12 Jun 2019
The British Flat season is underway and clues to the Classics abound amid a trio of Group 3 races at Newbury, while at Ayr, the feature is the Scottish Grand National. We take a look at the pick of the action.
NEWBURY
1.40pm – JOHN PORTER STAKES (Group 3)
The Roger Varian-trained DEFOE faces nine rivals as he attempts to win the 1m4f contest for the second year. His record stands at seven wins from 14 starts, including this race last year when beating Danehill Kodiac by two and a half lengths. That was his first run of the season, following a 217-day break.
He went on to score in the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket and was also beaten a neck in a Group 1 at Baden-Baden in September. Defoe looks the one to beat in a race where only two favourites have obliged in the last decade.
YOUNG RASCAL ended 2018 with two Group 3 victories at Newbury, signing off with a dead-heat in the St Simon Stakes over C&D. He is trained by William Haggas, who took this race seven years ago with Harris Tweed.
James Doyle is reunited with the 4yo son of Intello, with Jim Crowley, who rode him the last twice, switching to ride LARAAIB for his for his boss, Sheikh Hamdan. The Owen Burrows-trained son of Pivotal will relish any ease in the ground, as he showed when blinkered for the first time when signing off last season with success in the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot, his fourth win in eight starts.
With Sheikh Hamdan expected in England for next week’s Craven meeting at Newmarket, you can anticipate his trainers will be doing their utmost to saddle a winner or two.
MARMELO was runner-up in the Melbourne Cup last November for Hughie Morrison. He was beaten a neck in a Group 2 on his seasonal bow last May before winning twice over 1m6f, including in a Longchamp Group 2. Dropping in class is a plus, dropping in trip may not be.
MOOTASADIR is unbeaten in six starts o all-weather surfaces, but has yet to hit the board in a couple of turf races. He comes here on the back of winning the Listed Magnolia Stakes at Kempton last weekend.
COMMUNIQUE hails from the stable that sent out more winners than anyone again last year. Mark Johnston’s 4yo failed by half a length to record a hat-trick when beaten by Laraaib in the Cumberland Lodge, but meets that rival on 3lb better terms this time, but has a bit to find with Young Rascal on his St Simon Stakes running.
2.10pm – FRED DARLING STAKES (Group 3)
This is a wide open 7f event which has attracted 16 runners, the biggest field since 2009. In recent times it has not been much of a pointer to the 1,000 Guineas, with the last participant to win the Newmarket Fillies’ Classic being Lahab, who was fourth in the Fred Darling in 2000.
Aidan O’Brien sends over SO PERFECT, who was placed in two juvenile Group 1s last season, including when a close-up third to stablemate Fairyland in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket in September. She tackles this far for the first time.
The Ralph Beckett-trained DANCING VEGA is high in the Genting Casino horseracing odds, despite having had just one run, a winning effort in a 1m Doncaster maiden last October. She is bred to get 1m2f and could be more of an Oaks filly than a Guineas contender. Her half-sister Sky Kingdom was a late developer, so there should be plenty to come from the daughter of Lope De Vega this summer.
STAR TERMS won two of her six outings for Richard Hannon last year and was only beaten a neck when signing off in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac in October. That run did not go according to plan either, as she was trapped in a pocket, so any replication of that effort should see her in the mix.
DANDHU represents David Elsworth, who had a tremendous season last year. There was nothing wrong with her runner-up effort in the Group 2 Rockfel behind Just Wonderful when getting far from a perfect run and while she was a little headstrong, she should get a mile this season, as the Dandy Man filly has stamina on the dam’s side of the pedigree.
MUCHLY represents the Frankie Dettori/John Gosden combination. She steps up in class, having taken a well-contested 1m novices’ event here in October.
YOURTIMEISNOW also has course-winning form, having scored in a novice event in August before recording a Group 3 6f win at Salisbury the following month. She was quite well supported before her appearance in the Rockfel, but was on her toes and sweating beforehand and was too keen in the race before finishing eighth of nine. The Roger Varian-trained daughter of Charm Spirit has a question or two to answer now.
Andrew Balding’s string is in great early-season form, so DUTCH TREAT, who was sixth in the Rockfel, cannot be discounted easily on this seasonal debut.
2.40pm WATERSHIP DOWN STUD GREENHAM STAKES (Group 3)
Sadly, 2,000 Guineas favourite Too Darn Hot will not take his place in the field for this 7f event, after heat was found in a splint bone on Wednesday evening. The son of Dubawi has been pushed out to 6/4 (from Evens) for the 1m colts’ Classic at Newmarket on May 4 following the news of the setback.
His trainer, John Gosden said: “Too Darn Hot breezed comfortably this morning under Frankie Dettori on the Al Bahathri but tonight at evening stables he was found to have some heat in his splint bone.
“Unfortunately he’ll have to miss Newbury, as he’ll have a few easy days. The plan is to take him straight to the Qipco 2,000 Guineas.”
The last Greenham winner to achieve victory in the 2,000 Guineas was Frankel in 2011. Ten are declared to run, headed by BOITRON, who hails from the Richard Hannon yard responsible for the most recent Guineas winner to compete in the Greenham, Night Of Thunder, the 2014 runner-up.
Boitron was a close-up fourth in the Group 1 Jean-Luc Lagardere on his last run in October – his sole defeat in four runs – and this will be his first run since undergoing a wind operation.
Hannon also saddles unbeaten stablemate URBAN ICON, who took a 6f Salisbury novices’ race with ease when last seen in June.
It is good to see Marcus Tregoning with a couple of decent horses again and MOHAATHER is one of them. He sprung a 33/1 surprise last time when landing the Group 3 Horris Hill over C&D in October.
GREAT SCOT, trained by Tom Dascombe, won a Listed race in heavy ground at Haydock prior to a fine fifth when hampered in the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster (formerly known as the Racing Post Trophy), a race won by Magna Grecia. He has already shown ability to match his toughness.
HELLO YOUMZAIN landed a Group 2 at Maisons-Laffitte when last seen in October and Kevin Ryan’s representative steps up in trip for this.
MAGIC J, a Scat Daddy colt who cost $950,000 as a yearling, won an ordinary Yarmouth 6f novices’ event very cosily but Ed Vaughan’s runner is being pitched in at the deep end for his seasonal bow.
NO NONSENSE has won his last two AW starts at Kempton for David Elsworth and tackles an extra furlong for his turf debut, while ALMUFTI, who represents Hugo Palmer, needs to settle better than he did when third in the Horris Hill.
3.15pm SPRING CUP HANDICAP
As mile handicaps go, this is as competitive as you could wish for. The trends have favoured those prominent in the market in recent seasons however, with six of the last seven winners returning a single-figure Starting Price.
The Genting Casino horse racing odds have EXEC CHIEF high in the betting, and Jim Boyle’s 4yo already has a run under his belt this season, starting off with a fine runner-up effort to Petrus in Doncaster’s Spring Mile a couple of weeks ago. He runs off a 5lb higher mark this time but there is every chance he will run well.
IBRAZ, trained by Roger Varian, twice justified favouritism last summer, but was disappointing when upped 7lb in bidding for a hat-trick on Newmarket’s July course when last seen in July. The 4yo has plenty of ability and with just five runs, is still open to plenty of improvement.
RED STARLIGHT, from the Hannon yard that has recorded seven winners from 36 runners in the last couple of weeks, was a decent runner-up in a Listed 1m handicap at Doncaster two weeks ago on her first run for 175 days. Twice successful in handicaps last season before two placed efforts in Listed company, she may well run another big race, despite carrying 9st 5lb.
GEORGE OF HEARTS has gone twice a couple of times on turf but has yet to break his duck on it after seven attempts, Lincoln Handicap fifth RIPP ORF, and Ascot’s Balmoral Handicap runner-up ESCOBAR all hold each-way claims.
AYR
3.35pm SCOTTISH GRAND NATIONAL HANDICAP CHASE (Grade 3)
Four of the last five winners of this 4m marathon were priced 14/1 or bigger and just three of the last 10 winners successfully carried more than 10st 9lb to victory.
DINGO DOLLAR hails from the Paul Nicholls stable that sent out Vincente to win back-to-back Scottish Nationals in 2016 and 2017. This 7yo chased home CHIDSWELL in the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster last time, despite making a few early jumping errors. This has been his target all season, but he needs to get into a rhythm, even though fairly treated off a mark of 147.
Chidswell is up 7lb for that win but remains near the foot of the handicap and is not discounted.
BEWARE THE BEAR comes into this following successive wins at Cheltenham, including when impressively taking the Grade 3 Ultima Handicap at the Festival, beating VINTAGE CLOUDS by a length and a quarter, despite idling. With a 9lb weight hike, he is on a career-high mark and carries top weight of 11st 12lb.
Vintage Clouds was a first-fence faller in the Grand National last week when fancied by Genting Casino’s Aintree Ambassador Richard Dunwoody, who successfully tipped Tiger Roll for glory. Usually he is a sound jumper and was third in this race last year off an 8lb lower mark.
BIG RIVER was a staying-on fourth in the Ultima and if he handles the rough and tumble of this big field, there is not reason to think he won’t be in the hunt when it matters.
CROSSHUE BOY has been the subject of a gamble in recent days. He has been targeted at this race since beating Dingo Dollar by a length in a novices’ handicap at this meeting last year. He is fit from a couple of hurdles outings at Wexford.
CLOTH CAP has had just three runs over fences, winning the last two at Stratford and Catterick. He has a mark of just 134, so if his jumping holds up, Jonjo O’Neill’s representative would have a decent chance. The question mark is his inexperience.
GERONIMO may be a couple of pounds ‘wrong’ at the weights, but is in ripe form at present, goes well at this track (having won his last two starts here) and should be on the shortlist, since he will relish the stamina test. Jockey Rachael McDonald is well worth her 5lb claim and gets on well with the Sandy Thomson-trained 8yo.
CROSSPARK landed the Eider Chase at Newcastle in February and has a bit more on his plate with an 8lb rise, but he is a stamina-laden 9yo who will handle any ground. He has each-way claims at least.
DOING FINE was fourth in the race last year and is having his first run since a wind operation. He seems to go well over longer trips these days and is not without a squeak, even if he is 5lb wrong at the weights.
IMPULSIVE STAR didn’t jump as well as he can in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He had previously taken the Classic Chase at Warwick and this track is better suited to him.
BRIAN BORANHA was a fine third to Chidswell in the Grimthorpe and this strong-travelling 8yo has the tools in the locker to stay this trip. He could prove to be a lively outsider.
BLUE FLIGHT won three on the spin before having his colours lowered by Some Chaos at Kelso. He is consistent but unproven over marathon trips such as this and his mark of 148 means he has risen 26lb since the first of those three wins in January.
CAROLE’S DESTRIER produced a decent run in defeat in the Classic Chase at Warwick and scored at Newbury for the second time this season when landing a veterans’ chase there last time. Whether the 11yo has the legs to win this is open to question.
Recent Newbury winner CHIC NAME, 2017 Scottish Grand National runner-up COGRY and Eider Chase runner-up MYSTEREE are all others to consider in a typically hard-to-fathom conundrum for punters.
