jinnyj
Senior Jockey
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2004
- Messages
- 5,157
Thought I'd do a thread with a few comments in case anyone is interested. But please note that I don't know those horses really that are out of my Area in the West Country. There will also be at least one big riced winner which will look obvious in hindsight!!
Gullible may also like to chip in!
Race 1
I think this could be between last year's winner A Jet of Our Own who gets a useful 7lb pull and clearly acts round here and Barton Snow who's trained by JJO'Shea (Aintree FH winning trainer). The latter beat Viroflay last time and he's useful (4-1 for 4.15 Punchestown hunter chase Friday). That was at Stratford which is a very different course but they were well clear of third.
Race 2
I really like Important Notice in this. He beat Barton Snow 3 runs ago and although he was beaten last time, that was by Macklin (runs 6.20) who IMO is very useful. He's a reasonable EW price too and I know they think a bit of him (he's also from the family of Denman). Clashhill and Mumbo Jumbo head the market and their form ties in - haven't watched either. Snapfish has done nothing wrong in winning but I feel the contests he's won have been fairly ordinary including the wide margin hunter chase he won last time as Switch Hitter the fav was WD after misbehaving on way to start. Crawter is improving but he jumps right and that worries me.
Race 3
Fairly Famous really acts round here (won last two years) and was unlucky at Festival when hampered. Douglas Longbottom is improving and has Will Biddick replacing Martin McIntyre who's off injured. Alaphillipe was just touched off in the Pertemps Final and has blinkers for the first time.....interesting!! Glenmount is better than the first two runs when there were excuses for getting beaten and he's part-owned by the Point to Point Authority CEO (and trained by Jason Weaver's cousin!!) so he might be an interesting ew price. Learntalot too is respected from a top yard/jockey combo.
Race 4
Only 5 but three nice horses at the head of the market. Gracchus de Balme is obviously the Aintree winner while Music Drive ran well here to finish 4th at the Festival. But my heart (and I really love this horse) is with Macklin. Same owner as Porlock Bay and he's got gears. Whether he's good enough to beat the other two, I don't know. I will be very nervous watching and propping up an even more nervous owner!
Race 5
Cuilin Hills was National Pointing Champion in 2023 then had a huge amount of time off before coming back this season. She won last time but the long lay off worries me. Likewise Latenightfumble had even longer off so I prefer Walkin Out who loves the ground and is decent. Very highly thought of by her trainer too.
Race 6
Race 7
Take All was a huge price but still going well when falling here at the Festival. He'd earlier beaten Famous Clermont which I don't think was a fluke either. Knockmoylan at a big price I was a fan of but he too has had problems before returning to win 2 this term. Remaining fancied horses are all professionally trained so I'd rather they didn't win!!
Gullible may also like to chip in!
Race 1
I think this could be between last year's winner A Jet of Our Own who gets a useful 7lb pull and clearly acts round here and Barton Snow who's trained by JJO'Shea (Aintree FH winning trainer). The latter beat Viroflay last time and he's useful (4-1 for 4.15 Punchestown hunter chase Friday). That was at Stratford which is a very different course but they were well clear of third.
Race 2
I really like Important Notice in this. He beat Barton Snow 3 runs ago and although he was beaten last time, that was by Macklin (runs 6.20) who IMO is very useful. He's a reasonable EW price too and I know they think a bit of him (he's also from the family of Denman). Clashhill and Mumbo Jumbo head the market and their form ties in - haven't watched either. Snapfish has done nothing wrong in winning but I feel the contests he's won have been fairly ordinary including the wide margin hunter chase he won last time as Switch Hitter the fav was WD after misbehaving on way to start. Crawter is improving but he jumps right and that worries me.
Race 3
Fairly Famous really acts round here (won last two years) and was unlucky at Festival when hampered. Douglas Longbottom is improving and has Will Biddick replacing Martin McIntyre who's off injured. Alaphillipe was just touched off in the Pertemps Final and has blinkers for the first time.....interesting!! Glenmount is better than the first two runs when there were excuses for getting beaten and he's part-owned by the Point to Point Authority CEO (and trained by Jason Weaver's cousin!!) so he might be an interesting ew price. Learntalot too is respected from a top yard/jockey combo.
Race 4
Only 5 but three nice horses at the head of the market. Gracchus de Balme is obviously the Aintree winner while Music Drive ran well here to finish 4th at the Festival. But my heart (and I really love this horse) is with Macklin. Same owner as Porlock Bay and he's got gears. Whether he's good enough to beat the other two, I don't know. I will be very nervous watching and propping up an even more nervous owner!
Race 5
Cuilin Hills was National Pointing Champion in 2023 then had a huge amount of time off before coming back this season. She won last time but the long lay off worries me. Likewise Latenightfumble had even longer off so I prefer Walkin Out who loves the ground and is decent. Very highly thought of by her trainer too.
Race 6
Law of Gold is a standing dish here and you can't know him. But I do like Norton Hill (his young trainer Harry Ryall is talented). He's possibly a bit of a chancy jumper (I deem to remember talking to the owners when he won saying he wasn't a natural)but he's got Will Biddick on board so that's a help. Jeffrey's Cross won on hunter debut for Skelton and is an obvious one while Go Go Geromino I have a small ew hunch for.
Race 7
Take All was a huge price but still going well when falling here at the Festival. He'd earlier beaten Famous Clermont which I don't think was a fluke either. Knockmoylan at a big price I was a fan of but he too has had problems before returning to win 2 this term. Remaining fancied horses are all professionally trained so I'd rather they didn't win!!