Juvenile Hurdlers 2014/2015

The National Hunt season resumes tomorrow at Newton Abbot after the summer break and it all kicks off with a Juvenile Hurdle. It is a maiden and isn't wholly dissimilar to the latest UK juvenile that took place at Market Rasen last month.

Vosne Romanee and Intermath filled second and third places that day and would be the strongest of those with hurdles experience. Vosne Romanee was the most consistent of those from the flat in that race and after a couple of iffy jumps, settled nicely into a jumping rhythm and chased the winner to the line with his ears pricked. He seems to go on all surfaces and looks set to put up another bold showing. Intermath was best on the flat up to a mile and in each of his three hurdles starts, he's finished third looking like a non-stayer on each occasion. Whilst it is a form of consistency, it is also demonstrative of the fact that he always finds a couple too good and whilst Newton Abbot is a sharper track, there will be several runners who race prominently thus ensuring a faster early pace than last time. Zephyr finished second on his only hurdles start when mullered fourteen lengths by leading juvenile Goodbye Dancer at Market Rasen. The horses in behind Zephyr that day aren't particularly winning standard and his inconsistency has since been further cemented by a lacklustre effort on the flat. Arthur's Melody was a selling two year old on the flat although his switch to hurdling brought him the fortune of a berth at Jackdaws Castle and the Tony McCoy that comes with it. Nevertheless, he was beaten twenty-four lengths on his debut at Uttoxeter and even with improvement, still has ten lengths to find on Intermath. Bountiful Sin, being a son of Sinndar, bringing reasonable and consistent form from the flat and joining Oliver Sherwood really ought to have performed better at Uttoxeter on his hurdle's bow. However, he finished a further thirty-seven lengths begind Arthur's Melody and though the more experienced Leighton Aspell takes the ride, will need to step up leaps and bounds to be considered for a place. Bright Society was set to finish fourth at Stratford before violently unseating at the last when the best part of sixty lengths behind the leader. He has since finished well beaten on the Lingfield sand when a 66/1 shot running off 48. Announcement whilst lightly raced on the flat, did demonstrate a decent standard of class and consistency between six and eight furlongs. However, she jumped poorly on her hurdles debut and laboured in the closing stages. Fast Green's last start on the flat saw him beaten by thirty-four lengths and last year and has shown no encouragement over hurdles so far pulling up at Uttoxeter on his debut before being beaten by ninety-four lengths at Market Rasen. With Vosne Romanee looking easily the most feasible of those with jumps experience, it stands to reason that at least one of the newcomers looks set to be involved. Full Day is Brian Ellison's second juvenile of the season after the dual winner Come On Sunshine and represents the same connections as previous decent juveniles Ultimate, Totalize and Bothy. The Champs Elysees filly brings solid form from the flat and has been steadily improving for the steps up in distance. Full Day also thrives on the faster surfaces and is afforded the seven pound fillies allowance. Officer Drivel won a Kempton 1m4f maiden for Luke Dace and ran close in a handicap over the same course and distance but has since put in two below par efforts. He was set to make his debut for Jim Best at Market Rasen before being withdrawn making it the fourth time this year he's failed to face the starter. With a lay off stretching to 146 days, there are plenty of questions to answer. Tony McCoy is replaced by Richard Johnson who, whilst not at all a bad substitute, does not have a prolific partnership with the trainer. Ex-Juddmonte Field Force joins Sophie Leech from Amanda Perret's yard, costing 7,000 guineas at the Tattersalls July Sale. His best effort on the flat was when fourth in a Kempton maiden which contained three future winners. He has looked far from straightforward on any of his three starts although the greater stamina test looks likely to suit on breeding. Apart from a dismal effort in soft ground at Newcastle, Lady Red Oak was a consistent enough sort on the flat, albeit at a lower level. After finishing third in a Yarmouth seller, nine lengths clear of the fourth, she left Tom Dascombe to join John Groucott. Whilst not an obvious stayer, there's enough in her pedigree to hint at improvement over hurdles. Nissaki Kasta hinted at promise over shorter distances on the flat for Hughie Morrison although her hadicap mark has been steadily sliding to a low 55. Joins Evan Williams for the same owner and whilst the Llancarfan man has a good record with Juveniles, it's difficult to envisage Nissaki Kasta being a flag bearer. Magic Magnolia was well beaten on two starts for Paul Deegan and the switch over the Irish Sea hasn't enacted any change in fortune as she was beaten twenty-eight lengths in a Chepstow maiden last time out.

Arbitrary 1-2-3
1. Full Day
2. Vosne Romanee
3. Lady Red Oak

Vosne Romanee 2/1 Sweet Glow 1st Long Distance Hurdle (G2), Ascot 1994
Lady Red Oak 3/2 Solarius 3rd Prix Leon Rambaud (G2), Auteuil 2003 (2/2 Call Me Bubbles)
Full Day 6/4 Bright Oassis 1st Knowsley (Later "Top") Novices' Hurdle, Aintree 1982
Field Force 4/2 Ulundi 1st Scottish Champion Hurdle (G2, 133), Ayr 2001
Nissaki Kasta 5/1 Fiefdom 3rd Fighting Fifth (Listed), Newcastle 1986 (4/1 Agus A Vic 142)
Announcement 3/2 Anusha 1st The Ladbroke (G1 Hcp, 10-2), Leopardstown 1995
Fast Green .5 Le Bahamien 2nd Prix de Londres (55), Cagnes-sur-Mer 2013
Intermath .5 Viaduct Joey 1st Handicap Hurdle (111), Galway 2013
Bright Society .5 Deepika 121 1st Conditions Hurdle, Le Teste de Buch 2014
Officer Drivel 2/1 King Of Oriel 1st Handicap Hurdle (95), Punchestown 2013
Bountiful Sin 3/2 Premier Rouge 107 1st Maiden Hurdle (bt Schindlers Hunt), Cork 2005
Zephyr 2/1 Rapier 1st Novices' Hurdle, Ayr 1998
Arthur's Melody .5 Breadstick 7th Novices' Hurdle, Worcester 2011
Magic Magnolia No jumps relatives - American family

Sires
Bountiful Sin - Sinndar (5)
Magic Magnolia - Azamour (4)
Lady Red Oak - Medicean (3)
Zephyr - Shirocco (3)
Nissaki Kasta - Sakhee's Secret (2)
Officer Drivel - Captain Rio (2)
Announcement - Proclamation (1)
Bright Society - Diamond Green (1)
Arthur's Melody - Oratorio (1)
Vosne Romanee - Arakan
Full Day - Champs Elysees
Field Force - Champs Elysees
Fast Green - Green Tune
Intermath - Camacho
 
1. Full Day 9/4
2. Vosne Romanee 7/4
3. Bountiful Sin 33/1
CSF: £6.51
Good call, BH. Shame about the tricast. :D
 
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And that Archie, is why it's only an arbitrary 1-2-3 :D In hindsight, Bountiful Sin had every right to grab third based on his profile and it one's a proponent of second chances, he would have been a prominent choice. That's the game though.

Thank you Chopper. I fully appreciate the appreciation.

The race was run at a reasonable gallop and the time was just over a second slower than the later novices' hurdle which had a tearaway leader. The first two finished clear of the remainder which when considering they were the two best stayers, around Newton Abbot, it casts a shadow on the remainder of the field.

Full Day jumped very cleanly and efficiently throughout despite being carried to the right by some wayward peers. Though she was being niggled and pushed for most of the contest, she needed only the solitary slap down the neck in the straight to make the seven pound allowance count at the end. A comfortable success on her debut, she picked up well and gamely for pressure and as such, one wouldn't imagine it being to difficult to win under a penalty in a similar contest. Vosne Romanee raced prominently, travelling and jumping well throughout and keeping on to the line. No obvious excuses for not winning and wouldn't be a certainty to reverse placings with the patently superior winner. Nevertheless, he jumps, he stays and he's honest which is most of the battle at this level. Bountiful Sin has the pedigree and the stable to perform as a juvenile and made a significant improvement on his Uttoxeter debut. Whilst there was no massive difference between the way he jumped and travelled in his two hurdle starts, he saw today's race out to a much greater effect and may be capable of picking up a small race. Arthur's Melody's run was essentially a carbon copy of his Uttoxeter effort. After chasing the leaders and utilising the four legged harrier jump jet technique, he began to struggle entering the straight and was allowed an easy time of things during the final furlong. One imagines connections are waiting for a workable handicap mark. Seventeen lengths back in fifth, Magic Magnolia was the surprise package of the race surpassing her flat form. Whilst she jumped reasonably well at most of the obstacles, she doesn't look a complete natural although she could run into a place in a very weak contest. Officer Drivel was a drifter in the market and whilst still holding a narrow lead entering the straight, capitulated quite badly. Running quite freely and making several novicey errors, he was somewhat disappointing compared to the best of his flat form. However, given his numerous withdrawals this year, he's probably a difficult horse to get right and looked like he was done for fitness in the latter stages. Today's form alone won't amount to much but he was eased when beaten and is still potentially capable of better. Zephyr finished second behind the exciting Goodbye Dancer on his debut but was still comprehensively beaten and had little in behind him that day. No particular excuses today and give or take half a stone, this is probably as good as he is. Intermath was held up today but jumped and travelled worse than he usually does suggesting that his lack of stamina didn't even come into play. Perhaps he is in need of a break and may look for a very sharp and slow race for his comeback if not a return to the flat. Bright Society looked like a gentleman when getting saddled up and jumped quite well in all fairness. However, he finished virtually pulled up after racing prominently and on all evidence thus far, will not be competitive under rules. Field Force showed a little promise on the flat for Amanda Perrett but also displayed temperament issues which were evident on his hurdling debut. Flashing his tail passing the stands first time round and spitting out the dummy in the back straight, he's not one to have faith in until proven otherwise. Fast Green jumped poorly and erratically, was the first off the bridle and was also the first to pull up. Green, yes. Fast, no. Lady Red Oak took a very keen hold, jumped appallingly at times and almost got rid of Harry Challoner four out before pulling up after the next. Nissaki Kasta was held up and stayed in rear until pulling up two out.

The next juvenile hurdle will be a maiden at Rosscommon next Monday and the next UK juvenile will be at Cartmel on the 25th.
 
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Ireland's second juvenile hurdle of the season is another maiden which takes place at Rosscommon, almost a fortnight after the first juvenile ran over course and distance. Five horses from that race reappear from that day including the second, third and fourth. Furthermore, the conditions are also set to be similar. Whilst it didn't look fantastic beforehand, the participants jumped well and clocked a reasonable time so it would be folly to dismiss the form out of hand.

Atan was a comfortable winner of that race and looked a notch above but it was only a length separated the second, third and fourth and the three were led by Aidan Fogarty's Cabarete. Whilst his form from the flat was poor (beaten eighty-five lengths in two starts), his hurdles debut was relatively impressive running a brave race from the front and demonstrating strong resolve. His odds were halved during the afternoon so this effort wasn't unexpected. Nevertheless, he was very inconsistent on the flat so it remains to be seen if this form can be reproduced. Lady Clitico went into her debut with the best flat form in the race and does so again in this contest. She somewhat shirked the battle after being bumped at the last and may be vulnerable if it turns into a rough race but her overall profile is a very consistent one and with that in mind, would have every chance of reversing placings with Cabarete. The highlight of Glance Of Doon's flat career was winning a handicap at Tramore off 48. Her recent fourth certainly represents a step up on her flat form and is going to have a better future over jumps than she did on the level. There's no blatant reason why she should reverse form with the two who finished in front of her that day but she shouldn't be to far away. Dresden Green finished last on three of his four starts on the flat and was well beaten on his hurdles debut when starting as rank outsider. Impressive Duke was unraced on the flat and was friendless in the market for his hurdles debut where he disappointed accordingly being the first off the bridle and being beaten by forty-two lengths. The newcomers' form isn't particularly inspiring although there is a standout amongst the ranks. Tarabiyn has not been seen for over thirteen months and was last seen finishing eighth of ten in a Killarney maiden for John Oxx. Afterwards, he was sold for 24,000€ in the Goffs October sale where he joined Willie Mullins. He will be the first juvenile representative of the season for the most successful juvenile yard in the country and has the most scope for improvement in the field. Furthermore, he's sired by the consistent and laudable stallion Sinndar (Diakali is also trained by Willie Mullins) and has numerable jumpers in his pedigree. He could potentially be a few notches above the rest of these. Love The Feeling has already had ten starts this season but whilst she's thoroughly exposed, she is at least consistent. Her best effort was in a ten furlong Navan claimer where she finished second on good to firm ground. Her overall standard of flat form is comparable to those with hurdles form but she has to prove she can jump. She is related to several good jumpers though and stablemate Dresden Green did run at Rosscommon so there may be market clues in that respect. Allen Warrior represents Christy Roche but that would appear to be where his chances end as he still has the fillies allowance to find on Glance Of Doon from their May meeting at Tramore and his sire, Duke Of Marmalade has a lamentable record so far with hurdlers. Boston Icon will be his trainer's first ever runner over obstacles and has sixty-seven lengths to find with Lady Clitico from his latest start. Ciankyle has no racecourse experience to speak of and his trainer has sent out only two winners in twenty-four seasons. His sire has produced eleven jumps winners (best of whom being the infamous 1000th - Mountain Tunes) and Ciankyle's family tree can boast the likes of Fair Along, Bimsey and Get Real. Whilst it would be a surprise to see him run well, it wouldn't be the greatest shock in equine history.

Arbitrary 1-2-3
1. Tarabiyn
2. Lady Clitico
3. Cabarete

Glance Of Doon - Tagula 2/2 Copeland 1st Tote Gold Trophy (G3, 142), Newbury 2002
Ciankyle 4/3 Get Real 1st BMW Chase (G1), Punchestown 2000 (5/4 Bimsey, 5/5 Fair Along, 2/1 Kinger Rocks)
Impressive Duke 3/2 Endless Power 1st Grand Sefton (135), Aintree 2008
Tarabiyn 3/3 Ring The Boss 2nd Rising Stars Novices' Chase (G2), Wincanton 2008 (2/2 Tilabay 3/3 Theatre Girl)
Love The Feeling 2/0 Antapoura 2nd Long Distance Hurdle (G2), Newbury 1996 (5/3 Ventana Canyon, 3/2 Silk Drum, 5/2 Penndara)
Cabarete 3/2 Emperors Guest 5th Maghull Novices' Chase (G1), Aintree 2004
Lady Clitico 3/2 Jetnova Fell Spa Novices' Hurdle (G1), Cheltenham 2011 (2/2 Buck Mulligan)
Dresden Green 4/1 Scottish Sound 2nd Free Handicap Hurdle (Listed, 10-1), Chepstow 1980
Allen Warrior 2/1 Dice 3rd Novices' Hurdle, Hexham 2010
Boston Icon 3/1 Stolen Light 1st Novice Hurdle, Killarney 2006

Sires
Tarabiyn - Sinndar (5)
Love The Feeling - Intikhab (1)
Dresden Green - Diamond Green (1)
Glance Of Doon - Tagula
Ciankyle - Mountain High
Impressive Duke - Duke Of Marmalade
Cabarete -Yeats
Lady Clitico - Bushranger
Allen Warrior - Duke Of Marmalade
Boston Icon - Mr Greeley
 
Tomorrow, the wonderful Cartmel racecourse hosts the seventh juvenile hurdle of the season where previous winners of this particular race, Ben Haslam, Donald McCain and John Quinn, are all represented.

Five horses with hurdling experience are due to line up and these are headed by Vosne Romanee. After bringing a reasonable and consistent level of form from the flat for Keith Dalgleish, Vosne Romanee has finished runner up on both of his hurdles starts thus far. Though he didn't have any particular excuses at Market Rasen or Newton Abbot, he jumped well, finished gamely and ran to a level far superior to that of his experienced opponents. The cheekpieces remain as does jockey Sam Twiston-Davies, plus the extra distance may even suit. Vosnee Romanee has very few questions to answer. Ain't No Surprise was a consistent sort on the flat and her best effort over hurdles came on her debut when third at Market Rasen. On that occasion, she had both Izbushka and Istimraar in behind. She ran below that form on her two subsequent starts although shortly after her last outing, Jenny Candlish's operation closed down for almost a month. Nevertheless, the yard sent out its first runner last week - a winner - so there's a chance Ain't No Sunshine can bounce back. Izbushka, in the season's opening juvenile at Hexham, finished runner up to subsequent winner Come On Sunshine before finishing fourth at Market Rasen. His jumping was a little ponderous throughout and he dived at the last on both occasions. Afterwards, he had one last start on the flat for Ian Williams before changing hands at the Ascot July sale for £3,000. He loses the services of Richard Johnson and it remains to be seen if he runs better with blinkers rather than the usual visor. Istimraar started his career with Godolphin before going to Philip Kirby for 27,000gns in January. His overall jumps form was decent in this context although he did disappoint on his last run under that code. Both of his hurdles starts took place at Market Rasen and on each occasion, he jumped and travelled before utterly capitulating. Essentially a confirmed non-stayer, it's difficult to see the extra half furlong suiting him here. Moon Over Rio's trainer, Ben Haslam, won this race last year with another filly who, coincidentally, also finished third in the same Hexham contest. The circumstances however were quite different as Moon Over Rio was beaten by sixty-eight lengths. The obvious excuse is that she tore off too quickly in sticky ground although the same conditional jockey takes the mount here. There is a ray of hope for her supporters though as she took a selling handicap at Beverley last time out, albeit a very weak one, so her mentality may have improved since Hexham. Prim And Proper has two wins on the flat for her trainer Brendan Powell as well as a couple of placings and her overall form is comparable to that of Vosne Romanee. She tends to run best when the going description has firm in it (current forecast good, good to firm in places) although there is a slight doubt regarding her ability to stay as she somewhat folded over ten furlongs last time out. Nevertheless, the sharpness of the track may negate that quandary and Prim And Proper has performed at the idiosyncratic left-handed venues of Bath and Brighton. Dry Your Eyes is a half sister to useful hurdler Bayan, represents Donald McCain (has a 29% strike rate at Cartmel over the past five seasons) and won a Beverley handicap in May by five lengths. However, McCain did have two short priced favourites beaten on Saturday and his only other juvenile this season, Arianrhod, jumped too badly for words at Hexham. Furthermore, the Beverley race Dry Your Eyes won has produced only one win from thirty-two subsequent runs. Afterwards, she left Mark Johnson's yard after defeats of twenty-eight and fifty-three lengths. Darling Boyz is the first juvenile of the season for John Quinn whom has a terrific record in the field. A relatively unexposed sort having only had two starts this term, the latter seeing an improvement for the step up to ten furlongs when fourth off fifty-five in a Beverley handicap. John Quinn has won this race twice recently although both occasions were with penalised runners and Darling Boyz will need to find improvement on his flat form to take this. Tashbeeh had four runs in maidens on the flat, his best effort when fourth at over a mile and a half Wolverhampton in March. Since then, he was comprehensively beaten in a Haydock handicap in June off sixty-three. Trainer Dianne Sayer does have a 19% strike rate at Cartmel though and had a clear winner on Saturday. Lord Brantwood is Tim Vaughan's second juvenile of the season after the similarly rated Dream Big was annihilated at Stratford in July. Formerly with Mick Channon, he is held by Izbushka n their meeting at Leicester in May and since then, he has been beaten forty-eight lengths in two subsequent starts. His sire, Sir Percy, has yet to produce a winning juvenile. Fillydelphia has a nice name but has never finished closer than seven lengths in four starts in low key contests on flat. Kaizen Factor was beaten 158 lengths in his last five starts on the flat for Rod Millman before joining Micky Hammond for £2,500.

Arbitrary 1-2-3
1. Vosne Romanee
2. Prim And Proper
3. Ain't No Surprise

Darling Boyz 4/2 Arcalis 1st Fighting Fifth Hurdle (G1), Newcastle 2005
Vosne Romanee 2/1 Sweet Glow 1st Long Distance Hurdle (G2), Ascot 1994
Prim And Proper 4/2 Dusk Duel 3rd First National Gold Cup (G2, 149), Ascot 2001
Dry Your Eyes .5 Bayan 3rd Coral Cup (G3,138), Cheltenham 2014
Kaizen Factor 3/1 Lease Lend 1st Handicap Chase (133), Wetherby 2011
Ain't No Surprise 3/4 Power Elite 1st Cashmans Juvenile Hurdle (G2), Leopardstown 2004
Istimraar 4/1 Wing And A Prayer Tolworth Hurdle (Listed), Sandown 1985
Fillydelphia 3/2 Mon Michel 1st Gerry Fielden (Listed, 116), Newbury 2007
Izbushka 4/2 Zariyan 1st Conditions Hurdle, Fontainebleau 2007 (2/1 Zanderi)
Moon Over Rio .5 Henry Higgins 5th Spring Juvenile Hurdle (G1), Leopardstown 2014
Tashbeeh 2/1 Herkel 1st Maiden Hurdle, Thurles 2009
Lord Brantwood .5 Il Portico 4th Juvenile Hurdle, Kempton 2010

Sires
Kaizen Factor - Azamour (4)
Istimraar - Dansili (3)
Dry Your Eyes - Shamardal (2)
Moon Over Rio - Captain Rio (2)
Ain't No Surprise - Kheleyf (1)
Tashbeeh - Iffraj (1)
Darling Boyz - Auction House
Vosne Romanee - Arakan
Prim And Proper - Sleeping Indian
Fillydelphia - Strategic Prince
Izbushka - Bushranger
Lord Brantwood - Sir Percy
 
A few to look out for from Dieppe today - ground was bottomless so most of these should stay very well in time:

Rosa Belle scored by two lengths from the vastly more experienced Reine des Abeilles in the opening 3yo hurdle - there was a 20 length gap back to the third and being a brother to Group 1 winning hurdler Prince Oui Oui (a favourite of Grasshopper's from memory) she's worth keeping an eye on though unlikely to end up on this side of the pond given the owner.

Onsaisjamais was impressive in the 3yo chase though that win combined with his wins in the provinces in the Spring will probably put him off the radar of most British and Irish owners - he's currently owned by Terry Amos who has had horses in training in the UK and his only disappointing effort came at Auteuil in June.

Martin
 
Apologies for late post. Busy busy day... though I suppose we should all be grateful for living in an age where information is almost taken for granted. Indeed, it is still within my living memory that we had to wait for the morning to read anybody's insight into a race other than one's own.

Tomorrow's card at Stratford kicks off with eighth juvenile of the season. The 1.50 has the potential to be the strongest to date as the second best juvenile hurdler at this stage of the season takes on four newcomers whose flat ratings all surpass what has been seen thus far.

Alan King's Gimme Five flat form was rather ordinary, reaching an official rating of just 60. However, he was a comfortable winner on his debut at Uttoxeter where he jumped and travelled sufficiently well enough to pick up a contest of its type. On his second start over today's course and distance, he ran into an above average sort who dispelled any notion that Gimme Five would be a leading player in the Barbury Castle ranks this season. Nevertheless, he still finished fourteen and forty-one lengths clear of the remainder that day and would be ranked second best of all the juveniles seen up to now. With experience and a demonstrated jumping ability, he should provide a decent enough test for the newcomers. Jazzy Lady was a consistent sort on the flat finishing in the first two on over half of her starts. She reappears today after seventy seven days when she was last seen finishing second behind Gimme Five at Uttoxeter. She reached for a few and jumped novicey to begin with on that day but she improved as the race developed and stayed on past a tired horse on the run in. Would be capable of collecting a contest but the penalty wouldn't be enough to bridge the gap between her and the winner. Announcement was unexposed on the flat at up to a mile but jumped poorly on her debut over course and distance when fifty-eight lengths behind Gimme Five. Vast improvement needed. Lady Red Oak was another ordinary horse on the flat although her pedigree does hint at a latent aptitude for hurdling. Unfortunately, her poor jumping and attitude were highly conspicuous on her debut at Newton Abbot will need all of destiny's stars to manifest at once to be in with a shout here. Despite Gimme Five being a decent flag bearer for the hitherto form, there are four newcomers who have all, at one stage or another, demonstrated solid enough form to take any ordinary juvenile hurdle. Mr Gallivanter would probably be the most exciting flat recruit to date bringing solid form from the flat at the right distances (ten to fourteen furlongs) with the right trainer. Versatile with respects to going and competing off a mark in the low eighties, he has finished close without winning on all but two occasions where he found the competition a little too hot in valuable contests at Musselburgh and at the Shergar Cup. His resolve could potentially be called into question having not won a race since last September but by the same token, his being nonplussed and finding a foot after slipping at Haydock bodes well for his new career. Related to a few winning juveniles, his sire, Heliostatic has already had a juvenile winner from a small sample and being a son of Galileo means he'll be able to sire a fair few more. Furthermore, John Quinn's first juvenile of the season left his flat form miles behind when second at Cartmel on Monday. Initially, Ravenous seemed to have two ways of running on the flat but to his credit, his last two starts for Ralph Beckett were much more encouraging. After handling the Epsom configuration perfectly as he took a maiden on good to soft, he was game and honest in defeat when second off 78 on good to firm at Windsor over an extended mile. Bred to be suited by further, he's a promising recruit for Jamie Snowden who's already had a placed juvenile this term. Malachim Mist's two year old form is as strong as anything seen on these pages from a UK based horse earning a peak official rating of 90 and being far from disgraced in the Doncaster Sales race. However, he seems to have gone off the boil as a three year old and has dropped almost a stone in the handicap from six starts this year. His penultimate effort at Salisbury wasn't without promise but having left the Hannon yard, it is unlikely that his full potential hasn't been reached already. Oliver Sherwood is a good trainer to join but it is worth recalling that his first juvenile, Bountiful Sin, came on dramatically for his first run. Furthermore, Malachim Mist is from a predominantly sprinting family and has yet to demonstrate any discernible staying ability. Relentless Pursuit really only has one decent effort on the flat this year and that came when landing a gamble to win a seven furlong handicap at Dundalk in May for Ger Lyons. Since then, his efforts have been quite flat. He is a sibling to a bumper winner and a hurdle winner so stamina shouldn't be an issue and he joins a very good yard for juveniles in Warren Greatrex but he would need a career best effort here to be competitive.

Arbritary 1-2-3
1. Mr Gallivanter
2. Ravenous
3. Gimme Five

Lady Red Oak - Medicean (3) 3/2 Solarius 3rd Prix Leon Rambaud (G2), Auteuil 2003 (2/2 Call Me Bubbles)
Relentless Pursuit 3/2 Elusive Dream 1st Mersey Novices' Hurdle (G2), Aintree 2008
Announcement 3/2 Anusha 1st The Ladbroke (G1 Hcp, 10-2), Leopardstown 1995
Mr Gallivanter 3/2 Mohanad Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle (Listed), Wetherby 2009 (.5 Kissing Clara)
Ravenous .5 Superciliary 1st Handicap Hurdle (108), Wincanton 2014
Malachim Mist 4/1 Home Solutions Placed Juvenile Hurdle, 1984
Gimme Five 3/1 Rum Baba 1st Novices' Handicap Hurdle (87), Market Rasen 2000
Jazzy Lady 2/2 Tudor Falcon 1st Selling Handicap Hurdle (59), Market Rasen 1997

Sires
Lady Red Oak - Medicean (3)
Ravenous - Raven's Pass (2)
Announcement - Proclamation (1)
Malachim Mist - Dark Angel (1)
Jazzy Lady - Intikhab (1)
Relentless Pursuit - Kodiac
Mr Gallivanter - Heliostatic
Gimme Five - Champs Elysees
 
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I am looking to lay Mr Gallivanter BH..so when i read your write up its put me off a bit.

Heliostatic is about an 11% striker with flat offspring but is just 1/26 with NH horses..was what caught my eye

reckless romeo was beaten in a selling hurdle at 9/4..and then has numerous runs at 10/1 ish..so not so relevant possibly

asteroid belt was the one who won..but has been beaten easily enough a couple of times when fancied in betting

does Mr Gallivanter need slower ground as well?

i'll probably lay it..using my own probably wrong assumptions..would like to know what you think though about my supposed negatives

great thread by the way
 
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Hi EC1

I've not noticed anything that suggests Mr G has a going preference and Heliostatics tend to be a little better over firmer. Heliostatic hasn't been tested a great deal over hurdles so far but I've noticed that sons of Galileo often inherit his ability to effectively sire juveniles. What's more, he's now standing in France where likely to sire a few more jumpers so the jury is still out.

My biggest negative for Mr G would be the opposition, namely Gimme Five. He is still the second best seen so far and despite the penalty, has proven he can jump. With that in mind, he's down to 11/8 now which is short enough.

I still have him as the likeliest winner but I wouldn't want to advice either way to be honest.

And thank you.
 
Fair dos

I thought he jumped well enough in the main and, as with his slip at Haydock, showed enough resilience to recover from his error. He's not a total natural but he should improve for the experience I reckon.

I'll do a full review after I've sorted out tomorrow's Irish race.
 
THIS IS THE REVIEW OF THE RACE RAN AT ROSCOMMON ON THE 18th OF AUGUST

A similar standard field to the one a fortnight earlier although the time was 14.5 second slower than the first juvenile over course and distance despite the ground being quicker which suggests this one was ran at a much slower pace.

With that in mind, it is to Love The Feeling's credit that she was able to quicken away at the finish with as much gusto as she did. Particularly as her trainer noted that she will be better with a bit of give in the ground. She was very smooth and quick over her hurdles and as her pedigree and the steady money for her suggested, she left her flat form behind with a convincing performance. Whilst unlikely to be a world beater, her future lies in this sphere. Cabarete was poor on the flat but he proved that his debut second was no fluke by filling the same position here. Whilst he made the running on his debut he chased the leaders on this occasion but he was still neck and neck with the winner and posted another honest performance keeping on honestly after being outpaced. Is entitled to pick up a prize of this sort and may be better suited by forcing the pace. Tarabiyn was having his first run for 399 days and with that, and his performance, in mind, he would be the one to take out of the race for the future. His jumping was fair enough although there is still scope for improvement and he travelled smoothly into the race at the home turn before he was outpaced. He kept on after the last however and shouldn't be too long in picking up a race. Lady Clitico was keener and less fluent than she was on her jumps debut and she did finish further behind Cabarete than she had a fortnight ago. Nevertheless, this still looks her level and will need a poor race if she's to taste victory at this stage. Allen Warrior bought with him very uninspiring form from the flat but he ran considerably better here, losing his chance only when blundering badly at the penultimate hurdle. He may have to wait for handicaps to make his impact but he's already indicated he's a better hurdler and he should be up to running into a place at some point. Impressive Duke was eleven lengths behind the fifth and whilst he stayed on past beaten horses, representing an improvement on his debut, he was still beaten in the back straight and doesn't look like a winner at this stage. Dresden Green made the running for a lot of the race but he ran freely and made errors throughout before back-pedalling quickly before the home turn. Boston Icon had few credentials before hand and whilst he wasn't noticeably poor over his obstacles, he was the first off the bridle and finished tailed off. Ciankyle has good horses in his pedigree but he went off as the rank outsider, started the race in last and following several slow jumps, was virtually pulled up at the end of the race.
 
THIS IS THE PREVIEW FOR TOMORROW'S RACE AT DOWN ROYAL

The third juvenile of the Irish season opens the card at Down Royal tomorrow evening. Similar to the first two contests which were held at Roscommon, this one looks also looks typically ordinary for the time of year. Particularly as it lacks any winners from the flat.

Cabarete sets the standard for those with hurdles experience on account of his two seconds at Roscommon. Disappointing on the flat this year, he's been something of a revelation over hurdles with his sound jumping and his admirable resolve. Though beaten fairly by Atan and Love The Feeling, he's been honest in defeat and there's been no fluke about his finishing ahead of his rivals. He has experience on his side, goes on faster ground, his small trainer is in form and may even be able to make the running given the small field. A solid benchmark. Prussian Eagle is an incredibly frustrating figure. A full brother to Kool Kompany, his attitude has deprived him of reaching comparable levels on the flat and it was a similar story on his jumps debut where he raced keenly and took his time getting away from the hurdles before finishing nineteen lengths behind Cabarete and seven behind Celtic Artisan. Prussian Eagle is bred and trained to be a success in these contests and even brings clearly the best form from the flat. However, it would be a brave move to count on him fulfilling his destiny. Especially as the going is likely to be too quick for him. Celtic Artisan has thrice finished in the first three on the flat despite never finishing any nearer than nine lengths to the winner. His sole effort over hurdles was another middling effort where he jumped OK and wasn't disgraced but never looked like getting involved. Since that outing, he had two runs in three days at Tramore where he was comfortably beaten on both occasions, travelling poorly latest. Harry's Summer was unplaced on the flat after five starts for Nick Littmoden and after joining Gordon Elliott for 5,500gns finished stone last on his hurdles debut. There's nothing to suggest a stronger effort on evidence so far. None of the three newcomers scream Triumph candidate but Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott are represented. Verawal flies the flag for Willie Mullins and has a similar profile to the yard's Tarabiyn who was third at Roscommon last week. Both are by good juvenile sire Sinndar, both were bought from Aga Khan after only hinting at promise as two year olds and both hadn't run since last year. The striking difference between the two however is that while Tarabiyn sold for 24,000€, Verawal fetched only 5,500€. Furthermore, though both were entered for last week's contest, Tarabiyn was the horse put forward for the race. Nevertheless, Willie Mullins will know exactly what he's playing with on a line through Tarabiyn so significant money would be significant. High Expectations wouldn't be carrying same after three very ordinary expeditions at Dundalk this year and was last seen finishing twenty-six lengths seventh of eight in a 1m3f maiden in April. There is a hint of hope however as his half brother, the ill fated Bigearsonmyright, vastly improved on his flat form during a brief hurdles career for the same trainer and owner. That said, he appears to be the stable second string on bookings. Artistic Flame is another who has yet to have a run since last year although even then, he never finished any closer than nine lengths to the winner in three all weather maidens. A greater concern would be that he remained in Amanda Perrett's yard for seven months before he was sold for 4,500gns which would suggest there was something keeping him off the track.

Arbitrary 1-2-3
1. Cabarete
2. Verawal
3. Prussian Eagle

Verawal 4/3 Nasirabad 2nd Prix Melanos, Auteuil 1998
Celtic Artisan 3/2 Tropical Lake 2nd Downshire Hurdle (G2), Punchestown 1995 (3/3 Megans Joy)
High Expectations 2/1 Tashtikar 1st Prix Achille-Fould (Listed), Auteuil 2005 (.5 Bigearsonmyright)
Cabarete 3/2 Emperors Guest 5th Maghull Novices' Chase (G1), Aintree 2004
Harry's Summer 4/3 Ruler Of All 1st Novices' Hurdle, Gowran Park 2011
Artistic Flame 2/1 Tissifer 11th County Hurdle (G3, 130), Cheltenham 2002 (5/3 Ballygally Bay)
Prussian Eagle 2/1 Absolute Image 2nd Conditions Hurdle, Downpatrick 2008

Sires
Prussian Eagle - Jeremy (8)
Verawal - Sinndar (5)
Celtic Artisan - Dylan Thomas (3)
High Expectations - High Rock
Cabarete - Yeats
Harry's Summer - Roman Ruler
Artistic Flame - Archipenko
 
As I've already said I'm really enjoying this thread, and thanks for all the time and effort you're putting in BH.

Out of curiosity, what has your strike rate been since the start of the season with this. It must be pretty good.
 
Thanks Maruco :) I do the previews and research for myself really as a labour of love but if others enjoy reading it then it adds an extra dimension of satisfaction. Plus, I'd be lying if I said I'm not flattered by the kudos. I hate to think of this as being "my" thread though because I genuinely welcome any input from others - not least because it helps develop my own understanding of this rather niche branch of the sport. Hence, I am very grateful for the contributions made by Martin (Irish Stamp) as well as those who elaborated on the Patrick Flynn phenomenon.

As far as my "tips" go, this is what I have so far

UK
12/6 Gimme Five 1st 2/1
20/6 Goodbye Dancer 1st 10/3
13/7 Goodbye Dancer 1st 15/8
19/7 Vosne Romanee 2nd 2/1
13/8 Full Day 1st 9/4
26/8 Vosne Romanee 1st 10/11
28/8 Mr Gallivanter 1st 5/4

IRE
5/8 Lady Clitico 3rd 15/8
18/8 Tarabiyn 3rd 9/4
29/8 Cabarete

The earliest "tips" weren't posted on this board and weren't completely explicit but all the aforementioned horses earned the most complimentary comments in the previews in any case. Furthermore, as far as I recall, the prices of the above were predominantly a fair deal bigger in the morning before the market corrected itself. Nevertheless, it's also worth noting that my arbitrary 2s and 3s have been less impressive.

I want to stress that I'm neither a tipster nor a pundit, nor am I a successful punter by any stretch of the imagination. I'm merely an enthusiast who likes to create a picture of a race before I enjoy it. Whilst it's amusing to see so many winners, I'm pretty sure the law of averages will burst my particular bubble in the non too distant future. Nevertheless, if this thread has helped put a few pounds, euros or dollars into somebody's pockets then that's only a good thing.

Again, thanks Maruco and everybody else who takes the time to read and contribute to the thread :)
 
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Today's juvenile hurdle at Newton Abbot sees the return of this season's leading three year old to date in Goodbye Dancer.

Goodbye Dancer bought reasonable flat form from the French provinces before joining Nigel Twiston-Davies. His debut at Market Rasen saw him sweat profusely and pull like a train but he dismissed his opposition with effortless power to win by fourteen lengths. He followed up this win at Stratford where he beat two previous winners with consumate ease despite again exhibiting exitable traits. Looks like a well-above average recruit for the time of year and his only danger today looks to be himself. Magic Magnolia showed very little in three runs on the flat on either side of the Irish Sea and started at 100/1 on her hurdling debut over course and distance earlier this month. Nevertheless, her finishing within eight lengths of the third represents a vast improvement even though she didn't look like a complete natural. Love Tangle looked like an intriguing hurdling proposition on breeding given he can call My Tent Or Yours a relative. However, ended that particular dream with a petulant effort at Market Rasen where he jumped any way but well and gave his jockey a very awkward ride. He since put in a career worst effort at Galway on the flat at the beginning of the month and has too much to answer for today. Sinndar's Man never saw the racecourse for Paul Deegan and Jaber Abdullah as a two year old and was sold to David Pipe last July for 8,000gns. By Sinndar (Diakali, Mourad, Verawal), related to decent juvenile European Dream and trained by David Pipe, he would be a contender in most other races this time of year. However, he would have to be a bit special to beat Goodbye Dancer on his racecourse debut. Nellie The Elegant will be Tim Vaughan's third juvenile of a season where he's started slower than usual with Dream Big and Lord Brantwood showing nothing. After winning a weak Wolverhampton maiden, Nellie The Elegant subsequently finished a well beaten last in two handicaps from marks in the mid sixties making her form no better than her aforementioned stablemates. Lamubaaly beat only one home in two maidens on the flat at Longchamp and Saint-Cloud before leaving the Shadwell operation for just 2,500gns in July. Nevertheless, he joins a promising young trainer in Alexandra Dunn and his sire, Le Havre (this season's leading flat stallion in France) has two placed hurdlers from two runners so far. Earl's Bridge finished five lengths third in a Bath maiden over five furlongs last May but it has all been downhill since then. Will need to improve dramatically for the switch to hurdles.

Arbitrary 1-2-3
1. Goodbye Dancer
2. Sinndar's Man
3. Lamubaaly

Love Tangle 2/3 My Tent Or Yours 2nd Champion Hurdle (G1), Cheltenham 2014
Sinndar's Man 2/3 European Dream 3rd Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle (Listed), Wetherby 2006
Lamubaaly 2/1 Pure Alcohol 6th Prix Roger de Minvielle (Listed), Enghien 2009
Earl's Bridge 3/3 Lazy Darren 3rd Top Novices' Hurdle (G2), Aintree 2008 (2/1 Soviet Sceptre 3/1 Fair Prospect)
Goodbye Dancer 2/2 Six Notes 7th Claiming Hurdle, Avignon 2002
Magic Magnolia No jumps relatives
Nellie The Elegant No jumps relatives

Sires
Sinndar's Man - Sinndar (5)
Love Tangle - Azamour (4)
Magic Magnolia - Azamour (4)
Earl's Bridge - Avonbridge(1)
Lamubaaly - Le Havre
Goodbye Dancer - Dragon Dancer
Nellie The Elegant - Mount Nelson
 
Here are the reviews for the four juvenile hurdles from last week.

Cartmel 25th August
Cartmel's juvenile was taken a few seasons ago by Countrywide Flame although most renewals generally reflect the standard of form associated with the course. Nevertheless, despite the modest early gallop, it was taken by the favourite in a time that was over two seconds faster than the closing novice hurdle won by a 136 rated Irish raider.

Vosne Romanee came here with solid hurdling experience and was really entitled to win the race on paper. He's not completely straightforward however his issues aren't so problematic so as to be any significant cause for concern in the future. Racing prominently, he travelled nicely and jumped cleanly throughout the race before being kept up to his work up the straight. Now that he has his win, he'll be burdened with a penalty which given his clean defeats in his first two starts means he may need a weak contest if he's to score again. Particularly as the stronger types begin to emerge. Darling Boyz was John Quinn's first juvenile of the season and was a maiden after six starts on the flat. He took a fairly keen hold in the race and wandered a little up the straight. However, he really took the eye with his slick and tidy jumping. Whilst he's no superstar, he should pick up a race if he can smooth the edges of his psyche. Fillydelphia showed nothing in four flat starts, was being niggled from before halfway and make a howling blunder at the third last. All the same, this was a career best effort for her. Starting at odds of 66/1 around Cartmel is a statement within itself and whilst there's feasibly a poor race for Fillydelphia, it doesn't bode well for those who finished behind her. Istimraar , in contrast to his two Market Rasen efforts, was held up which saw him finish to slightly better effect. Ironically, his jumping was rather worse on this occasion. In any case, he has yet to look like an obvious winner and he may be better served by a return to the flat. Dry Your Eyes is rather flattered by her flat rating of 68 and was slow at the first but was travelling for much of the race as though she may be involved in the finish. She faded towards the finish and while this was a better effort than the yard's first runner, she isn't brimming with promise at this stage. Tashbeeh settled in midfield at the start, jumped well enough and stayed there for the rest of the race. Not disgraced but, as with his flat form, will need a very poor race if he's to score. Izbushka was sold for only £3,000 after his first two efforts and looks to have regressed again on this evidence. Prim And Proper never featured here and was beaten before the stamina doubts kicked in. Ain't No Surprise has disappointed for a third consecutive start following her promising Market Rasen debut. Lord Brantwood ran a shocking race which was in keeping with his latest flat starts. Kaizen Factor jumped poorly and was beaten early before pulling up.

Stratford 28th August
Announcement was withdrawn following her amusingly recalcitrant behaviour at the start leaving a field of seven - four of them being newcomers.

Mr Gallivanter was the most exciting newcomer and confirmed this sentiment by running out a clear and convincing winner. He tended to run with his head a little high and made a significant blunder three from home but over all, it was a satisfactory debut. It was encouraging to see how easily he regained his rhythm after the error and whilst his shape can a little awkward, he looks set to improve with experience given his size. Dougie Costello said of him that he "does not show a lot at home" and that he will "come on a stone for the experience". His being targeted at Market Rasen or Wetherby, as well as the sustained market support, suggests he's a nice type in John Quinn's yard. Jazzy Lady was having her first run in a while but seemed to improve on her debut at Uttoxeter where she was second to Gimme Five. Her chance was already gone when she blundered at the last and she jumped rather big at a few. Nevertheless, she's brought her flat consistency over hurdles with her and should be able to pick up a race of her own. Gimme Five has been decent so far in his three starts over hurdles and probably jumped best of the field on this occasion. It's not a major disappointment that Jazzy Lady was able to reverse placings with him but this run does expose Gimme Five's overall level ability. Nevertheless, it was a still further thirty lengths back to the fourth. Relentless Pursuit jumped ok but was beginning to lose touch during the back straight. More needed if he's going to be competitive in the future. Ravenous was the last of the well beaten horses to come off the bridle did absolutely nothing when it came to the shove. Could be inconsistent on the flat which may be what happened here. Lady Red Oak was beaten seventy-one lengths but this was still an improvement on her calamitous debut. Malachim Mist was regressive on the flat and continued the slide over hurdles being the first beaten here. Whilst Oliver Sherwood's first runner improved for the experience, Malachim Mist will practically have to turn back time which is beyond the cerebral capacity of a horse.

Down Royal 29th August
Ireland's third juvenile of the season was ran at a reasonable gallop despite the field size although it was slower than the other three races over the distance on the card. Nevertheless, it featured an impressive winner for Willie Mullins.

On paper, Verawal didn't look as strong as his stablemate, Tarabiyn, who was behind Cabarete at Roscommon having sold for nearly 20,000€ less. However, he was backed in to joint favouritism shortly before the off and justified the gamble with an impressive debut effort. Racing prominently, he jumped very well and had all of his rivals off the bridle before three out before readily bounding clear in the straight. He beat a very ordinary bunch here but at the same time, this was comfortably the most impressive performance seen in Ireland this season. He could be a smart prospect. Cabarete was able to implement his favoured front running tactics and despite finishing second for the third time this season, is nothing if not a consistent benchmark. He did make a rather uncharacteristic error four out but that made no difference to the result. He ran into an above average sort here but he deserves to win a race of this nature. Celtic Artisan ran a career best here under either code, finishing much closer to Cabarete than he had at Roscommon. Once again, this represented a middling but unspectacular effort and will most likely need a handicap mark if he's to collect a prize. Harry's Summer finished a further twenty-seven lengths behind in fourth and while he jumped OK, began to get detached from over half a mile out. Artistic Flame was having his first start this year and after taking a keen hold and jumping awkwardly at several of his hurdles finished completely tailed off.

Newton Abbot 30th August
The first Class 3 of the season was ran at Newton Abbot and the market leader was the highest rated juvenile thus far.

Goodbye Dancer was much calmer in the preliminaries than usual and this more relaxed approach was reflected in his race. While he still took a hold, his attitude wasn't as alarming as it had been previously. He set his own steady pace and was still on the bridle approaching the penultimate flight where he made an error. The runner up closed in and forced Goodbye Dancer off the bridle for the first time in the UK. Nevertheless, whilst the turn of foot wasn't as dramatic, it was still effective in putting the race to bed. He wasn't as visually impressive as he had been previously but he was still carrying a double penalty and one imagines he'd be better in a better race. His next appearance is likely to be back at Market Rasen for their Class 2 later in the month. Sinndar's Man was making his racecourse debut and was described beforehand by David Pipe as green and backward. He jumped slowly and carefully at many of his obstacles and looked well beaten in the back straight. However, he began to pick up and stayed on to finish a close enough second. A real learning experience, he should be able to pick up a race of his own before long and may actually be half decent if he can be more streamlined over his hurdles. Magic Magnolia stepped up markedly on her flat form when fifth over course and distance over a fortnight earlier and repeated the trick with another career best. She still made some untidy jumps but her future is in this sphere and a small race wouldn't be above her. Nellie The Elegant disappointed on the flat but was fluent in her jumping and for a moment looked like she was threatening to spring an upset. Her effort petered out however and weakened approaching two out before being eased. Not utterly devoid of promise and capable of running into a place in a small race. Love Tangle was the first beaten and again seemed to have anything on his mind apart from the race. Whilst he jumped a little better than he had at Market Rasen, he continues to disappoint. Earl's Bridge
did not jump fluently and upheld his reputation as a 100/1 shot by finishing stone last. Lamubaaly was very much an unexposed sort coming in and whilst one can afford some leeway on account of the unique hurdles at Newton Abbot, the image of him jinking violently at the second when he got rid of Nick Scholfield before refusing to jump whilst loose is very much etched in the mind at this stage.
 
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