Racing Saturday at Chepstow, Kempton and Newcastle: February 25th 2012

Racing on Saturday will provide a real test, with cards at Newcastle and Chepstow, where the severity of their trademark stiff finishes will be severely increased because of the anticipated heavy going. There is also racing from Kempton Park, with The Adonis Hurdle and the Racing Plus Chase being the highlights.

Kempton have had to tweak Saturday’s card due to some rearranged races. They have the Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle as well as the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices Hurdle. My focus will be the Racing Plus Chase, won last year by Quinz for the Phillip Hobbs yard, and they have a strong chance once more with ante post favourite Planet of Sound.

Three miles on a flat track usually means Nacarat is there or thereabouts, and although he should run into a place, it is hard to see him winning. The Tizzard stable had five wins inside an hour last Saturday and their runners Cannington Brook and Mount Oscar have to be respected. Deep Purple looks a classy sort off top weight, but I feel he stays all day and would want further ultimately. By process of elimination the answer could lie with FRUITY O’ ROONEY for the in-form Gary Moore yard.

He won a Class 3 handicap chase over course and distance on 27th December, meeting trouble in jumping throughout but still beating subsequent winner Midnight Appeal by four lengths. He followed up that win with a good third in the Great Yorkshire Chase behind potential Grand National horses Calgary Bay and Shakalakaboomboom. That was a fair effort and he could be a terrific each way price come the day.

The Betfred Eider Chase is a gruelling four miles and promises to test the stamina of the most hardened stayer. Horses generally need to have won over 3 ½ miles previous, and recent four miles Kelso winner EYRE SQUARE ticks all the boxes. His win in the Borders National was mightily impressive and, on softish ground, highlighted his versatility. He was given too much to do when dropping down to 3 miles in another handicap chase, when up 5lb, and jockey James Reveley can make amends here. The Ferdy Murphy trained Negus De Beaumont and Peter Niven trained Posh Bird are dangers.

AP McCoy opts to ride at Chepstow rather than Newcastle and Kempton and he has two strong chances. The first is TEAFORTHREE who has shown glimpses of class, resulting in an official rating of 146. His novice chase win on heavy ground over course and distance has led to him being aimed at the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham, and the drop down in grade from the Feltham Chase at Kempton should provide him with a nice prep run in the build up to that.

McCoy’s other possibility is CHESTNUT BEN, who looks to put aside a disappointing run when unseating last time out. Prior to that he had won a good two mile handicap chase at Hereford by six lengths, on soft ground, in eye-catching fashion. Providing he has a clean round, he should go very close on a workable mark.

3.05 Kempton – Fruity O’ Rooney (Ew)
3.25 Newcastle – Eyre Square (Ew)
2.40 Chepstow – Teaforthree (Nap)
4.55 Chepstow – Chestnut Ben

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner / @JJMSports

Midweek Talking Turf - August 24th Catterick and Chepstow

After a great week at York, where our nap on Saturday Opinion Poll (3/1) completed back to back victories in the Lonsdale Cup and Twice Over (11/2) won the Juddmonte International, made it a great week for followers, and long may it continue.

Racing this Wednesday is another is interesting mix, with all weather action from Kempton and Wolverhampton in the evening and a summer jumps card at Worcester plus flat meetings at Chepstow and Catterick in the afternoon.

The jockey of the moment is the golden girl of racing, The Head Turner, Hayley Turner, who has won successive group one sprint races. Last week she followed up her July Cup win on Dream Ahead for David Simcock with a Nunthorpe Stakes win on Margot Did for her boss, Michael Bell.

She goes to Chepstow on Wednesday to ride for Marcus Tregoning, for whom she won the Totesport Mile aboard Boom and Bust. Her rides include CAVALIERO, who has finished placed in each of his three maiden efforts so far this season. The son of Derby winner Sir Percy can finally go one better in this one mile maiden contest.

Turner looks to have another cracking ride on hat-trick seeking SWENDAB. The gelding has been very good to his followers this season, showing his resilience in game victories over the minimum trip at Windsor and Doncaster on his last two starts. He carries a 6lb penalty for his most recent win, but his win last time was cosy enough to suggest he is still ‘well in’ with the handicapper.

I always like to see horses returning to the ‘scene of their crime’ when winning a race and going on to attempt defending their crown the following year and MR WOLF aims to do this in the 6f handicap at 4.20. Mr Wolf won the race last year off a mark of 73 with Barry McHugh on board.

Coming back this year, he is off a mark of 70, with the same jockey, and some decent form with him. His last two runs over five furlongs, he finished second beaten by a neck at Pontefract, and although disappointing when a beaten favourite at the same track a week later, there looks to be more to come and could be the value selection in a trappy handicap.

Lady Bayside is another runner in a tough handicap but she loosk to be an improver and I give her a cracking shout in the 3:00 at Chepstow. The well bred filly has improved with every run this season, progressing in maidens, before being stepped up in trip in handicap company. She then reverted to a maiden and ran out a comfortable winner, keeping on well over seven furlongs. This has led to her being upped in trip to a mile, and the stronger test of stamina should definitely suit for the Chepstow specialist who, in four runs, has never been unplaced here.

2.30 Chepstow – Cavaliero (Nap)

3.00 Chepstow – Lady Bayside (Ew)

4.00 Chepstow – Swendab

4.20 Catterick – Mr Wolf (Ew)