The Whitbread

If Soldier Of Love runs I'll be backing him again. The Denmarks won it last year with Talkischeap and about 10 years ago with Hennessy.
 
The Whitbread field

Crosspark
Potterman
El Presente
Enrilo
Smooth Stepper
Irish Prophecy
The Young Master
Cap du Nord
Golan Fortune
Kitty's Light
Plan of Attack
Larry
Checkitout
Doing Fine
Bob Mahler
Supreme Escape
 
Diamond Geezer said:
The Whitbread field

Crosspark
Potterman
El Presente
Enrilo
Smooth Stepper
Irish Prophecy
The Young Master
Cap du Nord
Golan Fortune
Kitty's Light
Plan of Attack
Larry
Checkitout
Doing Fine
Bob Mahler
Supreme Escape
Click to expand...

I know this tends to be said about many races nowadays but that is a truly shite field.

When Crosspark (admirable as he is) is top weight for a Whitbread/365 Chase it's a sorry affair
 
In the Celebration Chase, I reckon Greaneteen might be a few lbs better going right-handed than left, and he rates a fair price at 6/1 to turn around the QMCC form.

PTKO has to be vulnerable at this trip on quick ground, Sceau Royal is still a world-class woofer, and Altior a goner.
 
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He wont be my only bet - I’ll have one more and as unimaginative as it is it’ll probably be Plan of Attack because of the paucity of viable alternatives and that the only realistic ones have hefty weights to carry over a extended 3.5m - but I’ve taken 18/1 e/w Supreme Escape because he has both stamina and a featherweight. Not very scientific admittedly.
 
Its a shame for such a race to move in my mind from the Grade A anticipated handicaps along with the old Makeson and old Hennessey to be on a par of the Badger Ales. It used to be the case that any long distance horse in any decent form regardless of class might throw the dice for the last go of the season. 20 years since Ad Hoc beat Whats up Boys. Getting old.
 
My take:

[TABLE="width: 377"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]Horse
[/TD]
[TD]Age
[/TD]
[TD]Weight
[/TD]
[TD]MON
164
[/TD]
[TD]Notes
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Bob Mahler
[/TD]
[TD]9
[/TD]
[TD]10-8
[/TD]
[TD]168
[/TD]
[TD]e d
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Plan Of Attack
[/TD]
[TD]8
[/TD]
[TD]11-0
[/TD]
[TD]167
[/TD]
[TD]? p
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Cap Du Nord
[/TD]
[TD]8
[/TD]
[TD]11-2
[/TD]
[TD]164
[/TD]
[TD]t
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Golan Fortune
[/TD]
[TD]9
[/TD]
[TD]11-2
[/TD]
[TD]163
[/TD]
[TD]nov
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Larry
[/TD]
[TD]8
[/TD]
[TD]10-12
[/TD]
[TD]163
[/TD]
[TD]? t nov
[169?]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] The Young Master
[/TD]
[TD]12
[/TD]
[TD]11-4
[/TD]
[TD]162
[/TD]
[TD]?
{165?}
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Potterman
[/TD]
[TD]8
[/TD]
[TD]11-9
[/TD]
[TD]159
[/TD]
[TD]p
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] El Presente
[/TD]
[TD]8
[/TD]
[TD]11-9
[/TD]
[TD]159
[/TD]
[TD]p
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Smooth Stepper
[/TD]
[TD]12
[/TD]
[TD]11-4
[/TD]
[TD]159
[/TD]
[TD]? v
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Kitty's Light
[/TD]
[TD]5
[/TD]
[TD]11-1
[/TD]
[TD]158
[/TD]
[TD]p
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Checkitout
[/TD]
[TD]7
[/TD]
[TD]10-11
[/TD]
[TD]158
[/TD]
[TD]+p
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Crosspark
[/TD]
[TD]11
[/TD]
[TD]11-12
[/TD]
[TD]157
[/TD]
[TD]?
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Enrilo
[/TD]
[TD]7
[/TD]
[TD]11-5
[/TD]
[TD]157
[/TD]
[TD]p nov
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Irish Prophecy
[/TD]
[TD]8
[/TD]
[TD]11-4
[/TD]
[TD]157
[/TD]
[TD]+p nov
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Doing Fine
[/TD]
[TD]13
[/TD]
[TD]10-11
[/TD]
[TD]155
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Supreme Escape
[/TD]
[TD]7
[/TD]
[TD]10-0
[/TD]
[TD]154
[/TD]
[TD]p nov
[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]


(Prices as of Friday pm)

Bob Mahler (33/1) has been disappointing this season but showed a little more spark the last twice and is a big price. He is worth a small sickness insurance premium.

Plan Of Attack (9/2) could well keep the run of Irish handicappers going this season. He wouldn’t have beaten Mount Ida last time but he looked like being third at worst. Bob Mahler was unlucky to stumble over him and wouldn’t have been too far behind at the line. That race might just be the key to this one.

Cap Du Nord (16/1) represents the Royale Pagaille form but I thought he faded after the last at Doncaster and don’t fancy him to get up the hill here although I may have read somewhere that he wasn’t 100% ready for that race. He can also jump left, though, which won’t help his cause.

Golan Fortune (10/1) is interesting. He’s still a novice and runs off a similar mark as his hurdles one. He stays well over hurdles and has form on decent ground. The trainer bought him out of a partnership this week and puts Scu up but I’d have thought 20s would been around.

Larry (40/1) is a total dark one for a trainer who targets races at this track. He failed by a neck to give Bob Mahler 8lbs two years ago at Newbury and followed up with a win in the novices’ handicap chase at this meeting, for which he went up to 146. He could have improved had he been able to race more yet poor form in three runs means he gets in here off 10lbs less (and due to drop another 4lbs). He has to be worth a small interest at the price.

Previous winner The Young Master would have a shout on his best form but he’s a veteran now and even that best form might not be good enough.

Potterman (12/1) and El Presente (7/1) are weighted to dead-heat on their Wincanton form but they need to improve. I can let them go at the prices.

Smooth Stepper (33/1) is too old and there’s a doubt about the reliability of his rating as it was in bottomless ground at Haydock.

Kitty’s Light carried my cash behind El Presente and Potterman at Wincanton but repaid it with interest last time. Still only five, there’s no doubt improvement to come but I can let 6/1 go too.

Checkitout (40s but shorter and blue in most places) has a good profile being a first-season novice but he has already improved 10lbs so far and could be about to plateau.

Crosspark surely can’t win and 12/1 strikes me as awful value.

Enrilo (6/1) should have his chance for Nicholls but is another whose price doesn’t appeal.

I prefer the chances of Irish Prophecy (16/1) who is also closely weighted with El Presente but might not have as much scope for further improvement.

Doing Fine does fine here but this is too hot a contest for him.

Supreme Escape (14/1 tops and blue – I assume someone of effluence has put him up…) is very short for one who doesn’t look anywhere near well enough handicapped, being 3lbs ‘wrong’ and having already improved a fair bit to get on to his current mark.

Now that I’ve laid out my thoughts on paper, I’m going to take Golan Fortune and Larry against the field with sickness insrance on Bob Mahler and a covering stake on Plan Of Attack. At least that’s my plan of attack.
 
This is my marmite race. It's ****.

It's the jumps version of the Ebor

Both over exposed and usually won by very forgettable horses.
 
I no need to put my thoughts as you have written more or less what I was thinking DO.
I've done Larry,Bob and cap with a cover on plan.
Sorted.
 
I fancy Potterman to land this. I can't complain about odds of 12/1.

I fancy there's every chance he will improve over the extended trip of 3M5F, a distance he's never run over before. I also think he will like this right handed track too.
 
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Euronymous said:
This is my marmite race. It's ****.

It's the jumps version of the Ebor

Both over exposed and usually won by very forgettable horses.
Click to expand...

I agree this is a disappointing renewal but I always look forward to both it and the Ebor (among so many other races).

It might be an age thing with me.

I remember my father and older brothers were on Larbawn, then there was Titus Oates, lots of seriously good winners right through the '70s and '80s, including Dessie, and Mr Frisk following up his National win in sensational style.

It's probably fair to say the last 20 years haven't stirred the blood as much either but that's maybe an age thing for me too. I mean, I don't break into a sweat any more at the thought of a threesome with Carol Kirkwood and Rachel Riley...
 
I think i'm prejudiced against longer handicaps. Love the Cambridgeshire, hate the ces. Love a good 2 - 2 and a half m handicap chase but lose interest once they go over more than 3 miles.
 
Grasshopper said:
In the Celebration Chase, I reckon Greaneteen might be a few lbs better going right-handed than left, and he rates a fair price at 6/1 to turn around the QMCC form.

PTKO has to be vulnerable at this trip on quick ground, Sceau Royal is still a world-class woofer, and Altior a goner.
Click to expand...

Great call GH. PTKO inconvenienced at the start and by Nuts Well at the first but ground too quick anyway


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What a cracking finish again and oh how unlucky for kitty backers.
Well done marb with potterman who surely will get the race.
 
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Quite a finish!

Great boost for the Badger Ales form. Maybe I need to re-visit it. I backed Kitty's Light that day when he was really unlucky and I backed Potterman at long odds in the Hennessy because he was officially well in.

Enrilo might be the best horse on the day. He maybe idled up the run-in, I don't know. Kitty's Light, I think, would have gone past him and maybe Enrilo wouldn't have had time to respond.

If Potterman gets the race he can be counted very lucky. He was the third-best horse in the race but well done to his backers on a nice winner if he gets it.
 
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Not a very satisfactory result. How many times has it happened in the race now? What a horse Kitty’s Light is. Are there many more Nathaniels over jumps?
 
I lost on the race but thoroughly enjoyed it. My top-rateds were based on cherry-picking and they haven't run to those figures but otherwise the right horses were there at the end.

Good race, good finish with a bit of controversy and the stewards having their say.

Can't ask for much more (apart from making a profit).
 
Would Harry Skelton have kept the horse straight at the end if he’d known him better? Just something that crossed mind as I was walking the dog.
 
I’ve just looked at a rerun of the race and Kitty’s Light seemed to be drifting right on the run in. Ok I know Enrilo did veer sharply to the left as well. Potterman was running straight.
 
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