OUR HORSES are continuing to run well and I have to admit I was particularly impressed with Shiskin who won easily at Newbury on Wednesday. He’s a horse we’ve always thought a great deal of and it was unfortunate that he fell on his hurdles debut, but he bounced back and jumped and travelled very well to win in good style. To be honest, we would have been disappointed if he wasn’t capable of winning as he was taking on (and subsequently beat) a horse who’d previously finished second to one of ours, Mister Coffey, so we thought the form was pretty good. Nico suggested he’ll be suited but two and a half but he showed a very good turn of foot and quickened up well on that ground. He’s no mudlark by any means and could be even better on good ground. He’ll be given entries in both the Ballymore and Supreme but he’ll have to run again before Cheltenham so we may look at something like the Dovecote at Kempton in a few weeks time.
Flinteur Sacre ran a very good race in the Bumper and will improve plenty for the experience. He was still quite green in the finish and probably doing a little too much during the race but he’s definitely a work in progress and Barry gave him a lovely introduction.
Never Adapt won the Handicap at Kempton last a Saturday and the whole idea is educating her and getting her to relax and put her to sleep which Barry was able to do. She didn’t win by that far but clearly the Handicapper was impressed as he put her up 10lbs to a mark of 140! She’s ready for a step up in grade now and has an entry in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury so in all probability, we might well go there but it’s certainly not set in stone as we have quite a few entries in the race.
Mister Fisher was going to run at Haydock in the G2 Novice Chase but the ground will be very heavy and that isn’t what he wants at this stage so we’ll take stock and weigh up our options. Perhaps the Scilly Isles is a possibility.
It’s Festival Trials day at Cheltenham next Saturday and we should have a few representing @sevenbarrows including Santini in the Cotswold Chase. He’s fully over his small wind operation and he's been in very good form at home. Billy rides him most days and Nico worked him this morning and they’re both happy so it’s all systems go for him. Time Flies By is another who will probably head to Prestbury Park.
The greatest sporting event in the calendar year… Cheltenham Festival starts in 8 weeks time pic.twitter.com/tU0hpGH0CS
— Racing Interest (@RacingInterest_) January 14, 2020
FIVE DAY FESTIVAL…
Speaking of Prestbury Park there has been plenty of talk about adding a fifth day to the Cheltenham Festival and as I was a great advocate for making it four days, it will come as no surprise that I’m all for making it five!
I don’t know whether it will happen but the only thing you’ve got to say is that the Cheltenham Festival is the country’s four most financially lucrative days of the year and you could go as far to say that Cheltenham and Aintree help prop up many of the flat courses which struggle throughout the year. Put it like this, it worked at Royal Ascot when they added an extra day, which was only supposed to be for one year, but it was so successful they kept it, so if it works for them why won’t it work for Cheltenham? Nobody has to go if they don’t want to, but it gives everyone the option IF they want to.
It certainly wouldn’t detract from the quality of racing as they’re already talking about taking one race out to bring the Mares’ race in so they could bring that back in and then you really only have to find two more races assuming the others will be spread out over the week. We’ve got the Ballymore which is for Novices over 2m5f so maybe it would be an idea to include a Ryanair Hurdle over two and a half because I’ve had many horses, Oscar Whisky immediately springs to mind, who found three miles too far and two miles too short so this race would be a perfect addition. A lot of people will say it detracts from the other two (Ballymore & Supreme) but the same people said the Ryanair Chase would effect the Gold Cup and Champion Chase but it hasn’t. You could also make a big case for adding a Veterans Chase as everybody loves to see these older chasers race year in year out and the public love to see them.
HAYDOCK
3:15 G2 The New One Unibet Hurdle
Pentland Hills (Nico de Boinville)
I was extremely pleased with his first run of the season in the Unibet International Hurdle at Cheltenham where he travelled very much like the winner but just blew up two out yet still finished the race very well. His greatest asset is his jumping and he schooled excellently on Thursday morning so I couldn’t be happier with him going into this race. It’s obviously going to be very hard work for them out there and he won’t have encountered conditions like it before but he won on soft on the flat and his sire (Motivator) and dam both won on soft ground too, so hopefully, he’ll cope with it. It’s the same for everyone and he’s there to give it his best shot
— Unibet Racing (@UnibetRacing) January 17, 2020
ASCOT
12:40 Juvenile Hurdle
Homer (Daryl Jacob)
He came over to us in the autumn from France and made a pleasing debut over hurdles at Kempton where he jumped ok but made a mistake at the last which certainly didn’t help as he still might have won. He schooled over five hurdles yesterday and was absolutely fine and is in very good form at home. Goshen has looked very good so far and he’ll be tough to beat but our horse will handle the ground and will hopefully put up a decent show.
2:25 G3 Handicap Hurdle
Soul Emotion (Jerry McGrath)
He’s gradually coming back to himself and I was very pleased with his latest run at Newbury when he was third giving plenty of weight to the winner and second horse. He’ll have no issue with the ground, his work has been very good and I really fancy him to run a very big race.
3:35 G1 Clarence House Chase
Janika (Daryl Jacob)
We’re putting a tongue tie on, going back over fences and returning to two miles so make of that what you will! Obviously Defi Du Seuil will be very hard to beat and Un De Sceaux is no slouch either, but Janika is a very tough horse who could easily run a big race. On ratings, he’s certainly entitled to finish very close to Defi Du Seuil.
4:05 Novices Hurdle
Falco Blitz (Jerry McGrath)
He didn’t stay three miles at Cheltenham last time so we’re coming back down to 2m5f which is right up his street. He’s clear on ratings and I think he’ll go extremely close.
