John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Monday.
Three points of interest
Coltherd pair of course winners have good chances at Kelso
Stuart Coltherd trains at Selkirk in the Scottish Borders only twenty miles or so from Kelso where he has good chances with both his runners in the two handicap chases at his local track. Not surprisingly, Coltherd has had more winners at his local track than at any other course in the last five seasons and has notched four successes there so far this term.
Flash du Pistolet is one of those course winners and he can complete a hat-trick in the two and a half mile contest at 14:45. It took him several attempts before he opened his account in a novices’ handicap at Newcastle early last month when making all and he followed up over a shorter trip but in a better-grade contest at Kelso later in March. Jumping soundly, Flash du Pistolet drew clear going to the last and came home nine lengths clear of Escapeandevade last time, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag. Taking on mostly older rivals again here, he can complete a hat-trick back up in trip.
Flash du Pistolet’s jockey Ross Chapman then rides stablemate Breakdance Kid in the following contest over just short of three miles (15:15). Gordon Elliott’s mare Music of Tara and Lucinda Russell’s recent course winner Cadell share top weight here but Breakdance Kid looks interesting getting plenty of weight from those two, especially with conditions drying out. He too was one of his yard’s course winners this term when successful in November and he returned to form at Carlisle last month with the stable going better again, finishing third to Red Happy in one of the Go North Finals. He needs considering off the same mark as last time.
2000 Guineas entry looks hard to beat at Redcar
Much the most interesting runner at Redcar’s first meeting of the year if his big-race entries are anything to go by is Karl Burke’s colt Convergent. He’ll be a short price to take his record to two out of two in the novice (15:57) where he boasts much the best form, and probably most potential, in an otherwise weak-looking contest.
A brother to the same connections’ useful filly Molten Rock who was runner-up in a Group 3 contest in Germany last year and out of a half-sister to the Melrose Handicap winner Dark Crusader, Convergent is clearly held in some regard as he holds entries in the 2000 Guineas and Dante in the next month or so.
Convergent certainly made a promising start to his career in the autumn, winning the same novice over Redcar’s straight mile that his sister had also won on her debut twelve months earlier. It took him a while to find full stride but he stayed on to lead in the final hundred yards and won going away by a length and a half from another newcomer Cloth of Gold with the rest well strung out. Convergent is bred to be well suited by the extra two furlongs and it will be interesting to see how his career develops after gaining a bit more experience here first.
New recruit can be another first-time-out winner for Menuisier
David Menuisier had a couple of winners at the end of March at Wolverhampton and Doncaster who were having their first run of the year so it could be worth siding with La Fleur Petrus who will be making her first start for the stable in the seven-furlong handicap at Kempton (19:00) where she heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.
The US-bred four-year-old, who has done all her racing on all-weather tracks, is much less exposed than most of her rivals so has the potential for further improvement. Formerly trained by Charlie Johnston, she won a maiden at Southwell early last year and was then arguably unlucky not to follow up after an absence when finishing a close fourth in a handicap at Wolverhampton in October after coming from further back than ideal.
A free-going filly who retains the hood she wore for her last two runs last year, La Fleur Petrus joined current connections for 20,000 guineas at the Horses In Training Sale. Her new trainer calls on fellow Frenchman Enzo Crublet to do the steering. The apprentice has had only a handful of rides in Britain this spring for Menuisier but with more than 90 winners to his name in France he is very close to losing his 3 lb claim.
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