Ben Linfoot's Weights & Measures | Allart an Arkle super sub?

Allart all class on first go over fences

Allart ⬆ 9lb to 152

The most exciting performance we’ve seen in the last week came from ALLART who was hugely impressive in the Grade 2 Sky Bet Noel Novices’ Chase at Ascot last Friday.

Second home Fiddlerontheroof put in his best performance yet over fences, so much so the assessor could confidently rate the winner through the runner-up, and he remains on 148 after his fourth chasing start.

That experience might’ve caught out Allart on his fencing debut, but he was just too classy and too quick for Colin Tizzard’s charge after two sumptuous leaps at the final two obstacles helped him seal the victory.

His jumping wasn’t as spectacular early on, as he got in a bit close to the first open ditch and then he brushed through the top of the sixth before stumbling, but as the pace quickened his technique improved.

Rated 152 after one chasing start, he has enormous potential and, while the intermediate trip looks ideal for him, the way he quickened between the last two makes him a potential super sub for Shishkin, as well, in the two-mile novice chasing division.

Fifth behind that stablemate in last season’s Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, he’s one of many exciting novice chasers to come out of the race and it’s just at the back of mind that huge Sporting Life Arkle quotes about him (50s in a place, 25s in more places) might be wide of the mark purely because of the looming presence of You Know Who.

Mister puts his best foot forward

Mister Malarky ⬆ 6lb to 156
The Conditional ⬆ 3lb to 149

Talking of solid horses to rate races through, Regal Encore is a handicapper’s dream.

The 12-year-old can be a bit hit and miss elsewhere, but give him three miles at Ascot in soft ground and he always runs his race as four course and distance wins and several other good placed efforts suggest.

On Saturday he put in another sound performance in the Good Luck Hollie In SPOTY Silver Cup Handicap Chase, the omitted last probably not helping his challenge as he was held in third, five lengths clear of the fourth.

This was a good effort from the first three home, with Harry Cobden’s more positive tactics helping bring about improvement in the winner, MISTER MALARKY, who put in a career-best to land victory off 150.

Up 6lb to 156, things become tougher for him now, but he likes Kempton as well as Ascot, so perhaps we’ll get to see him try and defy what is at the moment a 9lb higher mark than when he won last season’s Betway Handicap Chase at the Sunbury track in February.

Runner-up THE CONDITIONAL is up 3lb to 149 and he travelled strongly, again suggesting he’s got another big one in him after his win in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival. It could be the Grand National, for which he’s a best of 33s, although he has no experience of the Aintree fences.

Everglow looks well treated off 126

Everglow new rating at 126

EVERGLOW gets a rating of 126 after his third run over timber, which resulted in a comfortable victory in the Sky Bet Money Back As Cash Maiden Hurdle at Ascot on Friday.

Philip Hobbs’ five-year-old novice didn’t have to improve on his Chepstow second to get the job done under Richard Johnson, and perhaps that’s one reason for his lowly mark, while he was untidy over the last and ran about a bit on the run-in, as well.

However, they didn’t go quick in this and I thought he did well to pull away from them considering how this small-field affair was run, so he could be seen in a much better light if switched to handicaps.

I look at that Chepstow second, where he was runner-up to the now 147-rated Star Gate and five lengths ahead of the now 127-rated Royal Pretender, and feel he’s done quite well to get a mark of 126, so it will be interesting to see if Hobbs tries to exploit it.

The Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle at Kempton in January over 2m5f could be ideal and Hobbs has run novices in it before, with Hello George and Larkbarrow Lad springing to mind.

Both ran well without winning, but neither was as well handicapped as I think this horse might be.

Cheddleton heads Haydock highlights

Cheddleton ⬆ 11lb to 149
Albert’s Back ⬆ 8lb to 141
Queenohearts ⬆ 5lb to 137

There were some notable performances at Haydock on Saturday with CHEDDLETON extending his good run since switching to fences in the Betfair Racing Only Bettor Podcast Novices’ Chase.

He did seem to handle the heavy ground better than his opponents on Saturday, but he jumped really well and is clearly going the right way at the tender age of five.

It could be the Kingmaker at Warwick next for him, a race Tom George’s Majala won in 2013 having graduated from this same Haydock novice, and he could meet Dan Skelton’s Allmankind there who is only considered his superior by 4lb.

Cheddleton is yet to run in a handicap – and I’m not sure I’d back him in one off 149 – but it will be interesting to see how he gets on if he does tackle an out-and-out two-miler in Allmankind as he shapes as though he’ll be even better over further.

ALBERT’S BACK hosed up in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle as he improved a bundle for the step up to 2m3f in conditions he likes.

Bumped up to a hurdles mark of 141, he’s rated 13lb lower over fences and Mick Easterby will likely try and exploit that rating at some point over the same sort of distance when the mud is flying.

Finally, QUEENOHEARTS ran a blinder to win the Listen To Paul Nicholls On Betting.Betfair Handicap Hurdle on her first run for 646 days for trainer Stuart Edmunds.

She beat a well-treated course specialist in Clyne on what was her first ever go at three miles and there could be plenty more to come from her over this sort of trip.

I’m sure she’ll be given time to get over this, but a 5lb rise might not be enough to stop her following up as she remains highly unexposed and has got guts to go along with her obvious talents.

This Week's BHA Major Amendments (December 22)

Albert’s Back ⬆ 8lb to 141
Allart ⬆ 9lb to 152
Bennys King ⬆ 7lb to 154
Cheddleton ⬆ 11lb to 149
Chti Balko ⬆ 6lb to 141
Cobolobo ⬆ 8lb to 136
Dashel Drasher ⬆ 9lb to 152
Editeur Du Gite ⬆ 1lb to 126
Enzo d’Airy ⬆ 8lb to 130
Equus Millar ⬆ 5lb to 122
Everglow new rating at 126
Mister Malarky ⬆ 6lb to 156
My Drogo new rating at 140
Nada To Prada ⬆ 14lb to 132
Not So Sleepy ⬆ 7lb to 149
Paisley Park ↔ stays on 165
Queenohearts ⬆ 5lb to 137
Sam’s Adventure ⬆ 6lb to 139
Sojourn ⬆ 2lb to 142
St Barts ⬆ 9lb to 137
The Conditional ⬆ 3lb to 149
Thyme Hill ⬆ 2lb to 162

Previous Weights & Measures

• Quality Street up a stone (December 15)
• Brave could break Nicholls' duck (December 1)
• Long Walk glory for Main attraction? (November 24)
• Coole Cody up 6lb for Paddy Power win (November 17)

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