John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Friday.
Three points of interest
Cheveley Park newcomers ones to watch at Newbury
Newbury’s Friday card seems sure to throw up some promising horses for the season ahead, with the first four races all for unraced and/or very lightly raced types. We’re largely dealing with unknown quantities, therefore, but the Cheveley Park Stud representatives are worth a close look in both of the first two races.
John & Thady Gosden run the Churchill colt Siren Suit in the opening two-year-old maiden (13:52) where all eleven runners are making their debut. He looks a likely type on paper as he’s out of Angel’s Hideaway who was a useful two-year-old for the same connections, winning the Princess Margaret Stakes at that age before training on to finish fourth in the 1000 Guineas.
The Gosdens also have Cajole for Cheveley Park in the following Bridget Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (14:27) for unraced three-year-olds over seven furlongs. She has a top-class pedigree, being by Dubawi out of Persuasive who won her first five races for the same connections and ended her career with victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
However, Cajole runs in the distinguishing white cap while her owners’ first colours are carried by Consecrated trained by William Haggas who has won two recent editions of this race. The daughter of Frankel is a half-sister to the same connections’ Sacred, who was twice a winner over this course and distance, including in the Hungerford Stakes, and she gets the vote to make a successful debut.
Derby entries meet in valuable novice
Newbury’s valuable novice over a mile and a quarter (15:37) is another interesting race on the card and both previous winners of this contest have ended up running in the Derby. It has to be said, though, that things didn’t go well at Epsom for either Military Order, who finished last behind Auguste Rodin in 2023, or Voyage who unseated leaving the stalls in last year’s Derby. However, Military Order did go on to win the Derby Trial at Lingfield after winning this race on his reappearance and also won last year’s Winter Derby.
There’s a lot of potential on show in this year’s race and the trio who were all winners last year each hold Derby entries themselves. They include Saddadd who made a successful debut for Roger Varian at Southwell in December before running third to Godolphin’s exciting colt Opera Ballo at Kempton last time. But the pair who make most appeal both made successful debuts at Nottingham at the back end of last year.
Both Gethin for Owen Burrows and Falconer for Andrew Balding were impressive winners in heavy ground so it will be interesting to see how they handle quicker conditions here. Gethin certainly coped well in the mud, winning his race by six lengths, and while Falconer had only half a length to spare later in October, he arguably made the bigger impression, quickly cutting through the pack and then showing a good attitude to fend off odds-on favourite El Matador. Following in the footsteps of Military Order’s brother Adayar who won the same maiden before his Epsom victory the following year, Falconer earned the Timeform ‘Large P’ symbol at Nottingham and he can make a successful reappearance here on the way to a bigger Derby trial.
Skelton sending another strong team to Ayr
While Willie Mullins launches a six-strong raid on Saturday’s Scottish Grand National in another bid to secure the British trainers’ championship, current leader Dan Skelton looks like banking some crucial prize money of his own from Ayr’s Friday card. Skelton completed a hat-trick on the corresponding day last year and a similar feat is far from out of the question this time with runners in all bar the opening contest.
Ace of Spades (14:40), Nurse Susan (16:25) and Out Out (16:58) each hold strong claims in their respective handicap hurdles, while Riskintheground is another worth noting in a competitive edition of the main event on the card, the Hillhouse Quarry Handicap Chase (15:15). Skelton has a particularly good record in this contest, having won four of the last seven editions.
Riskintheground’s form took off over fences early in the season when he won four races at smaller tracks on good/good to soft ground and was then given a break over the winter. He looks to have been gradually brought to the boil again for this time of year and ran an eye-catching race from the back in a contest which favoured prominent racers at Newbury last time, finishing with running left to take fifth behind Bhaloo.
Back down to his last winning mark now, Riskintheground earned the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag for his Newbury run and heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings here by 2 lb so needs respecting in an open contest.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
