Generous Chief to take charge at Stratford
TODAY sees the last of the evening meetings for this year at Stratford, when the six races will be followed by a Totally 80s Music Night from Touch FM Radio, writes David Hucker.
The racing action gets underway at 5.20pm with the Edward Brain Plant Hire Maiden Hurdle over an extended two and a quarter miles and, although Holy Cross hasn’t matched the exploits of his half-brother Binocular, who won the 2010 Champion Hurdle, he ran well enough behind No Win No Fee over the course last month to suggest that he can take a race of this kind.
He failed to step up on that run when fourth to Mysterious Man over two and a half miles at Worcester, but is dropped back in trip today.
Another who should be in the shake-up is ScarletMinstrel, who made a promising hurdles debut behind Alcock And Brown at Worcester. Runner-up that day was Nikki Steel, who franked the form when winning at Newton Abbot on Saturday.
Spectator, three-times a winner on the Flat for Andrew Balding, makes his jumping debut for new trainer Tim Vaughan. He will be ridden by champion jockey Richard Johnson, who ended a losing run of twelve when winning on his only mount at Southwell yesterday.
Permit-holder Sirrell Griffiths made the headlines when his 100-1 shot Norton’s Coin won the 1990 Cheltenham Gold Cup, but his last training success came five years ago and it is difficult to see point-to-point winner Welsh Designe having the speed to win this.
Whos De Baby is still a maiden after ten races, but he might finally get off the mark in the John Smith´s Novices´ Handicap Chase. He was a 13 fence faller in the race won by Show’s Over at the previous evening meeting, but has been running consistently in recent weeks and races off the same handicap mark of 90 here,
Dual course winner Rossetti tops the weights in the Congratulations On Gold Nick Skelton Handicap Hurdle. Neil Mulholland’s horse is going from strength to strength, coming home 11 lengths clear of Jacks Last Hope a month ago but, he raced off a rating of 121 that day and will need to put up a career-best performance to score again from a mark of 134.
Mrs June Watts paid 15,000 guineas to buy Alyasan after he easily won a selling hurdle at the track last month. He has moved to local trainer Dan Skelton and is the pick of the stable’s three entries for the race. Ridden by the trainer’s brother Harry, Alyasan would be a popular winner of this race marking their father’s achievement at the Olympic Games.
Barman is on a roll, having won his last three races, but is now a full stone higher than for the first of those wins.
Course winner Kapstadt could only finish sixth behind Instant Karma last time out, but the winner scored again at Newton Abbot, so the form looks good. He may, however, still be a little too high in the weights, being 10lbs above his last winning mark
Roman Flight benefited from a last-fence mistake by Sharp Rise to score over the course last month, having not travelled well throughout the race. Subsequently, he could only finish fourth behind at Worcester from 3lb higher in the handicap and races off the same mark in the feature £10,000 Touch FM Totally Eighties Night Handicap Chase.
Trainer David Dennis has opted for this race in preference to the previous hurdle and he may see off Definite Future, who broke his duck over fences when beating Pied du Roi at Worcester, and No Likely, a winner over course and distance back in May, but who has struggled since.
Biggest field of the evening will line up for the H L Barnes & Sons Handicap Hurdle and, despite carrying top weight, the improving Generous Chief might land a hat-trick.
Water Willow makes her handicap debut from a mark of 88 after four attempts in novice company in the concluding Grundon Waste Management Mares´ Handicap Hurdle.
But, the vote goes to Bernisdale, a winner of 11 races in all, including three this summer. Her last win over hurdles came in May at Newton Abbot, a similar track to Stratford, and she should overcome a rise of 5lbs in the weights.