Chepstow Jumps Festival

Diamond Geezer

Diamond Geezer

Gone But Not Forgotten
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May 2, 2003
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This coming Saturday and Sunday marks the start of the jumping season proper for some, hoping to get down there myself, complication of a flu jab Sat morning, can I get away in time ? Here's a preview by Keith Melrose in the RP


Chepstow's meeting this weekend offers the first big jumps fixture of the winter season. Keith Melrose looks forward to five big names and emerging stars that we could see over the two days.



Saturday
Colin's Sister, 2.40
Whether or not Gloucestershire trainer Fergal O'Brien still requires a breakthrough depends on how high his ambitions are. O'Brien has been firmly on the scene for most of this decade, but this year he has a couple of horses that could help cross the divide between good handicappers and graded competitors.
EBF Final winner Barney Dwan is one such prospect and Colin's Sister is another. She belatedly showed why she'd been campaigned so ambitiously last season when finishing second to top bumper performer The Nipper at Sandown on Imperial Cup day. Very much jumps bred, she could develop into a smart novice hurdler.


Old Guard, 3.15
Last season, only Vicente earned more prize money for champion trainer Paul Nicholls than Greatwood and International Hurdle winner Old Guard. He would have run in the Champion Hurdle, too, but for a "dire" workout in the days leading up to the race.
On early projections the Arkle could be one of the races of the season, with Altior, Min, Yorkhill, Buveur D'Air and Yanworth all currently quoted. If even a high-class hurdler like Old Guard is to compete, he will need to lay down an early marker on his chasing debut.


Ballyoptic, 4.25
The Sefton Novices' Hurdle has had more than its share of puzzling results down the years, but what's really exciting about last season's winner Ballyoptic is the speed with which he made up into a Grade 1 winner last spring.
Ballyoptic debuted for Nigel Twiston-Davies only in late February, but just 47 days later he beat Bellshill, subsequently a Grade 1 winner for the third time at Punchestown, by a neck at Aintree. He is available at 16-1 for the provisionally vacant World Hurdle title and could start his season in the Silver Trophy.


Sunday
Emerging Force, 2.50
There were few happier moments in the previous season than Arzal's Manifesto win for the ascendant Harry Whittington and one of the saddest stories over the close season was news of his death due to complications from a tendon injury.
The mantle at the Whittington yard passes to Emerging Force, who progressed through the ranks last spring, eventually going off 6-1 for a Grade 1 novice at Punchestown. He failed to do himself justice that day, but could well be a better chaser and starts off in the novice chase that Thistlecrack had been pencilled in for, but will now skip.


Sire De Grugy, 4.00
Former Champion Chaser Sire De Grugy's 2015-16 season ended on a downer, but he did manage a reasonable impression of his best form during the winter, winning the Tingle Creek and pushing Sprinter Sacre close in a memorable renewal of the Desert Orchid. He started his annus mirabilis in this same race and it will be worth tuning in to see how he shapes at the beginning of this campaign.

 
time to take out the tools and smack the layers :ninja: Oh proper jumps why its taken so long to get here!!
 
I like the look of Henderson's Forever Field in the Silver Trophy.

Lil Rockerfeller is an admirable type, but he looks harshly handicapped off 157 (beaten off 151 in a last handicap), and Forever Field gets the best part of two-stone from the top-weight. Whilst it will take a bit of getting, the ground isn't so testing as it might be at Chepstow this time of year, which might find Ballyoptic out (as I think he wants further), and I don't really trust Jonjo's to give their running at this time of year, so I can't have TDS, despite 148 looking a fair-enough hurdles mark.

Caid Du Berlais has been off a long time, and I suspect this might more likely be an exercise to get fitness into him, before a shot at a repeat in the Paddy Power Gold Cup (or whatever it might be called this Year), and the rest of the horses in the handicap, look to be a little more exposed.

Forever Field jumps and travels well, and his prominent style of racing should keep him out of trouble, on a track which suits front-runners. He also has fitness on his side, having comfortably won a Worcester 0-130 off a rating of 128 (going up 5lbs for the win). He is 2/3 over hurdles since joining NJH, with his defeat being a 1/2L second to decent dual-purpose animal Totalize, in a Market Rasen handicap (caught inside final furlong).

He is by no means a certainty, and Henderson does not have a great record in this race, but I thought 12/1 a more than generous price, for one of the more progressive-looking participants.
 
Since posting, it has drifted to 16/1 with B365.

My reputation obviously precedes me. :lol:

Gone in for more.
 
Grasshopper said:
Since posting, it has drifted to 16/1 with B365.

My reputation obviously precedes me. :lol:

Gone in for more.
Click to expand...

Backed that one myself Grass, fingers crossed.

Upswing started the season very well last year with 2 wins and a 2nd in a hot h'cap at the open meeting but kind of fell away after that on tough ground, Jonjo's usually go well this time of year and he's worth a go at 16/1.
 
Splash Of Ginge ran an eye catching race this afternoon
Not surprising that he couldn't keep up what looked a suicidal pace but after a poor season last year he jumped with vigour out in front and with the run under his belt he looks worth keeping an eye on in the short term.
 
Didn't have a bet at the meeting but watched most of the races with great interest-historically it was the start of the jumps season proper and no reason it can't be again.
 
It was a cracking meeting and think moving the showcase back a week will do both meetings good . Wetherby might be pissed off though .
 
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