Katie Midwinter (24/03/23)
NEWBURY
1:30pm – Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 3)
Blow Your Wad 13/2 – Tom Lacey, Stan Sheppard
The gelding has been running well for Tom Lacey and finished sixth in the Tolworth Hurdle when last seen, sporting first-time cheekpieces. That headgear comes off but he does wear a first-time tongue tie making his first appearance following wind surgery. He is from the family of Faugheen and has shown potential in the past. In a soft ground bumper he finished second to Luccia giving 14lbs away. Despite not having the speed to match the mare on that occasion he is unlikely to face a horse of that calibre and this is an easier task.
2:05pm – Handicap Chase (Class 2)
Numitor 9/1 (EW) – Heather Main, Adam Wedge
Heather Main’s charge makes his second appearance after a wind operation, a time when many horses can show the most improvement. He’s already been well backed from 14/1 into 9/1, and remains a good each-way contender.
4:25pm – Handicap Chase (Class 3)
Not Available 11/2 – Matt Sheppard, Stan Sheppard
Course-and-distance winner Not Available is bidding for a hat-trick of wins, 10lbs higher than when beginning his winning sequence. He has won off a higher mark in the past so could still be ahead of the handicapper and is certainly a horse to keep on side.
KELSO
3:00pm – Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
Bonttay 13/8 – Fergal O’Brien, Paddy Brennan
Consistent mare Bonttay appears the one to beat in this field. She has decent bumper form from Cheltenham when recording a success over Listed winner Top Dog and the form of her maiden has been franked with runner-up Nothingtochance winning since.
3:35pm – Handicap Chase (Class 2)
Big River 22/1 (EW) – Lucinda Russell, Derek Fox
Thirteen-year-old Big River has plenty of experience and ran well for a long way in the Borders National, carrying a hefty weight in testing conditions. He’s 6lbs lower now and, with the yard in good form, could be capable of rolling back the years to go out on a high with a victory in what could be one of his final races.
The Curragh
Plenty of horses of interest feature on the Curragh season opener on Saturday. Many are making their first appearances ahead of a new season and likely to come on for the run but there will certainly be clues ahead of the new campaign. An interesting new recruit for the Jessica Harrington yard is Hurricane Ivor, making his first appearance for his new trainer now 11lbs lower than his last winning mark in a Group Three.
The Irish Lincolnshire is currently 6/1 the field, in an open and competitive contest. Current market leader, British-raider Totally Charming, has champion jockey Colin Keane aboard representing George Boughey. He goes well fresh and is unexposed off a career high mark of 101, 5lbs up for his heavy ground win at Doncaster in the autumn. Casanova is a horse that has been mentioned a number of times on The Conditional. He has been generally disappointing but can put in a good performance on occasion but benefits from a recent run and copes with softer conditions.
The Group Three Park Express Stakes is an intriguing contest between a number of classy fillies and mares. Insinuendo drops back in trip, running over a mile for the first time since second to Mother Earth in last year’s renewal. Four-year-old filly Agartha will have to give weight away to her rivals on her first outing of the season with 4lbs to find with Insinuendo on ratings, but is probably better than her mark of 106 suggests.
Ballydoyle representative Delightful won a nursery handicap, giving weight away, when last seen and is stepping up against experienced older mares here.
The three-year-old has a wonderful pedigree, by Galileo out of Lillie Langtry, and is a full sister to Minding, Tuesday and Empress Josephine. She would emulate her sisters if able to become a Classic winner this season, currently 40/1 for the Oaks, and could kick start her campaign with a victory.
Her form isn’t necessarily flashy, but she was only narrowly beaten on her second racecourse appearance by two fillies who both went on to win Group Three contests in the autumn. The daughter of Galileo could well have shown masses of improvement and growth over the winter and shouldn’t be underestimated.
MEYDAN
Meydan hosts a magnificent card full of top Group level action, including the feature race, the prestigious Dubai World Cup, in which Country Grammer, partnered by Frankie Dettori, attempts to record back-to-back wins.
The gelding recorded a string of second-placed finishes, including when behind Flightline at Del Mar, before returning to the winner’s enclosure at Santa Anita, with Dettori back onboard.
He’ll face tough rivals from around the world, none more threatening than current market leader Algiers, for Newmarket-based training partnership Simon and Ed Crisford. Panthalassa is the shortest-priced of the Japanese raiders, whilst Oisin Murphy rides T O Keynes for Daisuke Takayanagi.
A tracker horse runs in the Godolphin Mile, Egot for André Fabre and Mickael Barzalona. Prior to his recent run, both attempts at a mile or further had ended in success for the son of Invincible Spirit, and his Chantilly pipe opener behind Wally was a positive preparation run for this assignment.
Possessing a good turn of foot, he could use speed to his advantage in the closing stages to enter the frame at a price of 12/1.
Charlie Appleby’s Siskany heads the market in the Dubai Gold Cup whilst former winner Subjectivist appears at a generous double-figure price of 10/1. He was victorious in the contest two years ago before winning the Ascot equivalent, the prestigious Gold Cup.
His last run came after a 618-day absence, carrying a hefty weight in a handicap. If he is able to show improvement on that Riyadh runout and rediscover the force of old, he is the class of the field and represents great value.
Broome also features in the race in his first attempt at the trip since finishing last of the field in the 2020 Long Distance Cup at Ascot. It could suit at this stage in his career, and he is a classy performer on his day.
Happy Romance finished second in the Al Quoz Sprint last year at odds of 20/1. She has been running over 7f lately, but is much better suited to the drop back to 6f and is available at 20/1 once again. The Dandy Man mare has excellent form in similar contests and is more than capable of making the frame at her best.
Cairo is favourite to emulate former Ballydoyle resident Mendelssohn with success in the UAE Derby whilst the yard is also represented on the card by 2020 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia, available at a big price in the Dubai Turf.
John & Thady Gosden’s Lord North is bidding for a hat-trick of wins in the Dubai Turf, in the hands of Dettori. He was forced into a dead-heat last year, sharing the honours with Panthalassa. In his last run he was victorious in a Lingfield Group Three and it would be some feat if he was able to land three successive wins in the 1m1f contest.
The market suggests Japanese-raider Serifos, sporting a hood, is his biggest danger whilst Appleby pair Nations Pride and Master Of The Seas could both pose a threat. Sir Busker, fifth last year, will likely outrun his huge odds of 80/1 and could be one to consider each-way.
Tetsuya Kimura’s Equinox is a strong favourite to land the Dubai Sheema Classic, ahead of Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Rebel’s Romance and Irish Derby victor Westover. Botanik has plenty to find on ratings but has performed well at this level in the past and could be overpriced at 25/1.
Meydan EW Lucky 15:
12:05pm – Egot 12/1
12:40pm – Subjectivist 10/1
1:15pm – Happy Romance 20/1
3:10pm – Sir Busker 80/1
THE CONDITIONAL 