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Timeform Daily View | Wednesday preview and tips
We provide an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Wednesday.
Three points of interest
Mud-lover Rhoscolyn has his ground at Goodwood
Rhoscolyn gained his latest success for the in-form David O’Meara at Epsom on Oaks day when bouncing back to his best to win that particular contest for a second time. That took his BHA mark over 100 – he’s never won from that high in the handicap – but he’s back down to the 97 he won from at Epsom and has plenty in his favour in Goodwood’s mile contest (14.55).
For a start, Rhoscolyn has a fine record at the track, though has had excuses on his last couple of runs there over the summer. He found the ground much too firm in the Golden Mile and then never got involved in another valuable contest, over seven furlongs there last month, when caught wide.
Last year, however, Rhoscolyn was successful in three of his four visits to the West Sussex track, including in this same race, with the ground either soft or heavy on each occasion. Therefore, the recent rain that’s fallen in that part of the world is another point very much in Rhoscolyn’s favour and he looks capable of getting the better of fellow top-weight and course-and-distance winner Thunder Ball.
Cromwell holds a strong hand in the Kerry National
The valuable Kerry National (16:20) is the highlight on the Wednesday card of Listowel’s Harvest Festival. Last year’s winner Desertmore House bids to win it again for Martin Brassil, while the likes of Joseph O’Brien, Willie Mullins, Henry de Bromhead and Gordon Elliott, all of whom have been successful in recent renewals, are represented again. There’s British interest too this year, with The Real Whacker, who contested last season’s King George and Gold Cup, near the head of the weights for Patrick Neville and Sam Twiston-Davies.
Gavin Cromwell is seeking a first win in the race but has two leading chances with Perceval Legallois and Flooring Porter. The latter is better known for his hurdling exploits and enhanced his fine record in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March when runner-up to Teahupoo in a race he’d won in 2021 and 2022. But Flooring Porter also won over fences at Cheltenham last season on his chasing debut and was Grade 1-placed later in the season. Returned to fences when never dangerous over an inadequate trip at Killarney in July, Flooring Porter is well handicapped on his hurdles form and can be expected to do better over this trip at a track where front-runners are often rewarded.
Lower down the weights, stablemate Perceval Legallois has arguably still stronger claims. Things didn’t go his way in the Galway Plate last time where he was well fancied but his jumping let him down at various stages. But he showed plenty of promise in his previous starts over fences, including when coming down at the last in the Leopardstown Handicap Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival. Let off lightly by the handicapper after that run, Perceval Legallois jumped much better at the Punchestown Festival when forcing the pace but couldn’t shake off the hugely progressive Hgranca de Thaix. He still looks well handicapped, heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings here, and looks worth another chance.
Twiston-Davies worth noting at Perth in September
Nigel Twiston-Davies rarely leaves Perth’s September meeting empty-handed. He had at least one winner at the meeting every year between 2016 and 2019, had two winners from his three runners in 2021 and last year sent just two runners, but both Uncle Bert and Awesome Foursome were successful in their respective handicap hurdles.
The in-form yard, which has had four winners and seven placed horses from its last dozen runners, has two chances on the first day of Perth’s meeting. Chief Sunday makes his debut over hurdles in the opening novice hurdle (13:20) but more interesting could be Superbolt who has his first start for the yard in the handicap hurdle (16:13) which Awesome Foursome won last year.
The four-year-old is set to carry top weight though has conditional James Turner taking 7 lb off his back. He showed some promise for Tony Martin in Ireland last winter and was well backed on his handicap debut for that yard when sent over to Musselburgh in February. Up against more exposed types, Superbolt has joined a yard in fine form and he looks interesting, especially if the betting speaks in his favour.
Tip of the Day
Statuario – 15:03 Perth
Flags: Horses For Courses, Top-Rated
Although he’s trained in the west of Wales by Peter & Michael Bowen, their useful chaser Statuario has made Perth a home from home and he can record his third win of the season at the Scottish track. Statuario was already a dual course winner as a novice in 2022 when successful at this same meeting.
A lengthy absence followed, but he got back to winning ways over this course and distance in May and followed up with a neck win over Hang In There in the Perth Gold Cup in June. Since then, Statuario has run a cracker to finish third behind Sure Touch in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen and can be excused his last run when mid-division in a big field at the Galway Festival.
Back in a smaller field at a track where he has an excellent record, Statuario heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings by 1 lb and has major claims.
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