Our man takes a look at the Foxhunters' and Mares' NH Flat Race on the opening day of the Randox Grand National Festival.
4.05 Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase
Its On The Line misses out but this still looks a potentially cracking renewal of the race which gives us the first look at the Grand National fences. Only three of those who raced alongside Its On The Line at Cheltenham are backing up with the race coming a week sooner than usually the case, though it’s been something of a trend in recent years that plenty of horses are being aimed solely at this in any case, leading to an increase in the overall standard of the race.
That’s certainly true of 2023 winner Famous Clermont who hasn’t been seen under National Hunt Rules since his win at Stratford in May of last year, though he’ll have been sharpened up by a couple of recent runs in point-to-points (successful in the second one) and the conditions will favour this strong-travelling sort.
The other pair who look to have both been laid out for this and seem likely to be suited by it are My Drogo and Lifetime Ambition. The former looked potentially top-class when he burst onto the scene as a novice hurdler in the 2020/21 season for Dan Skelton, winning all four starts including the Mersey at this meeting.
Things haven’t gone to plan with him since, but he followed up a facile point-to-point success with victory in a valuable hunter chase at Haydock in February (Famous Clermont won the same race prior to winning this), travelling and jumping as though sure to be suited by this sort of test. He’ll need to improve on the bare form of that win and the reopposing Gracchus de Balme hardly did his bit to advertise it when pulling up next time but My Drogo has the class to potentially blow his rivals away.
It's LIFETIME AMBITION who makes the most appeal from a betting perspective, however, with little to separate the trio in the market.
He brings the blend of back-class that My Drogo can boast as well as the course experience and effectiveness of Famous Clermont, jumping superbly before being taken out of the race by a loose horse in the 2023 running of the Grand National having also shaped well in the Grand Sefton earlier that season.
He’s won the last two of four starts in point-to-points since shaping best when beaten by Its On The Line at Punchestown last May and has the assistance of one of the best amateur jockeys around.
Of the three who come here having run at Cheltenham, Willitgoahead looks to hold by far the biggest chance, he actually beat Lifetime Ambition in a point during the winter and will have no trouble dropping back in trip. He’s capable of better still but is inexperienced compared to those mentioned above and it’s possible he won’t be fully over his Cheltenham exertions.
5.15 Goffs Nickel Coin Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race
The winner of the Alan Swinbank Listed event at Market Rasen has gone on to land the Nickel Coin in each of the last two years and that race again looks set to prove a good guide to the season’s most valuable bumper restricted to mares.
Kingston Queen won this year’s running of that race and seems sure to give her running once more having already made up into a reliable and gutsy performer, though it’s a couple of those she beat at Market Rasen who make more appeal here in the shape of Charisma Cat and Getawhisky.
Neither of the pair were seen to anything like best effect in that race with the former shuffled back on the inside at a crucial stage having faced kickback from churned-up ground and the latter forced to take a very wide route into the straight. Both can expected to reverse the form with Kingston Queen, Charisma Cat having been successful in another listed event at Sandown since - confirming superiority over Market Rasen third Dream Shadow.
Ben Pauling trained the winner of this race last year and his Betty’s Daisy achieved a notably high rating for a debutant winner when routing the field at Warwick in February, that came on ground Timeform described as Heavy, however, and this race is likely to prove an altogether different test.
Dysart Enos put up one of the best performances in the race’s recent history when successful in 2023 and Fergal O’Brien again holds a strong hand this time around with Strong Run, Highland Haven and Blue Betty all of some interest.
Blue Betty looked a smart prospect when winning an admittedly weak Newcastle race on her only start whereas the other two pulled clear of a fairly useful sort when coming home first and second at Warwick in February. Strong Run was the winner that day but Highland Haven arguably shaped best in coming from the rear and is 4lb better off at the weights this time around.
Jackie Hobbs has yet to taste defeat in three career starts, a point-to-point followed by mares-only bumpers at Ludlow and Ascot. There was both style and substance to the last of those in similar conditions to what she’ll face here and she looks open to further improvement.
Seo Linn heads the Timeform adjusted ratings with her win in a Cheltenham listed event in November (Strong Run beaten five lengths into third) the best piece of form on offer.
A smallish filly from a Flat family, she lacks the longer-term jumping potential of most of her rivals in this but is a very speedy sort who’s turn of foot will prove too much should the race be run at anything less than a true gallop.
She’s seemingly been kept fresh for this and is the most likely winner but HIGHLAND HAVEN is a similarly strong-travelling sort and rates a better bet at around five times the price.
Published at 1310 BST on 02/04/25
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