Mark Howard's forthcoming One Jump Ahead, due out in a couple of week's time, is to feature various French horses purchased by some of the bigger stables amongst others. He is quoted as saying there could be tremendous strength in depth in this season's juvenile hurdles, if the new recruits are anything to go by.
We shall see.
Ordered it yesterday. There have been a fair few mentioned in this thread already so am excited to see what I've missed. If nothing else then I think we might finally find out who will be training Prunay!
Duffel coat good at punchestown.
Certainly looked good and it will be interesting to see what he does tomorrow.
There has been a break in juvenile hurdling during which time I have extended the big spreadsheet to include every juvenile hurdler since 2008/09. Apologies for missing the preview for the Punchestown race and there are a couple of reviews due which will be posted now.
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The field assembled for Fontwell's first juvenile of the season was no better than average but there were winners from the flat and jumps along with a promising import from Ireland. It was taken by an improving maiden who set a searching gallop which secured her the race before the turn for home. The winning time was nearly six seconds slower than the opening novice hurdle taken by penalised 128 rated front-runner. This puts the quality of the form in perspective and it is fair to assume that a couple of these ran below par for whatever reason. Nevertheless, the first four places were filled by horses with hurdling experience and the winner was the best on the day.
Talking About You's disposition had looked suspect on her previous two starts over hurdles but a pre-race routine of being kept from her rivals saw improvement on her debut effort and the same precautions were employed here. She was keen in the early stages but once she was allowed her head, she settled into a comfortable rhythm. She wandered into the fourth flight before walking through it but otherwise she put in a polished and effcient round of jumping which clearly helped her cause. There was already a gap between herself and the field after the third flight and that gap never looked like being closed. She could be called the winner some way from home but it would be unfair to suggest that James Davies somehow stole the race as her rivals has ample opportunity to make inroads and most were tired before the home straight. She was ultimately a decisive winner and was eased to a walk at the line. However, her superiority ought not be overestimated as she hung quite badly after the last and stopped very quickly when eased which would suggest that she did not have a great deal left in reserve. Nevertheless, this marked another step forward and as connections learn more about her, she is capable of further improvement.
105
Big Jimbo had little right to be involved here on the basis of his debut run at Bangor and a more recent spin on the flat still left him with plenty to find. Representing a yard that does well with juveniles at the track, he was the subject of a market move throughout the day although this was not sustained in the ring. Kept towards the rear for much of the race, he stayed on past beaten horses and while he never threatened the winner, he finished clear of the remainder. He was slightly big at the first and late going into the sixth but his jumping was otherwise fine and this represents a career best. The improvement can be put down to an appreciation of a trip which rather belies his pedigree but it must also be noted that he was gelded since his debut effort. There is scope for further improvement although he is probably not a great deal better than this level.
102
Orchestral Rain's UK bow can only be regarded as a disappointment since a mere reproduction of his promising Roscommon run would most likely have been enough to win this race. While he was big at the first, his jumping was fine although he was late at consecutive flights in the back straight. He was the last of those tracking the winner to be beaten but was a spent force in the straight and barely clambered over the final two flights. He shaped like a the trip would be fine in his two prior runs although there were some marginal doubts on his sirelines. It is possible that a lack of concentration caused a few of his errors and consumed more energy than was necessary so he could benefit from the application of headgear. This inexperienced horse has already shown himself to be better than this and can be forgiven this outing for the time being.
96
Topkapi Star won at Uttoxeter but was another who failed to build on a promising debut. She was not as fancied in the market on this occasion and while she jumped and travelled well enough for a long way, she weakened tamely when turning for home. She was not the most consistent type on the flat and this was not a going day for her. Furthermore, the race she won at Uttoxeter looked poor at the time and has not worked out brilliantly either. Topkapi Star is better than this but a reproduction of her best form is not assured and would still leave her vulnerable under a penalty in any case.
81
Poker Master had only two of his fifteen rivals behind him in a couple of flat races during the summer so there was not a great deal expected of him here. His jumping was perfectly acceptable here and he could be competitive in a weak enough contest in the future but there was little else immediately encouraging about this effort.
77
Highlander Madrik won on the flat in France and was sent off second favourite here but finished a tailed off last. He was not fluent at the first and found himself rather squeezed out early on but was already tired by the back straight. He was beaten a long way from home but like others from his yard with his background, it is not unfair to assume that he can eventually build considerably on this effort.
49
Nyah was making her racecourse debut for a yard not renowned for its juvenile hurdlers. Setting off in the rear, she skewed badly over the first and while he was fine over the second, he effectively refused at the third and got rid of her jockey in the process.
0
PUNCHESTOWN
Punchestown is one of the elite jumps tracks in Ireland and its autumnal juvenile hurdles have a fine roll call over the years including the likes of Espoir d'Allen, Aspire Tower and Mitchouka. The race back on the eighth was something of an anomaly for the venue as while the course stages maiden hurdles fairly regularly, it has been almost sixteen years since it hosted any juvenile in the month of September. It was a well contested affair for the time of year as the line-up contained the highest rated flat horse seen thus far this season along with three other winners from that sphere. There was also placed hurdling form, representatives from three top yards, and a pair of well related newcomers. The race was ran at a solid tempo and the winning time was quicker than both maiden hurdles and one of the bumpers on the card.
Duffle Coat was making his racecourse debut and while he was naturally green, he still travelled and jumped like a seasoned professional. After settling in the rear for much of the race, he effortlessly progressed to the front rank on the approach to the straight. Taking the widest route on the final turn, he needed only hands and heels encouragement to lead before the last and he won going away from the field. He provided his sire with his first winning juvenile although his dosage index is considerably lower than those of his paternal siblings. There were stronger clues on the damline as Duffle Coat is a half-brother to the highly talented but ill-fated Starchitect along with winning hurdler Redemption Song. His granddam was a half-sister to the useful Rio De Janeiro as well as the dam of Royal Bond runner up triplicate. Duffle Coat was a big drifter in the market beforehand but he could hardly have made a more favourable impression first time out. The bare form is some way off pattern class but it would still be as good as anything seen so far this year and with improvement for the experience almost guaranteed, it would be no surprise to see him compete with merit in good races.
127
Crassus represented a Noel Meade yard with typically does very well in this sphere. While he has yet to send out a winning juvenile this season, three of his four runners have ran with credit and Crassus did the same here. His recent flat form has not matched the best of his two-year-old efforts but this outing would mark a new career high. Finishing best of those who raced prominently, Crassus jumped and travelled well for the most part and was comfortably on top of all bar one of his rivals. He is not especially bred for a jumps career, nor is he an obvious type for the better races but he ran to a fair standard first time and should be very competitive at this kind of level.
117
Scholastic has won three races on the flat at distances up to twelve furlongs but she made an alarming spectacle of herself as a loose horse on her jumps debut at Down Royal. She made an almighty blunder at the first flight here but while she lacked fluency at a few of her other jumps, she put in a more respectable round overall. Her official flat figure of 70 probably represents the ceiling of her ability but she has enough scope to reach a similar level over hurdles.
103
Sweet Sixteen outran her 66/1 odds when third in an attritional contest on her hurdles debut at Tipperary and put up another creditable performance here. Her jumping was sound and after being hampered half way, she stayed on well without threatening the leaders. Her form is no better than average at this juncture but she has shown promise and when she encounters softer ground as she matures then she can improve further on these efforts.
102
Yulong Voice was last of three finishers in an eventful Down Royal contest on his hurdles debut but that was not a run without promise and he at least maintained that level here. Apart from getting close to the last, his jumping was fine and while he may struggle to be competitive in open company, he should have a future in handicaps.
106
Poets Touch was rather unfairly maligned as a dodgy character when his being carried out on his second outing was erroneously recorded as a refusal. There appeared to be nothing wrong with his attitude on this occasion and apart from steadying into the fifth, put in a perfectly respectable round of jumping here. He had yet to be asked any serious questions when still in contention at Down Royal but was beaten on merit on this occasion and is probably quite limited. There are races where he can be competitive but perhaps not at this level.
97
Bigz Belief has shown nothing better than modest form in nine runs on the flat and his jumping was not the most fluent on his hurdles debut. He raced prominently however and was not headed until just before the home turn so there were hints of promise. This matches the best of his flat form and there is potential for improvement although he would still be some way off threatening the judge in this class of race.
96
At War is a half-brother to the good handicapper Baltimore Rock and his best flat form entitles him to be competitive at this level. However, he has been out of sorts recently and similar comments apply to the form of his yard. Nevertheless, while he was comprehensively beaten in the end, he did jump well here and if his yard can regain the winning thread then he is capable of leaving this form behind.
81
Estepona Sun is the highest rated flat horse to have ran in juvenile hurdles this season and was being prepared by Ger Lyons for a jumps career before he was bought out of a Leopardstown claimer for €25,000. However, he completely lacked fluency on his hurdles debut and almost fell after getting in way too close to the fourth. He is obviously capable of better but there was little encouragement to be drawn from his first outing over hurdles.
65
Sister Eliza had run creditably on her first two starts over hurdles but while she jumped well enough in the front ranks, she dropped away very quickly with plenty of the race still to be run. She was was below her best here and she may benefit from freshening up. Particularly as all of her seven career starts have occurred since the end of June and she was on the ground for a while after being brought down on her previous outing.
49
A Mere Bagatelle showed very little on the flat in three starts on the flat as a two-year-old and while there was a modicum of promise on his hurdles debut at Roscommon, he has regressed on his two subsequent starts. There was initially an attempt to race prominently but a blunder at the second along with his slow jumping dragged him to the rear of the field.
48
Cardinal Rule was winless in eight starts on the flat but he came into this race on the back of a career best fourth in a fourteen furlong Killarney handicap on heavy ground. Although his stable is not renowned for its juvenile hurdlers, Cardinal Rule was the subject of significant market support which saw him backed from 16/1 to 9/2. However, his chances were effectively ended by a pair of decidedly reluctant jumps at the first two flights and while his jumping did improve from thereon, he never regained his position and ultimately finished tailed off. Better was clearly expected and his stamina for the game is no concern but there have to be doubts regarding his aptitude.
53
Dawn Over Owning started the race as favourite and his win over a mile and six in a Killarney handicap accounted for any stamina concerns brought by his precocious sire. However, while his jumping was largely fine, he never looked like landing a blow and was eased after dropping away three flights from home. A gelding operation might help him move on from this effort but he has plenty to prove on this evidence.
52
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And so that every juvenile hurdler gets a review, even in handicaps, here is one for Historic Heart's run at Fontwell.
Historic Heart came into the race on the back of a maiden victory in a Sedgefield juvenile sixteen days earlier. The form of that race was subsequently boosted when runner up Talking About You ran out an emphatic winner at Fontwell. What was noticeable here was the size difference between himself and his older rivals which suggested that every one of his eighteen pounds WFA allowance was justified. Historic Heart was bumped after the first but he subsequently enjoyed a trouble free passage and while his jumping did not feature the efficiency of a champion hurdler, it was perfectly acceptable for the level at which he is competing. Just as he had done at Sedgefield, he wandered around in the home straight and got in close to the last two as a result. Nevertheless, he plugged on well enough to finish seven and a half lengths fourth and was eleven lengths clear of the remainder. He ran off a mark of 110 which is three pounds higher than what I gave him for his Sedgefield win. All things considered, he probably ran right up to that mark and though the allowances will become less generous as he matures physically, he has the potential to improve further if he matures mentally.
107
