Jumpers Notebook

Well well, the best part of racing is well and truly coming back. I have four for the season to follow, progressive handicapper types.

Bold Endeavour - He started off well over fences before disappointing in the Reynoldstown when he stopped way too quickly for that to be his true running. He got back on track in the Coral Cup when finishing fifth though. He went widest throughout that day, so I thought this was a very good run.

He backed this up with two excellent second placings in handicap hurdles. I see on Nicky Henderson's stable tour he might switch him back to fences this season as the priority, knowing he could always go back to hurdles if need be. He's rated 145 over fences, so he'll need to improve again to be competitive in good handicap chases, but I fancy he can improve, as a second season chaser. When watching him last season, bar the poor run in the Reynoldstown, I thought there was a lot to like about his attitude.

Opening Bid - A really improved chaser from Chris Down's yard. I backed him when he was second the other day. He then ran a few days later without me realising, albeit at very short odds, and absolutely hacked up. A sign of a rapidly improving horse or maybe just a horse in really good form. I can see him stepping up in grade over the winter and taking it in his stride. There's more class three's or even a class two in time with this horse.

Aramax - This horse won the Boodles Hurdle when trained by Gordon Elliott as a four year old in 2020. He went off the boil after that, but his form has picked up lately. He could be a force to be reckoned with this season in staying handicap hurdles off this type of mark, now with the Ben Haslam team training him for JP McManus. I am hoping he might pick up a big three mile handicap hurdle sometime this winter or next spring.

Off To A Flyer - He beat the aforementioned Aramax before Aramax went on to win a couple of races on the bounce. So my thinking looking at Off To A Flyer's profile, is if I'm right about Aramax, then it might also be wise to follow this unexposed Joe Tizzard horse off a really exploitable looking rating of 120.
 
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jinnyj said:
El Elefante........Damn I missed this as I was coming back from holiday on this date. I may have flagged her up last season as I watched her go through the sales ring at Cheltenham in January and was really taken with her. I then spotted she was related to a pointer I used to ride called El Hombre Del Rio. LR was advertising shares for her on Facebook and if I’d had the money I would have definitely bought in. She’s a beautiful mare and they think a lot of her.
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Dan has got Coco Mademoiselle who beat El Elefante in her point. He loves her to bits and I'd say both are worth following this season.
 
JPR One was the outsider of three today, but they were all decent animals. Jumped very sharply and put the race to bed with powerful surge after the third last. I thought he had class last season and was keen to see him over fences (he had schooled brilliantly, evidently), but he pulled a muscle and they decided to preserve his novice status for this season. He is a good one, I think.
 
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barjon said:
JPR One was the outsider of three today, but they were all decent animals. Jumped very sharply and put the race to bed with powerful surge after the third last. I thought he had class last season and was keen to see him over fences (he had schooled brilliantly, evidently), but he pulled a muscle and they decided to preserve his novice status for this season. He is a good one, I think.
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Fully agree and he went straight into the tracker after today.
 
BACK ON THE LASH - (Exeter, 15:00)
bet365 Bet now 8/1
Race:
Paul Ferguson's Jumpers To Follow Best Mate Chase Handicap Chase
Your comment:
#3
timeform
Struck again over the cross country fences at Cheltenham in January. Struggled at the Festival there and Grand National at Aintree since but on winning mark back down in class on return
 
barjon said:
BACK ON THE LASH - (Exeter, 15:00)
bet365 Bet now 8/1
Race:
Paul Ferguson's Jumpers To Follow Best Mate Chase Handicap Chase
Your comment:
#3
timeform
Struck again over the cross country fences at Cheltenham in January. Struggled at the Festival there and Grand National at Aintree since but on winning mark back down in class on return
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Pulled Up

Running Balance: -1
 
It was far too soft for Backy at Exeter. I'll make a guess they only let him go to be on point for the three and a half miler at Cheltenham mid Nov. He's a fighter, would likely have been hating it but still had enough to be hanging on 3 or 4 out, and even made ground at one point.

But MK will want good ground.

Northern Poet also would want good ground. Nick Gifford rates him. Ignore the P, although has to prove he's really up to higher than good quality Class 4.

The performance of Lounge Lizard bodes well for Daly's season. Supreme Gift (out tomorrow I think), Moon Hunter (Friday, but two and a half, prob wants 3m), Rapper is only 9 still, Bowenspark out soon over 2 miles, with luck will be a fairly typical Daly 'wait for two and a half' hurdler.
 
I liked the run of Thelasthighking at Kempton last Sunday. He was detached early on and he knifed through the field in the back straight and if anything his jockey went too soon for the win. He and Corrigeen Rock pulled clear of the third and I expect both to have good seasons. Thelasthighking is also very big through the shoulder which I always like in a chaser.
 
Runner tomorrow:

GIOVINCO - (Carlisle, 15:55)
bet365 Bet now 5/6
Race:
Download The Rhino.Bet App Novices' Chase (GBB Race)
Your comment:
#16, 23
timeform
Winning pointer who upped his game significantly when taking 6-runner listed hurdle at Perth (23.9f, good to soft, 10/1) in April. Big player on chasing bow.

Unseated

Running Balance: -2
 
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Tomorrow:

EL ELEFANTE - (Cheltenham, 14:45)
bet365 Bet now 5/2
Race:
TrustATrader Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)
Your comment:
#1, 25
timeform
Runner-up sole start in Irish points and fairly useful form when making all both bumper outings. Could hardly have been more impressive switched to hurdling when thrashing 3 previous winners at Perth (20.2f) last month and seems sure to go on to better things
 
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jinnyj said:
My girl!! :<3:
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Got a tad found out in the tougher company, jj.

5th/9 7/2. El Elefante, an easy winner at Perth, likely ran up to that form in this considerably warmer race. She finished one place better than her stablemate Apple Away did in this race last season, and that mare went on to win a Group1.RP

Running Balance: -3
 
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Yes I was going to post a similar thought. She’s not over big either looking at her in running. I think she’s a fair animal but may be better off in mares races possibly. Winner was really impressive though?
 
“The biggest horse I’ve ever trained”, says Nicholls of Inthewaterside who has a big reputation to match. He gave Havlin a torrid time trying to keep (get) him settled and then had to work a lot harder than an odds-on favourite should at Aintree today, but without the head away second it would have been easy peasy. That second was Jagwar who made an impressive move to head the winner slightly before hanging a bit and getting edged out of it - first run over here from France. I think both of them are worth a mention.
 
barjon said:
“The biggest horse I’ve ever trained”, says Nicholls of Inthewaterside who has a big reputation to match. He gave Havlin a torrid time trying to keep (get) him settled and then had to work a lot harder than an odds-on favourite should at Aintree today, but without the head away second it would have been easy peasy. That second was Jagwar who made an impressive move to head the winner slightly before hanging a bit and getting edged out of it - first run over here from France. I think both of them are worth a mention.
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Two nice horses. They went an absolute crawl and both will be seen in a better light in a more truly run race. Nicholls told McNeil - when he put the winner away last season - that he’d be winning races like the Challow this year.
 
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Fairly impressed by the run of Master Chewy yesterday. He may only have beaten trees but did it nicely enough and the time was the nearest to RP standard for the day (obviously not a good comparator as there was no other 2m chase) but he's one I'll be keeping an eye on.
 
Running tomorrow - best of luck, guys :)

THE KING OF RYHOPE - (Chepstow, 15:15)
bet365 Bet now 4/1
Race:
Join The Vickers Customer Racing Club Handicap Chase
Your comment:
#3
timeform
Successful sole outing in Irish points in 2020 and off the mark at second attempt over hurdles at Exeter in February. Runner-up in a Haydock Grade 2 novice later that month and, though rather disappointing on final start of last term, he's one to be interested in now tackling fences.
 
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Not the easiest start, there are 4 or 5 + that could be useful. Good luck Spectre. A good run here should line him up nicely for the season, for sure. Interesting race in prospect.
 
Don't miss the Chepstow bumper today. No less that 4 Black Sam Bellamy's in one bumper (possibly the last season to see BSB runners in bumpers, and 4 in one race is unheard of in my memory), and two Walk In the Park's, and a few others that could be anything.

There's a good enough chance that PN's Captain Bellamy won't be quite ready (though he might, clearly).

Honeyball's Dartmoor Pirate ran in the Newbury Spring Sales. They'd lined up Crest Of Glory to win that for over a year prior to the race (one of the most impressive bumper winners I've ever seen - sends shivers). So, the signs are they wouldn't have expected a winning performance from DP there. Ran well, and without COG in the race was respectably close enough at the finish. Should be sharper/stronger today though and first 4 seems a highly achievable outcome.

David Pipe's Itseemslikeit got withdrawn from the Cheltenham bumper last Saturday. DP introduced Moon Racer in what looks to be the rough equivalent of that race close on 10 years ago. MR only had one subsequent season start, winning the Champion in March (go watch it, magic). Word from the yard is they like him but he might not be quite up to this FTO, but certainly no surprise if he was.

Matt Sheppard's BSB filly Olivia Kate surely can't cope with this field on a first run, but a nice enough run beaten 30 lengths + could still see her win a weaker bumper at a massive price in the next year.

6+ others might be useful, but Sam Thomas's 120,000 G Walk in the Hills should be interesting to watch.

A race that will hopefully throw up plenty of winners in the years ahead.
 
barjon said:
Running tomorrow - best of luck, guys :)

THE KING OF RYHOPE - (Chepstow, 15:15)
bet365 Bet now 4/1
Race:
Join The Vickers Customer Racing Club Handicap Chase
Your comment:
#3
timeform
Successful sole outing in Irish points in 2020 and off the mark at second attempt over hurdles at Exeter in February. Runner-up in a Haydock Grade 2 novice later that month and, though rather disappointing on final start of last term, he's one to be interested in now tackling fences.
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WON 5/1

THE KING OF RYHOPE, a point winner who was Grade 2-placed as a novice hurdler, jumped well in the main on this chasing debut, taking down a field of largely more experienced rivals. He still has plenty to learn and could rate a fair bit higher yet.RP

Running Balance: +2
 
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Sorry, missed that COCO MADEMOISELLE - (Stratford, 12:00) was out today - 2nd 4/6f

Coco Mademoiselle paid back a smidgeon of her 100,000GBP price tag when landing a bumper on her stable debut last season and the form of her Irish point success in January has subsequently been well advertised.
Although hot in the market, she lacked some fluency and ultimately found this a tad too stiff on this hurdle debut.

Running Balance: +1
 
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In Excelsis Deo A Harry Fry/JP animal not the sort of chaser I want to be tracking really not after all the pain and suffering Phoenix Way caused me over the years but he was so eye catching last week at headquarters and his back form with Thelasthighking has also been franked. He's young and looks progressive.
 
Euronymous said:
In Excelsis Deo A Harry Fry/JP animal not the sort of chaser I want to be tracking really not after all the pain and suffering Phoenix Way caused me over the years but he was so eye catching last week at headquarters and his back form with Thelasthighking has also been franked. He's young and looks progressive.
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That's exactly what I said post race to the group I go racing with.
 
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