John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Thursday.
Three points of interest
Marie’s Rock star of the show at Bath
It’s Cheltenham Festival-winning hurdler Marie’s Rock who is the big name in action at Bath as she contests the Beckford Stakes (15:10), a listed contest for fillies and mares over a mile and three quarters. The nine-year-old has won eight times over hurdles for Nicky Henderson, and besides winning the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2022, followed up with another Grade 1 win in the Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown later that spring. Her latest success came in a Grade 2 contest at Doncaster in January.
Marie’s Rock began her career by winning a bumper at Ffos Las but it wasn’t until May of this year that she made her belated Flat debut in the Bronte Cup at York. She was left with a lot do the way the race panned out but showed useful form in finishing a never-nearer fifth behind some smart mares headed by the subsequent Lillie Langtry Stakes winner Term of Endearment.
That effort makes Marie’s Rock the top rated on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings but she’s more than twice the age of all her rivals and could have her work cut out against the likes of Fairy Glen, who was beaten a short head in a similar event at Longchamp last time and Lmay who was runner-up in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot, though both of those need to prove themselves in likely testing conditions.
Well-bred Spun To Gold an interesting recruit for Jim Goldie
It’s doubtful there’s a better-bred horse in Jim Goldie’s yard than his new recruit Spun To Gold who makes his debut for the stable in the seven-furlong handicap at Ayr (16:00). He’s by City of Troy’s sire, the US Triple Crown winner Justify, and out of Rumplestiltskin, the top two-year-old filly of her year whose wins for Aidan O’Brien included the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Prix Marcel Boussac. Not surprisingly, therefore, Spun To Gold proved an expensive breeze-up purchase in France where he was bought to join Andrew Balding’s stable for €200,000.
Spun To Gold bumped into some good horses at two, contesting races won by Qirat and Ghostwriter on his first two starts, but got off the mark at Chelmsford on his third attempt. The placed horses from that race have both won handicaps off marks in the 80s this season, while Spun To Gold appears here on a BHA mark of 76.
He made the frame in three of his four starts in handicaps in the first half of the year before joining his new yard for £36,000 and has also been gelded since his last start in June. Recent Newcastle winner Maxi Boy looks the one to beat as he goes unpenalised for that success, but it will be interesting to see what the market makes of Goldie’s new recruit, with the stable also represented by course-and-distance winner Yaaser.
Flat debut for useful hurdler Jetara at Thurles
Marie’s Rock isn’t the only talented hurdling mare running on the Flat today. Jetara switches codes for Jessica Harrington for the first time in the Horse & Jockey Maiden (16:50) over two miles at Thurles. The six-year-old showed useful form over hurdles last season, running up a hat-trick that culminated in a win in a Grade 3 mares’ hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting. Jetara went on to be placed in Grade 1 company in her three remaining starts, most notably chasing home the season’s top novice hurdler Ballyburn in the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
Jetara comes from a family that her trainer knows very well and with which she has enjoyed top level success, notably with 2014 Champion Hurdle winner Jezki who is a full brother to Jetara’s dam. Three-year-olds Double Agent and Soul of Spain have shown a fairly useful level of form for Aidan and Joseph O’Brien respectively, but both are trying a new trip here and if Jetara can replicate her hurdles form on her first Flat start she's would be hard to beat.
Tip of the Day
Silver Nightfall – 19:45 Chelmsford
Flags: Horse In Focus, Top-Rated
Jim & Suzi Best’s four-year-old Silver Nightfall looks capable of giving weight to all her younger rivals in this fillies’ handicap over a mile. Successful three times on the all-weather last year when trained by Gay Kelleway, Silver Nightfall has been shaping as though her first success for her current stable isn’t far away.
Placed in her last three starts, and fitted with a visor for the last two which she wears again here, Silver Nightfall went very close at Lingfield two starts ago when caught only on the post to be beaten a nose. She also shaped well in an amateurs race over a mile and a quarter at this track five days later when likely to have made a real race of it with winner Speriamo had she got a better run. After being shuffled back and forced to switch when getting no room on the inner, she ran on for third though was awarded second by the stewards when the runner-up was demoted.
Silver Nightfall is on a winning mark, 3 lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, and looks ready to capitalise this time.
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