Four eyecatchers from Chepstow to add to your My Stable tracker
By Ian Ogg
16:05 · SUN October 13, 2024
The two day 'Jump Season Opener' at Chepstow provided pointers to the weeks ahead and Ian Ogg has picked out four runners that caught his eye.
Some yards have their horses more forwards than others at this time of year and a notable example over the two days at Chepstow was the stable of Paul Nicholls.
Nicholls used to successfully target this meeting and his horses will always garner extra attention; the 12 horses he ran yielded a best of a second and three thirds and most ran as if they would benefit for their returns and a few could have featured below but it's highly unlikely that any of them will be missed.
Others like Crebilly and Flegmatik will be seen in a better light faced with more suitable tests and both made satisfactory returns in the circumstances. It was a satisfactory return from Nicholls' Isaac Des Obeaux in the Carl Pyne 60th Birthday Novices' Limited Handicap Chase and he wasn't given too hard a time after a mistake three from home.
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Destroytheevidence followed in the steps of stablemate Chianti Classico in winning the race and, like so many of Kim Bailey's, can be expected to continue to improve now chasing.
Jonjo O'Neill saddled Inch House to finish third in last year's race and that one went on to win his next two. It might be expecting too much of BEACHCOMBER to repeat the trick but he still rates as one to follow this season after this encouraging chase debut.
Described as an 'in and out' performer after winning at Huntingdon in January; he was off until finishing sixth in a competitive handicap hurdle at the Punchestown Festival in May, a run which suggests he can more than hold his own off his handicap mark back on these shores and he's, obviously, got scope for improvement.
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The race as a whole looked fairly solid with the tricky Moon Hunter rallying well - some form of headgear must be worth a try - and encouragement to be taken from the runs of Lord Snootie and Goshhowposh. I'd expect the form to work out.
The Wasdell Group Silver Handicap Trophy is a race that can usually be expected to work out well too and it should throw up a few winners once again although some may well have their attention switched to chasing from hurdling.
That was mooted as an option for Josh The Boss who started last season in a similar vein before losing his way; connections felt he was well handicapped and it will be interesting to see if he can cope with a substantially higher mark which he will no doubt have to contend with after readily accounting for the quietly progressive favourite Doyen Quest.
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Tightenyourbelts took the eye making relentless progress in the straight into sixth. Rated 140 over fences after finishing third to Hermes Allen in a Grade Two, he seemed to lose his confidence in that sphere and he wasn't a whole lot better back over hurdles either. This was an encouraging run over an inadequate trip and he's nicely handicapped over both hurdles and fences if connections have successfully sweetened him up.
A more obvious improver is fourth home LOWRY'S BAR whose jockey reported ran too free. He was fairly wide throughout on this first run since February, on the fastest ground he's encountered, and was found wanting in the straight but this rates an encouraging performance from the six-year-old who has won four of his six starts and hasn't finished winning yet.
The bumper that ended the meeting has been won by some useful sorts and Moneygarrow could be another.
Quite what the form in behind him is worth remains to be seen with Nicholls' likely looking Keel Strand easy to back and well beaten but the second and third made a race of it and there was promise in the runs of HELLO CELLO and Harry Junior too.
The latter is a half-brother to the talented Harry Senior and looks capable of making his mark over hurdles further down the line but there should be more of the here and now about Hello Cello. This was a step up on the form she showed in a mares' bumper in April and I liked the way she stuck to her task in the straight. There's a good novice hurdle programme for mares and she can be placed to advantage by Harry Fry.
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Regatta De Blanc (4/6 favourite) was one Nicholls runner that did attract support but she could only finish third in the Capital Windscreens In Memory Of Aaron James EBF Mares' 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle on Friday.
A few of these look capable, of better including the favourite and the fourth, Sanda Rena (twice a beaten favourite in three previous starts pointing to ability), and fifth, My Louise, a dual bumper winner.
The one that really caught my eye was sixth home 100/1 chance PISMO BEACH who must have been around 20 lengths behind the leaders at the first hurdle. She was slowly allowed to attach herself to the back of the field and made ground through runners in the straight before, perhaps, getting a little tired in the closing stages. She wore a red hood to post and tactics suggest connections are keen to teach her to settle which she did and she appeared to jump well in the main.
She was still in contention when falling at the last in her second Irish point but didn't pull up any trees in a Southwell bumper (attracted support) for her current connections. Modest handicaps against her own sex may be the order of the day if she can continue to learn with each outing and Stuart Edmunds can be expected to get the best out of a filly clearly has ability and is related to a number of winners but we may just have to bide our time.
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