Paddock Notes from Ascot, Kempton and Newbury including Leader In The Park

BRAVE KINGDOM (Newbury 28/12/24, 3¼m handicap chase)

There was plenty to like about Brave Kingdom's first start of the campaign, even though he failed to last home in the Mandarin, ending up third of the six finishers, beaten the best part of 20 lengths. Lack of an outing – he was last seen being pulled up in the Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot – or lack of stamina over the longest trip he's tackled or just over-exuberance might all have been factors in how far he was beaten.

Having taken a keen hold, Brave Kingdom was in front by the fifth and jumped for fun over Newbury's stiff fences. Turning for home with four to jump, he had his remaining rivals mostly at full stretch. However, he began to tire and had nothing left once headed three from home.

Brave Kingdom was making just his fourth start over fences. He's a grand chasing type and likely to have more to offer with this under his belt. His trainer Paul Nicholls is sure to have a race in mind for him. Perhaps it is the three-mile premier handicap that features on Kempton's card at the end of February. That sort of test really ought to play to the horse's strengths.

CHATTY GIRL (Newbury, 18/12/24, 2m fillies junior bumper)

A strong headwind in the straight on top of holding ground made for quite a slog during the afternoon at Newbury's pre-Christmas meeting. And the conditions worked to the advantage of Chatty Girl in the fillies bumper. She'd made the running, but others were going better than her for much of the straight. However, she kept on gamely and regained the lead in the last 100 yards.

Chatty Girl was the clear pick of the field on looks, a good-topped filly and the biggest in the line-up. She's got quite an appealing pedigree too, being by the dual Derby winner Harzand out of an eleven-furlong winner by Poliglote.

Although there was a smaller field than usual for the Newbury race, the form looks up to standard and a run for Chatty Girl at a higher level is on the cards. It may take her a while to get over her exertions and it's a relief she's not in the listed bumper at Cheltenham on New Year's day. However, the Alan Swinbank at Market Rasen next month, for fillies and mares, could be a good option, if she's recovered.

COUNTRY PARK (Ascot, 20/12/24, 2¾m maiden hurdle)

Country Park hasn't yet made much of a return on the £150,000 he cost after winning his only start in an Irish point. He started the year with a flop at odds-on in a bumper at Southwell and he's yet to win a race in five starts over hurdles. However, he's been making steady progress and was running his best race yet when he fell two out at Ascot.

At that stage, Country Park was still going well, as well as anything, as odds in-running of 2.00 might suggest. That he had made ground smoothly from off the pace in a steadily-run race dominated by those ridden close to the pace, is another pointer in his favour. It couldn't be said for definite he would have won, but he was going like the winner.

Country Park is a tall, good-topped gelding, very much a chaser on looks, a typical son of Walk In The Park in that regard. It might be that he'll need to get his confidence back next time, before he gets back on an upward curve, but he looks the type to win a race or two in the medium- to longer-term.

DOCTOR BLUE (Ascot, 20/12/24, 2m listed bumper)

Windbeneathmywings produced a performance of rare quality in running away with the listed bumper at Ascot's Christmas meeting, a race that is traditionally one of the strongest British bumpers prior to Cheltenham. He ran to a figure good enough to make the frame in an average Champion Bumper. However, for the notebook, from the paddock, one with less obvious claims is Doctor Blue.

Doctor Blue has a good French pedigree, full of winners, and he has the physique to go with it – he's a well-made, good sort. His pedigree suggests he ought to be relatively speedy for a jumper and that was how he looked in landing a gamble at Taunton on his debut. He overcame various troubles in running by finding a good turn of foot to lead late on.

With that experience under his belt, he was ridden closer to the pace at Ascot, tracking the eventual winner. He travelled smoothly, but couldn't go with Windbeneathmywings early in the straight and was run out of second late on. Doctor Blue is good enough to win an ordinary bumper under a penalty, but it might be better to crack on with hurdling, his ultimate destiny being over fences.

HANSARD (Kempton 27/12/24, 2m handicap hurdle)

The handicap hurdle that closed the two-day King George meeting probably isn't that strong a piece of form, but it featured a highly promising return by the topweight Hansard, who had not been seen since running a creditable fifth to Luccia in the valuable handicap hurdle at Ascot's Christmas meeting twelve months previously.

Beforehand, Hansard looked to be carrying condition and was geed up. His performance mirrored that appearance. He travelled well held up and loomed into contention early in the straight. However, he fluffed the second-last and couldn't sustain his effort. He finished fourth to Ooh Betty, beaten 4½ lengths.

This was just Hansard's third run in a handicap hurdle. His first had seen him win the Gerry Feilden at Newbury. It would be no surprise if connections have a return to that track in mind for him, with the Betfair Hurdle the obvious option if he comes out of this well.

KOAPEY (Newbury 28/12/24, 2m introductory hurdle)

Rather like Hester in The Scarlet Letter, horses that wear the dreaded red hood in the preliminaries probably ought to carry a letter on them, denoting headstrong (H?) or edgy (E?). There's not much evidence from my observations that they serve any useful purpose other than identifying horses that will either pull too hard or get worked up.

Not that that means the crimson clad can't win. Indeed, the athletic-looking Koapey, who sported a red hood beforehand, might well have won Newbury's introductory hurdle with a little more measured a ride. Koapey went off with great gusto, jumping well in the main, and further extended his clear lead on the home turn.

However, he was paddling coming to the last and weakened once headed by the patiently-ridden Peso entering the last furlong, all out to hold second. Koapey would seem an ideal type to send straight handicapping. A sharp track where jumping counts (Ludlow?) would be ideal.

LEADER IN THE PARK (Kempton 26/12/24, 2½m novice handicap chase)

There's every chance the progeny of Walk In The Park get more mentions in these paddock columns than those of any other sire, given how many of them there are and how many of them look every inch a useful chasing type in the making. That was certainly the case with the well-made Leader In The Park last season, when he was hurdling.

Leader In The Park had taken to jumping well enough on his debut over fences at Cheltenham's November meeting. However, he failed to see the race out, in hindsight perhaps just needing the run. At Kempton on Boxing day, he was a different proposition, racing with enthusiasm and jumping well, if left at times, before finding extra to see off the challenge of the favourite Asta La Plasta.

Leader In The Park has plenty more to offer as a chaser. He will be suited by a return to a left-handed track. He may well be up to graded company by the spring, but for now the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase on Trials day at Cheltenham next month could be a race that plays to his strengths.

NAP HAND (Kempton 26/12/24, 2m maiden hurdle)

The valuable maiden hurdle, formerly a novice, at Kempton on Boxing day, is often an informative race, with a useful sort coming to the fore. Whether this year's running is up to the usual standard is questionable, but the useful Flat recruit Nap Hand caught the eye on his first try over timber.

Nap Hand looked short of experience and wasn't well positioned the way the race developed, However, he travelled smoothly and was spared a hard race, pushed along briefly before a novicey jump two out ended his chance.

His pedigree and record on the Flat suggest Nap Hand may well want a speedy two miles to be seen to best advantage over hurdles. He's sure to improve on his first run, perhaps significantly so, and a novice or maiden should come his way before he switches to handicaps.

RUKAANA (Newbury 18/12/24, 2m juvenile hurdle)

Rukaana was sent off at long odds on his second start over hurdles, having run to just a modest level at the first attempt. In form terms he failed to improve on that effort, but there was more encouragement in the performance than the bare result indicates.

Rukaana, under a patient ride, travelled sweetly and had yet to be asked for his effort when he was badly hampered at the second-last. Without that he would have finished a fair bit closer, likely to have made the frame. As it is, he finished fifth and will need another run before he can qualify for a handicap mark.

Rukaana isn't bred for jumping, but he has the physique for it – he's a strong gelding, one of the picks of this field on looks – and is likely to be capable of reaching a similar level to that he showed on the Flat once things fully click. His two runs so far have been on soft ground, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he's suited by less testing conditions, given his Flat record and his pedigree.

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