Tag: alan king

Newbury Friday Preview

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The dust has finally settled on the Cheltenham Festival 2015 and National Hunt fans are now looking forward to Aintree and Punchestown. Newbury provides some decent jumping action on Friday with all of the top stables represented.

Alan King’s festival was saved by Tony McCoy’s inspired ride on Uxizandre in the Ryanair Chase. He has a useful hurdling prospect in Inner Drive in the opening race at 2.10. The son of Heron Island was runner-up in his two bumper races but returned after more than a year off the track to thrash a decent field at Huntingdon. Wayne Hutchinson barely had to shake him up to storm clear by fourteen lengths.

This is a tricky little contest and I am always reluctant to pass over Nicky Henderson’s runners here, even if his older novices disappointed last week. He still saddled a Triumph Hurdle tri-cast and a big handicap winner so all is not doom and gloom at the Lambourn yard. Champagne Express had his form boosted by the runner-up yesterday and is feared most.

The three-mile handicap hurdle looks no easier to solve but it may pay to side with Tony McCoy on top weight Last Shadow. He is going up in trip but the first two pulled right away when he was second at Kempton last time. He does not look to be up against a great lot here with the lowly weighted Bold Adventure one of the few with winning form over three miles. He would have a chance but is unlikely to find much improvement at the age of eleven.

Whatever the fate of Champagne Express in the first, I expect Henderson to score with Medieval Chapel in the Brown Chamberlin Trophy at 3.45. The grey races in the colours of Simonsig and gave a pretty good impression of that horse at a couple of his fences at Fakenham last time. He won with any amount in hand and a 6lbs penalty looks lenient. Desert Joe carries the same penalty but looked flat out to score last time for Alan King.

Gassin Golf will be fancied in the two-mile handicap hurdle but I would go each-way if you are putting your faith in this one. He ran well when third in the Imperial Cup but has finished runner-up nine times since he last put his head in front! I prefer to take a chance with the lightly-raced Baby King for Tom George. He looked like beating Royal Guardsman here last time out but faded on the run-in. He is 4lbs better off here and will be having only the fifth race of his career.

Inner Drive 2.10 @4-1 Betfair

Last Shadow 3.10 @9-2 Bet365

Medieval Chapel 3.45 @4-1 Ladbrokes

Baby King 4.20 @8-1 Paddy Power

Ptit Zig fancied for Betfair Ascot Chase

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One of the most exciting prospects for the Cheltenham festival in March is the Paul Nicholls-trained Ptit Zig who is unbeaten in four starts over fences. He is set to line up in Saturday’s Betfair Ascot Chase after stable companion Al Ferof was ruled out through injury.

The sponsors put up Balder Succes as the 9-4 favourite on Tuesday with Ptit Zig at 11-4 but I don’t think that price will last long. Ptit Zig was long odds-on at Exeter and Warwick in November and won both races without any fuss. He was then upped in class to a Grade 2 at Ascot and dished out a nine-lengths beating to the odds-on Josses Hill.

The runner-up was surprisingly beaten last week in his Cheltenham prep but remains a serious chasing prospect. It was the superior speed on the flat which was particularly impressive about the winner, quickening clear after the last. Traffic Flude finished almost 30 lengths behind Ptit Zig but won readily at Plumpton on Monday.

Nicholls sent the son of Great Pretender to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and he put Champagne West by six lengths. As at Ascot, Ptit Zig showed a good turn of foot from the last and his most likely target is the JLT Novices’ Chase at the festival.

Alan King’s Balder Succes was thought to be a likely contender for the Champion Chase at the start of the season but he suffered defeats on his first three starts. He was slightly disappointing when only fourth to Dodging Bullets in the Tingle Creek Chase in December. He was then beaten by Special Tiara at Kempton but bounced back to win on the same course in January.

Champagne Fever was a high class hurdler but has proved a little erratic over fences. He came close to winning the Arkle last season when just beaten on the nod by Western Warhorse. His only victory since was at Clonmel in November. He did not seem to get home when fourth to Silviniaco Conti at Kempton in the King George VI Chase and fell at Thurles last time. He looked beaten at the time with Don Cossack going on to win well.

Ma Filleule looked a very exciting prospect when winning at Aintree in April and shaped well when only a length and a half behind Sam Winner at the same course in December. The grey still holds a Gold Cup entry and may find one or two of these too quick here.

Ptit Zig 3.50 Ascot @11-4 Betfair

Taunton Wednesday Preview

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The pick of the National Hunt action comes from Taunton on Wednesday with a six-race card starting at 1.40.

The first race is a three-mile maiden hurdle restricted to five-year-olds and upwards so it is no surprise to see some real chasing types set to line up. The Chuckmeister won a point-to-point in Ireland and has now joined the Paul Nicholls stable. He is related to an old favourite of mine in Moorcroft Boy, a gallant winner of the Scottish National. He may not reach those heights but he jumps and stays and can get the better of Local Show who has shown decent form in similar events.

Vago Collonges will be a popular fancy to score for the same stable in the following novices’ hurdle at 2.10. He would be a certainty if able to reproduce his 2013 Champion Bumper form at Aintree but he has proved to be very frustrating since. Nicholls is applying the hood for the first time on Wednesday but I am sticking with the hat-trick seeking Rock The Kasbah.

He represents the Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson team and looks a very straight-forward ride. He tracked the leaders last time before picking them up in the home straight and winning nicely.

The handicap chase at 2.40 brings together a couple of horses that arguably should have won last time out but for their jumping. Pinkneys Pride loomed up on the outside full of running at Wincanton and looked unfortunate to knuckle on landing. He had raced very keenly and got close to a couple of fences but he was entitled to after a lengthy lay-off.

The danger is Alan King’s Money For Nothing who ploughed through the second-last here behind Un Ajou in December. He was slow at the last three fences and it didn’t look the greatest race in the world so I’m siding with the top weight, Pinkneys Pride.

David Pipe can land the handicap hurdle at 3.10 with the grey Bladoun. I don’t like backing horses that have been clobbered by the handicapper and this one is up 13lbs. However, Tom Scudamore had practically pulled him up before the line and he was higher in the handicap a couple of seasons ago. You could make a case for several of the others but I am most fearful of Mr Fitzroy who produced a 25-1 shock at Lingfield and is only up 5lbs.

The Chuckmeister 1.40 @2-1 Betfair

Rock The Kasbah 2.10 @4-5 Betfair

Pinkneys Pride 2.40 @5-2 Coral

Bladoun 3.10 @15-8 Paddy Power

Sussex National Day Preview

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Plumpton used to be my local course so I always look forward to the Sussex National meeting which takes place on Sunday.

It has attracted a typically strong field including Reblis who did this column a favour a year ago when sluicing through the mud for Gary Moore. He is back attempting a repeat victory and is 2lbs lower in the weights than last season after some moderate efforts. It seems safe to assume that this race has been the target for him but I just wonder if it is going to be soft enough for the son of Assessor.

Venetia Williams runs two here in Tarraco and Gorgehous Lliege. The former has had a hike in the weights after winning easily last time but the punters have gone for Gorgehous Lliege in the early betting. I watched his run closely last time and he was almost carried out by a rival, losing all momentum and never managing to get back into the contest. He didn’t quite do enough for me that day and I’ll side with Tarraco who looks better value at around 10-1.

Nicky Henderson claimed the big prize on Saturday with L’Ami Serge at Sandown and he should be on target with Caracci Apache in the 1.50. This one got up late to beat stable companion Clean Sheet last time out and the runner-up has gone in since. He looked as though he may only be fourth approaching two out but stayed on very strongly and stamina can again win the day here. Kilgeel Heel is the obvious danger but may not have quite as much scope as the Henderson horse.

Pain Au Chocolat should get punters off to a winning start at 12.50 after a very promising first run for the Million In Mind Partnership. He didn’t do anything wrong but was just outpaced from the last and will have learned a lot from the experience. The useful flat performer Devilment is the main threat for John Ferguson.

The novice chase at 1.20 may only have four runners but three of them are clearly above average. Chris Pea Green has bolted up here on his last two starts and was a fair hurdler last season while Grumeti was placed in the Triumph Hurdle a couple of seasons back. I am going to oppose both with David Pipe’s Sail By The Sea who won a hurdle by 25 lengths and receives weight from his rivals.

Pain Au Chocolat 12.50 @Evens Betfair

Sail By The Sea 1.20 @5-2 Bet365

Carraci Apache 1.50 @13-8 Bet365

Tarraco @10-1 Betfair

Midnight Prayer can take Chepstow marathon

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The Coral Welsh Grand National is one of my favourite races of the National Hunt season. The roll of honour includes names like Burrough Hill Lad, Bonanza Boy, Carvill’s Hill, Riverside Boy, Master Oats and Earth Summit.

It is well established as a trial for the Grand National with more recent winners including Bindaree and Silver Birch plus Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronized. There are the occasional shock winners, notably Dream Alliance in 2009 and Mountainous last year.

Mountainous is back again attempting a repeat for Richard Lee but may struggle to confirm the form with runner-up Hawkes Point. The Paul Nicholls-trained nine-year-old ran the race of his life when going under by just a head and will have been sharpened up by his run here at the start of the month. He is racing off just a 2lbs higher mark this time and will have been aimed at this race for some time.

I had Shotgun Paddy in mind for this race after watching him slog his way to victory at Warwick last season. He made a couple of costly errors when runner-up to Midnight Prayer at the Cheltenham festival but it is the increase in the weights that has put me off his chances. He must now carry 11st 12lb which is a daunting prospect for such an inexperienced chaser.

Alan King’s Midnight Prayer had a length and a quarter to spare that day and is as tough as old boots. The Hennessy Gold Cup always looked likely to prove a little too hot for him but he jumped well before fading in the home straight. He is 8lbs better off with Shotgun Paddy and that has to give him a leading chance. He looks great each-way value at around 11-1.

Monbeg Dude won here in 2013 ran an eye-catching race in the Hennessy. He stayed on well in the closing stages to finish fourth behind Many Clouds. He has a touch of class having won a Grade 3 chase at Cheltenham last December and finished a respectable seventh in the Grand National. The worry for his supporters is the weight as he is up 18lbs in the handicap since his win in this race.

Benvolio gave 3lbs and a two-length beating to Midnight Prayer when the two met at Newbury last year and is 5lbs better off with the King runner. He also holds Gas Line Boy on that form and ran well when fourth behind Court By Surprise at Wincanton in November. He does not have that much chasing experience but makes more appeal than David Pipe’s Amigo who was only seventh here a year ago.

Midnight Prayer @11-1 32Red

Benvolio @14-1 Coral

Each-way ¼ odds 1,2,3,4

Doncaster Tuesday Preview

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The racing this week is a bit of an anti-climax after three days of top quality action from Cheltenham but I’ve picked out a couple of horses from Doncaster on Tuesday.

The first is an unraced novice hurdler called Annalulu who makes her debut for Highclere Racing and new trainer Paul Nicholls at 1.20. She is a daughter of Hurricane Run out of a mare by Loup Solitaire and was a pretty useful performer on the flat in France.

She won on her fourth start in a modest three-runner event over a mile and three-quarters and went on to win a very competitive handicap over the same distance at Deauville in July. She was due to run on Monday at Leicester but was taken out because of the heavy ground and should find conditions more suitable at Town Moor.

They don’t look a great bunch in opposition on Tuesday with Witch From Rome the pick on form after three placed efforts. The Tim Easterby pair were moderate on the flat but Dan Skelton’s Boss Des Mottes could be a threat. He is another French import but he will have to be useful to concede 7lbs to Annalulu.

My second bet of the day is Shadows Lengthen in the handicap chase at 2.50. If you’ve seen footage of this one’s victory at Wetherby last month you will be very tempted by Paddy Power offering 6-1 in their early price list. He is up 8lbs for a seven-length win over Off The Ground, although he could have doubled the winning margin if he’d been ridden out.

That was an impressive performance after a prep run in a handicap hurdle at the same course two weeks’ earlier. Brian Harding took up the running with three to jump and had his rivals in deep trouble from that point on. He was carrying 11st 11lb and only has an extra pound on his back tomorrow.

It’s quite a competitive event with the consistent Violets Bay running for Harry Redknapp and Crazy Jack making his chasing bow after a good run over hurdles. Uriah Heep won on his first start over fences for Alan King while Robbie is another with each-way claims after a good run at Musselburgh. I just liked the way Shadows Lengthen travelled and jumped at Wetherby and expect him to start a lot shorter than 6-1.

Annalulu 1.20 Doncaster @6-5 Betfair

Shadows Lengthen 2.50 Doncaster @6-1 Paddy Power