Timeform Daily View | Monday preview and tips

By Nic Doggett

Horse Racing

Sun November 17, 2024 · 2h ago

Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Monday.

Three points of interest

Leicester to the rescue

There was much discussion on Sunday around the lacklustre state of maiden hurdles in the country at the moment, brought to the fore by the uninspiring turnout for the opening race on Cheltenham’s Greatwood Hurdle card.

That two-mile contest attracted just four runners, and though the finish was exciting, it paled into insignificance when compared to the fayre on offer over at Navan.

Thankfully, Leicester rides to the rescue on Monday with a much more interesting maiden hurdle, the race itself a good advert for the venue as the Annual Membership @LeicesterRaces Great Christmas Present Maiden Hurdle, due off at 1.40.

The race could go the way of Timeform ‘Horse In Focus’ Woodland Park, who lost no caste in defeat when going down narrowly (when a half-length second of 10 to I Wish You) in a novice event on his hurdles debut at Carlisle.

He seemingly has a bright future (from the family of the smart three-mile chaser Thunder And Roses so should progress well) and with his yard in good form he could prove too strong (on this occasion) for the exciting pair of Jakar du Moulin and Western Harmony.

Jakar du Moulin won a four-runner Irish point-to-point in February and was sold at Cheltenham that month for £175,000, while Western Harmony also changed hands after winning between the flags in Ireland, fetching £115,000 at the Doncaster sales in May 2023.

Battle of the ‘Horse In Focus’ runners

Later on the East Midlands card, the closing Next Meeting @LeicesterRaces Sunday 1st December Handicap Hurdle (3.40) sees the battle of the Timeform ‘Horse In Focus’ runners, as Dominic's Fault and Wise Guy go head-to-head.

Dominic’s Fault –whose stable has the Timeform ‘Hot Trainer’ symbol at present - was just worried out of it when returning to action on his handicap debut at Carlisle (probably should have won when a short-head second to Kilbrainy who has run well in defeat since).

There should be better to come from this unexposed seven-year-old who is closely related to two winners, including the smart hurdler/fairly useful chaser Midnight Game.

Meanwhile, Wise Guy showed more than his finishing position would suggest last time. He was much better than the result when 11¾ lengths eighth to To Chase A Dream, looming up early in the straight before weakening approaching the last, and is the big danger.

Hopefully it’s more of a thriller than the weekend’s boxing match...

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Sliding Doors moment at Plumpton

Small fields and short-priced favourites are the order of the day on Monday, most notably at Exeter, but over at Plumpton there’s something of a Sliding Doors moment in the Southern Cranes & Access Ltd Novices' Limited Handicap Chase due off at 1.50.

Tom Cannon rode Sea Invasion on that horse’s hurdling debut at Cheltenham a year ago when the horse was trained by Chris Gordon, but won’t ride him on his chasing debut here (for new trainer Anthony Honeyball) as he is contracted to ride Menaggio for his boss Alan King.

An impressive winner for Cannon over C&D last month, albeit only beating two rivals, Menaggio hails from a yard operating at a significantly higher strike with its jumpers than last season and he seems sure to go on to better things as a chaser.

Cannon himself won this race in 2021 for Gordon - with this year’s Great Yorkshire Chase winner Annual Invictus – while Paul Nicholls won it last year with Brave Kingdom and saddles Inca de Lafayette 12 months on.

The only horse with no obvious link to this spider’s web is the Emma Lavelle-trained Everyonesgame, but with handicap mark, trip, and ground to suit for his chasing bow, he wouldn’t be one to rule out either.

A puzzle indeed.

Tip of the Day

Tiny Tetley – 14:00 Exeter

Flags: Top Rated, Hot Trainer

The Philip Hobbs and Johnson White stable is going well so Tiny Tetley - who tops Timeform weight-adjusted ratings - gets the vote to make a winning reappearance under a rider who has made a big splash in the conditional ranks this autumn.

Fresh from a high-profile success in the big handicap chase at Wincanton, Callum Pritchard is able to take 7 lb off the back of the top-weight who made most when winning at the course last March.

The Timeform pace prediction is ‘very weak’ which suggests that similar tactics could prove fruitful once more.

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