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Timeform Daily View | Wednesday preview and tips
John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Wednesday.
Three points of interest
Nicholls and Cobden can get back to business at Ludlow
Paul Nicholls has had 20 winners in the current jumps season and is currently eighth in the trainers’ championship which is led by Dan Skelton. But with just 70 runners, a lot fewer than all the other trainers currently ahead of him in the table, Nicholls has been merely ticking over in the early months of the season. In August, for example, Nicholls had just nine runners. Three of those won, with Lallygag’s win at Newton Abbot on the last day of the month being the stable’s last winner, while Nicholls had just six runners in the whole of last month.
But with the core jumps season about to begin, things are about to get considerably busier at Ditcheat judging from the yard’s numerous entries in the coming days. First into battle will be Rickety Bridge in the novice hurdle at Ludlow (15:05). As well as being Nicholls’ first runner since September 24th, Rickety Bridge will also be the first ride for the yard for champion jockey Harry Cobden since he injured his knee in a fall in July. Cobden has been successful in two of his three rides since his return at Warwick last week.
Rickety Bridge, who’s out of a half-sister to one of his stable’s greats Big Buck’s, was fairly useful in bumpers and made a successful debut over hurdles under Cobden at Southwell in March in testing conditions. In what should boil down to a two-horse race, he can make the most of the weight he receives from Skelton’s runner Mostly Sunny who was let down by his jumping last time.
Million-guinea colt bids to make it third time lucky at Nottingham
Oath was the last of Sir Henry Cecil’s four Derby winners when successful at Epsom in 1999. Beaten on his first two starts, he had got off the mark at the third attempt in a maiden at Nottingham on his final outing at two and is remembered in the British EBF Future Stayers Oath Novice Stakes (15:15) for two-year-olds.
Like Oath, Godolphin’s Royal Officer will be trying to make it third time lucky in a race that’s restricted to horses whose sires or dams won over at least a mile and a quarter. Royal Officer made headlines even before he’d raced as he was the last unraced horse by Galileo to go through the sale ring when sent to the Craven Breeze-Up Sale at Newmarket in April. He naturally attracted plenty of interest, with Godolphin making the winning bid at a million guineas.
Royal Officer is yet to live up to his price-tag but returns from a break and the mile on testing going can be expected to suit him much better than his two runs in the summer which came over seven furlongs on good ground at Sandown and Newmarket. He showed promise on his debut at Sandown but proved disappointing at Newmarket in a race won by Field of Gold, a good fourth in Group 1 company at Longchamp on Sunday. Royal Officer’s main threat could come from Holborn, a newcomer representing Arc-winning trainer and jockey Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan. He’s out of a useful sister to Oaks winners Minding and Tuesday.
Mountain can Chalk up another win at Kempton
Chalk Mountain has been enjoying an excellent run of form on the all-weather tracks in recent weeks and goes for a four-timer in the seven-furlong handicap at Kempton (19:15). The strong-travelling grey, an all-weather specialist, has won five times in all for Stuart Kittow, successful each time for Rob Hornby.
After three runs on turf earlier in the year, Chalk Mountain began his current winning streak when returned to the all-weather at Southwell in early-September and promptly followed up with a ready success under a penalty at Wolverhampton six days later. He completed his hat-trick at Kempton a week ago in the style of one who should have plenty more to offer, quickening to lead inside the final furlong to beat Thapa VC by a length and a quarter in a race whose form looks rock solid.
Topping the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings by 2 lb, Chalk Mountain can defy another penalty and make it four on the bounce.
Tip of the Day
Pique’ – 14:45 Nottingham
Flags: Hot Trainer, Top-Rated
Pique’ goes into this fillies’ handicap with a string of second places to her name but the stoutly-bred daughter of Nathaniel has been doing nothing wrong of late. She’s been a model of consistency in handicaps over a mile and a half for James Fanshawe, in fact, since getting off the mark in a fillies’ contest at Leicester in May.
With her usual hood left off, she proved no match for big improver Galactic Charm at Newmarket on her penultimate start and went close on her latest start back against her own sex at Yarmouth. On that occasion she finished strongly from an unpromising position to be beaten a neck by Sir Mark’s Prescott’s useful filly Overture who completed a four-timer but whose jockey was nearly guilty of taking things too easily in front.
Out of a mare who was second in the Lillie Langtry Stakes over a mile and three quarters and a half-sister to winners at that trip, the extra two furlongs here should help Pique’, who tops the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, get her head back in front.
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