and six for Hannon. The Hannon yard, whether it be Senior or Junior, have won this race eight times and Hannon Senior was one of the most successful trainers in the early sales races.
They have a great knack of buying decent types for little money and whilst the buying power in the stable has increased in recent years, they still purchase well and that shows in this type of race.
Tiggy Wiggy won it for the stable last year and Great Page could be the one this time around. Richard Hughes rides the filly for his brother-in-law and I think you can forget her run in a Group 3 at the Curragh last time out as nothing went right from the start. She hasn’t got into this off a flyweight but her previous win at Naas puts her right in there with a shout.
She bypassed Newmarket’s July Festival to run here and given some luck will run a big race. Of her stablemates, Windsor winner Belvoir Bay may be her biggest danger. She is a progressive type and gets in with a light weight.
Fahey must fancy his chances of winning the £250,000 contest with one of his eight. The pick looks to be Lathom, the mount of Tony Hamilton. He’s held in some regard by his trainer and can be forgiven his run in the Windsor Castle as the way the race was run didn’t suit. Again he’s not one of the more attractively weighted horses, but he’s useful.
Paul Hanagan used to work for Fahey but he rides one for Clive Cox instead, Soapy Aitken. This horse ran well in the Windsor Castle finishing fourth and didn’t really shine at Sandown last time out. The suspicion is that an extra furlong might not go amiss, but providing the ground isn’t too quick, he will run well.
It’s Tim Easterby that is responsible for the ante-post favourite though in Excessable. The colt only has 8-3 to carry and comes here having failed to give weight away to a useful type at Beverley last time out. It’s a pretty difficult race to be confident in, but I’m going with another winner for the Hannon team and Great Page.
Staying at the Berkshire track and the JLT Stakes is a Listed race over 10 furlongs. Sir Michael Stoute’s Consort is the short-priced favourite on his first try at the trip. He ran an excellent race when third in the St James’s Palace Stakes behind Gleneagles and the step up in distance looks tailor made for him.
Intilaaq falls into a similar category as the favourite. Roger Varian’s colt was well beaten in the 2000 Guineas but hasn’t run since and tries a mile and a quarter for the first time. He’s bred to appreciate the step up and was subject of glowing reports from his trainer prior to the Guineas. Purely from a value perspective, I’m with Intilaaq.
The Al Basti Equiworld Hackwood Stakes is a Group 3 over six furlongs, but there are only six going to post. All being well the ground won’t dry out too much as the protagonists, Portamento, Aeolus and Strath Burn all prefer a bit of ease underfoot.
Charlie Appleby’s Portamento bounced back to form at Chester earlier this month after a below par run over five furlongs on All-Weather finals day. This trip looks ideal at the moment.
Ed Walker’s Aeolus has to try and give weight away as he is penalised for a win at Newcastle in Group 3 company last time out. Charlie Hills’ Strath Burn was a smart juvenile last season but only broke his maiden at Doncaster earlier this month when long odds-on. I think this can go to the boys in blue with Portamento.
Onto the summer jumping and Market Rasen stage their most valuable race-day of the year on Saturday.
Let’s start with the Betfred TV Summer Hurdle, a handicap over an extended two miles. A field of 17 has been declared for this competitive race with John Ferguson’s Commissioned set to carry top weight. Mikey Ennis takes 5lbs off his burden and he was in the saddle when the horse won at Cartmel last time. He has been raised a whopping 12lbs for that easy win on his handicap debut. Ferguson fitted cheekpieces for the first time that day and he wears them again. There should be more to come, but there will have to be if he’s to defy the handicapper.
Buckwheat has been supported for the same trainer and this horse will be ridden by Aidan Coleman, who has struck up a good rapport with the Newmarket handler. This horse has been raised 13lbs for a visually impressive win at Aintree last time out and that may not be enough to anchor him.
Brothers Dan and Harry Skelton combine with Hurricane Hollow, who is another last time out winner. He has been put up 9lbs for that win at Cheltenham back in April and is another likely improver.
Neil King has his team in good form and the trainer saddles Regulation, the mount of Trevor Whelan. The horse also won last time out in a conditional jockeys’ novices’ hurdle and had the option of the novice on Saturday’s card but is running in this more valuable event instead. He could be at the right end of the handicap.
Gran Maestro is ridden by an in-form Will Kennedy for Dr Richard Newland. He’s been running on the Flat and I fancied his chances at Wetherby last time but he could only finish third and didn’t look an easy ride. He has some fair form over hurdles though from limited opportunities and now wears pretty much every bit of headgear going. I think this prize can go to John Ferguson and most likely with Buckwheat.
The Betfred Summer Plate is the feature and is equally as competitive with 16 declarations for this 2m 5f handicap chase. The weights are headed here by a rejuvenated Champion Court, who has won his last two after being revitalized by trainer Martin Keighley. This has been the plan for a while but he’s creeping back up the handicap now and at 10 isn’t improving, which makes him vulnerable.
Last year’s winner It’s A Gimme is back for more and it’ a first high-profile ride for Barry Geraghty in his new position as number one to owner JP McManus. The horse won under AP McCoy last year and Jonjo O’Neill’s horse has to try and now win off a 13lb higher mark. He showed signs of a revival at Stratford last time out, but wouldn’t be my obvious candidate to follow up under his revised mark even given the fact it looks like he’s been trained with this race in mind again.
I like the look of Pumped Up Kicks for the Skeltons. She signed off last jumps season with two wins in novice handicap chases and could still be improving. She has only had the starts for this trainer and looks capable of making her presence felt in a big handicap this summer and the decent ground suits her well.
Valco De Touzaine is one of a few jumpers at this time of year for Paul Nicholls. He might doesn’t look the easiest and off his current rating might be vulnerable. David Pipe runs Dell’ Arca, who has only had three starts over fences. He won his novice back in May at Uttoxeter but had some decent placed form over fences prior to that, including a length-and-a-half second to Coneygree at Newbury. There should be more to come and he’s a leading contender.
Warren Greatrex saddles Baby Mix, who ran three times in the spring after a spell on the sidelines. He was raised a pound for a good effort at Stratford last time out but little rises like that won’t be helping his cause. I think this is between Pumped Up Kicks and Dell’ Arca, with the mare getting my vote.
Weekend Selections:
Words in the Irish Oaks @ 3/1 with Sky Bet
Great Page in the Super Sprint @ 5/1 with Sky Bet
Intilaaq in the JLT Stakes @ 9/2 with Sky Bet
Portamento in the Hackwood Stakes @ 15/8 with Sky Bet
Buckwheat in the Summer Hurdle @ 5/1 with Sky Bet
Pumped Up Kicks in the Summer Plate @ 7/1 with Sky Bet
