A fine autumn afternoon brought a large crowd to Sandown Park for the course’s first NH meeting of the 2009-10 season. This is often an informative meeting for later in the season but perhaps this season the quality of the card was perhaps a notch down.
The opener was a handicap hurdle for Conditional jockeys over two and a half miles. In truth, these were a pretty modest bunch but the race marked a return to some kind of form for SCOTS DRAGOON. It’s probably fair to say SCOTS DRAGOON hasn’t lived up to some of the hype from two or three seasons ago and he ground it out today just outstaying PSI up the hill. PSI was starting what would be an excellent day for the Gary Moore yard.
The second was getting 4 lbs off the winner but is the much younger individual and could well have some improvement. In addition, he had run well here in the past. PETROUPETROV was supported in the market and stayed on for third albeit well held by the first two. SCOTS DRAGOON has form over fences and may well ply his way between the two. PSI might be an interesting novice chaser in time. BLUE EXPRESS ran a shocker – perhaps this was too soon after Wetherby last weekend.
Race two was perhaps the most interesting of the afternoon, the Beginners chase over two miles. Some nice types have won this in the past and CRACK AWAY JACK, fourth in the Champion Hurdle and rated 163, had scared off most opposition. He was backed in from 4/11 to 1/5 and the good news is that he won without coming off the bridle.
That said, I wasn’t that impressed. There are two good places to judge a novice at Sandown – the railway fences and the downhill fence going away from the stands. CRACK AWAY JACK didn’t handle both that well to be honest. In the end, his pace and class got him through but he had the race that he wanted at the pace he wanted. In the future, his jumping will be tested and I don’t think he will pass that test. I think he already wants two and a half miles and in the hurly-burly of the Arkle he will be caught out. CALUSA CRYSTAL didn’t do too badly and should pick up a small race.
Race three was a juvenile hurdle over two miles. The market suggested that, in the absence of GULF OF AQABA, this was a three-horse race between GILDED AGE, SPACE TELESCOPE and ZARINSKI. BLAZING BUCK set the early gallop but ZARINSKI went on turning for home but never looked like getting away from them. GILDED AGE had been struggling from halfway and faded while SPACE TELESCOPE travelled well to two out before finding nothing.
ZARINSKI was challenged by ASHES SUMMER before BLAZING BUCK re-appeared and swept through to lead at the last and readily held ZARINSKI up the hill, the first two drawing on from SPACE TELESCOPE. The winner had run poorly at Ludlow a fortnight or so ago but that course isn’t to every horse’s taste and it can all happen pretty quickly there especially on fast ground. BLAZING BUCK did seem to flatten out before staying on again and that wouldn’t be such a bad thing at Cheltenham. ZARINSKI was slightly disappointing though I’m sure he’ll come on for the run. Like many mile and a half Flat performers, he needs every inch of two miles and a faster-run race such as the Triumph would probably help.
Race four was a handicap chase over two and a half miles. This looked a trappy heat on paper and produced a typical stirring Sandown finish. NUDGE AND NURDLE was always travelling well just off the pace and cruised up on the bridle two out. In the end, he had to be pushed out to hold DOUBLE DIZZY who ran his best race for some time giving the winner 11 lbs. On this form, DOUBLE DIZZY should pick up a valuable race off his current mark. KALDOUAS ran well enough in third without ever quite getting involved. MISTY DANCER ran a blinder in fourth, travelling well to just before the last and then fading up the hill. He looks a sure-fire future winner.
KEW JUMPER blundered at the first and was never going after that while CALUSA CALDERA was found out in handicap company. COSSACK DANCER raced with the pace until the home turn and may be on the downgrade.
Race five was a handicap hurdle over two miles. Again, this looked a trappy heat but in the end it involved only two from the second last. ZABEEL PALACE came in to the race on the back of a facile win at Ascot but had been kicked up the weights accordingly. Coming to two out, he was cantering but failed to match the pace shown by HARRY TRICKER who held on well up the hill. I heard two or three whispers from HARRY TRICKER before the off and he was well supported. The recent run at Aintree suggested he had every chance off this mark and so it proved. I think the fluency of his jumping has improved his form. Whether he could be a Ladbroke hope I’m not sure but he’s a improving type.
ZABEEL PALACE did nothing wrong and simply came up against a better-handicapped horse. He could still win off this mark and will enjoy a good season while the ground stays on the good or fast side. The others were well beaten off with AKRAM nearly twenty lengths back in third. CALL ME A LEGEND faded badly from two out while PICAROON raced with the pace until weakening from the home turn.
Race six was a three-mile handicap chase. Market support for NAGAM proved badly misplaced as he weakened tamely after the Pond Fence. The race he won on fast ground at Kempton probably wasn’t that good but this was a pretty wretched effort. MOCHO was also well held and I suspect he doesn’t really stay a stiff three miles. RUNSHAN was always prominent and led at the Pond but was readily outpaced from then on by RIVER INDUS and ANY CURRENCY and it was the latter that prevailed up the hill to score decisively.
ANY CURRENCY paid a huge compliment to Pride of Dulcote from this effort but is an improving type in his own right who clearly stays very well. Others to disappoint were RUSTARIX and BUBBLE BOY.
The final event was an interesting Bumper. Prior to racing, the Henderson-trained MASTER OF THE HILL had been well fancied and there were rumours he could start at levels or even odds on but that didn’t happen and he was opposed from 6/4 to 2s while both MEGASTAR and REBEL REBELLION as well as GRAND AWARD attracted support in an active market. They looked a nice bunch in the paddock and the albino horse THE WHITE ADMIRAL is a striking individual.
As usual, they crawled for over a mile with SEAN THORNTON near the pace but a number were travelling strongly on the home turn including MASTER OF THE HILL who cruised to the front two furlongs out. MEGASTAR was being ridden on the outside but found an impressive turn of foot to lead a furlong and a half out. MASTER OF THE HILL found absolutely nothing for pressure and could keep on at the one pace and it was the unconsidered WAYWARD PRINCE who ran on into second in front of REBEL REBELLION.
The winner is highly regarded at the Gary Moore stable and rightly so on this evidence. It’s far too early to talk of Champion Bumpers but he did it very well and is worth watching. WAYWARD PRINCE also ran well as did REBEL REBELLION.
The opener was a handicap hurdle for Conditional jockeys over two and a half miles. In truth, these were a pretty modest bunch but the race marked a return to some kind of form for SCOTS DRAGOON. It’s probably fair to say SCOTS DRAGOON hasn’t lived up to some of the hype from two or three seasons ago and he ground it out today just outstaying PSI up the hill. PSI was starting what would be an excellent day for the Gary Moore yard.
The second was getting 4 lbs off the winner but is the much younger individual and could well have some improvement. In addition, he had run well here in the past. PETROUPETROV was supported in the market and stayed on for third albeit well held by the first two. SCOTS DRAGOON has form over fences and may well ply his way between the two. PSI might be an interesting novice chaser in time. BLUE EXPRESS ran a shocker – perhaps this was too soon after Wetherby last weekend.
Race two was perhaps the most interesting of the afternoon, the Beginners chase over two miles. Some nice types have won this in the past and CRACK AWAY JACK, fourth in the Champion Hurdle and rated 163, had scared off most opposition. He was backed in from 4/11 to 1/5 and the good news is that he won without coming off the bridle.
That said, I wasn’t that impressed. There are two good places to judge a novice at Sandown – the railway fences and the downhill fence going away from the stands. CRACK AWAY JACK didn’t handle both that well to be honest. In the end, his pace and class got him through but he had the race that he wanted at the pace he wanted. In the future, his jumping will be tested and I don’t think he will pass that test. I think he already wants two and a half miles and in the hurly-burly of the Arkle he will be caught out. CALUSA CRYSTAL didn’t do too badly and should pick up a small race.
Race three was a juvenile hurdle over two miles. The market suggested that, in the absence of GULF OF AQABA, this was a three-horse race between GILDED AGE, SPACE TELESCOPE and ZARINSKI. BLAZING BUCK set the early gallop but ZARINSKI went on turning for home but never looked like getting away from them. GILDED AGE had been struggling from halfway and faded while SPACE TELESCOPE travelled well to two out before finding nothing.
ZARINSKI was challenged by ASHES SUMMER before BLAZING BUCK re-appeared and swept through to lead at the last and readily held ZARINSKI up the hill, the first two drawing on from SPACE TELESCOPE. The winner had run poorly at Ludlow a fortnight or so ago but that course isn’t to every horse’s taste and it can all happen pretty quickly there especially on fast ground. BLAZING BUCK did seem to flatten out before staying on again and that wouldn’t be such a bad thing at Cheltenham. ZARINSKI was slightly disappointing though I’m sure he’ll come on for the run. Like many mile and a half Flat performers, he needs every inch of two miles and a faster-run race such as the Triumph would probably help.
Race four was a handicap chase over two and a half miles. This looked a trappy heat on paper and produced a typical stirring Sandown finish. NUDGE AND NURDLE was always travelling well just off the pace and cruised up on the bridle two out. In the end, he had to be pushed out to hold DOUBLE DIZZY who ran his best race for some time giving the winner 11 lbs. On this form, DOUBLE DIZZY should pick up a valuable race off his current mark. KALDOUAS ran well enough in third without ever quite getting involved. MISTY DANCER ran a blinder in fourth, travelling well to just before the last and then fading up the hill. He looks a sure-fire future winner.
KEW JUMPER blundered at the first and was never going after that while CALUSA CALDERA was found out in handicap company. COSSACK DANCER raced with the pace until the home turn and may be on the downgrade.
Race five was a handicap hurdle over two miles. Again, this looked a trappy heat but in the end it involved only two from the second last. ZABEEL PALACE came in to the race on the back of a facile win at Ascot but had been kicked up the weights accordingly. Coming to two out, he was cantering but failed to match the pace shown by HARRY TRICKER who held on well up the hill. I heard two or three whispers from HARRY TRICKER before the off and he was well supported. The recent run at Aintree suggested he had every chance off this mark and so it proved. I think the fluency of his jumping has improved his form. Whether he could be a Ladbroke hope I’m not sure but he’s a improving type.
ZABEEL PALACE did nothing wrong and simply came up against a better-handicapped horse. He could still win off this mark and will enjoy a good season while the ground stays on the good or fast side. The others were well beaten off with AKRAM nearly twenty lengths back in third. CALL ME A LEGEND faded badly from two out while PICAROON raced with the pace until weakening from the home turn.
Race six was a three-mile handicap chase. Market support for NAGAM proved badly misplaced as he weakened tamely after the Pond Fence. The race he won on fast ground at Kempton probably wasn’t that good but this was a pretty wretched effort. MOCHO was also well held and I suspect he doesn’t really stay a stiff three miles. RUNSHAN was always prominent and led at the Pond but was readily outpaced from then on by RIVER INDUS and ANY CURRENCY and it was the latter that prevailed up the hill to score decisively.
ANY CURRENCY paid a huge compliment to Pride of Dulcote from this effort but is an improving type in his own right who clearly stays very well. Others to disappoint were RUSTARIX and BUBBLE BOY.
The final event was an interesting Bumper. Prior to racing, the Henderson-trained MASTER OF THE HILL had been well fancied and there were rumours he could start at levels or even odds on but that didn’t happen and he was opposed from 6/4 to 2s while both MEGASTAR and REBEL REBELLION as well as GRAND AWARD attracted support in an active market. They looked a nice bunch in the paddock and the albino horse THE WHITE ADMIRAL is a striking individual.
As usual, they crawled for over a mile with SEAN THORNTON near the pace but a number were travelling strongly on the home turn including MASTER OF THE HILL who cruised to the front two furlongs out. MEGASTAR was being ridden on the outside but found an impressive turn of foot to lead a furlong and a half out. MASTER OF THE HILL found absolutely nothing for pressure and could keep on at the one pace and it was the unconsidered WAYWARD PRINCE who ran on into second in front of REBEL REBELLION.
The winner is highly regarded at the Gary Moore stable and rightly so on this evidence. It’s far too early to talk of Champion Bumpers but he did it very well and is worth watching. WAYWARD PRINCE also ran well as did REBEL REBELLION.
