pension333: Talking Horses

The best news and bests in our daily racing blog

5.40pm Stewards as alert as ever

Chris Cook: This is my favourite posting by the Newmarket stewards today:

4.10, eighth race
The Stewards held an enquiry under Rule (B)11.6 into possible interference [where]. Having heard their evidence and viewed recordings of the race they found that [the winner], [HORSE], [other placing], ridden by [Jockey], had interfered with [HORSE], [other placing], ridden by [Jockey]. They found the interference was accidental and had not improved [HORSE]'s placing. They ordered the placings to remain unaltered.

You can see it for yourself here. It just goes to show that each decision is carefully thought-through and can by no means be expressed through a mere template.

1am UPDATE
Boo! Someone at the BHA has taken that off their website now. But it appeared as above for some hours.

5pm It's been a good day for . . .

Paul Nicholls
Three days after Kauto Star's retirement was confirmed, the trainer gets four Graded wins in 70 minutes with Silviniaco Conti, Tidal Bay, Cristal Bonus and Kauto Stone. There's a new generation of stars at Ditcheat, as well as two excellent jockeys. Ruby Walsh rode the two at Wetherby, Daryl Jacob the two in Ireland. Don't give the trainer's title to Nicky Henderson just yet . . .

Nicky Henderson
. . . though Henderson is making a faster start to the season than last year, with seven wins in October against two in 2011. He had a hat-trick at Ascot today with Roberto Goldback in the Grade Three handicap chase and a couple of promising youngsters in My Tent Or Yours (novice hurdle) and Hadrian's Approach (beginners chase). Roberto Goldback is a 10-year-old who has been with Jessica Harrington and Dessie Hughes until now. At a stroke, he's added �56,000 to his prize money total, a third of what he'd won in 29 previous races. Roberto Goldback was reportedly bought with the Grand National in mind but, if that's the plan, it might have been better to finish out the back today. He was already on a mark of 150 and will probably be on something like 160 now. That's 11lb higher than the mark from which Henderson ran Shakalakaboomboom in the latest National and he had to carry 10st 12lb.

Alan King
Recent seasons have been difficult for the Wiltshire trainer but he had six winners at a 25% strike-rate in October and has started November in similar style. His Raya Star won �28,000 first prize in the Listed handicap hurdle at Ascot, over the same track and trip where he won �84k in December. That follows King's success in yesterday's big race at Wetherby with Bless The Wings.

Lucinda Russell
Saphir River was a promising winner over fences for the Kinross trainer yesterday and she kept the run going by landing the last three races at Ayr today for a 41-1 treble. Peter Buchanan rode two of them.

Lucy Alexander
She rode two of the first three winners at Ayr, returned at 11-1 and 7-1 for a 95-1 double. She might have made it three but for being unseated by Bene Lad in the home straight later on the card

There were also doubles for Silvestre de Sousa and Mahmood al-Zarooni at Newmarket.

4.15pm Bunraku well beaten

Chris Cook: So Michael Hills has not missed any winners on what was supposed to have been his last day's riding. I don't imagine that will be much consolation to him.

4.06pm A plucky showing from, Goldan Jess

Chris Cook: It looks like Mr Hayler's horse was sixth at Wetherby, plugging on dourly but a long way behind Trustan Times (10-1).

3.50pm Michael Hills, for crying out loud

Chris Cook: This from the BHA's website:

The Stewards held an enquiry following a report from the Sampling Officer that Michael Hills had provided a breath sample which was found to contain alcohol in a concentration above the threshold level for breath samples. They interviewed the rider and the Sampling Officer. Having heard their evidence the Stewards found the rider in breach of Rule (D)65 and referred the matter to the British Horseracing Authority. Under Rule (D)66 the Stewards suspended Hills from riding for the rest of the day.

That really is a rotten way to end your career.

3.32pm Silviniaco Conti hacks up in Charlie Hall

Chris Cook: What a day for Paul Nicholls, who also won the big hurdle race at Wetherby with Tidal Bay earlier. Silviniaco Conti (11-10) travelled smoothly through the race and had only Wayward Prince for company up most of the straight. He was springheeled over the last, where his rival was clearly toiling.

Planet Of Sound set the pace but was swallowed up at the turn for home. A few of them seemed to be going fairly well at that point but Time For Rupert, Master Of The Hall and Midnight Chase were soon left behind.

Wayward Prince has done well at 33-1 on his first start since joining Hilary Parrott from Ian Williams.

This is what Nicholls said about Silviniaco Conti in September:

We'll run him in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby and then make a plan. He'll probably have an entry in the King George but he might be an ideal horse for Aintree in the spring and we'll give him plenty of time. He might be a Gold Cup contender in 2014 rather than 2013, as he could get stronger and more consistent.

Yesterday, he wrote in his Betfair column:

Has done plenty of work for this and is plenty fit enough, but he is a typical Dom Alco in that he is not a flashy worker and is a hard horse to gauge and get a handle on at home. And I honestly think this is a horse who will progress with his racing throughout the season. Even though there are only six runners this is a tough race, so defeat won't be a disaster by any means, but he is clearly one of the horses I am most looking forward to this season.

I think it will be very hard for him to resist running Silviniaco Conti in the Gold Cup if he keeps running like this. Here's hoping that TV pundits make the effort to pronounce his name properly from now on.

3.05 Cristal Bonus wins in Ireland

Chris Cook: Down Royal must be close to the ideal racecourse for Paul Nicholls, who has just won his second Graded race there this afternoon, Cristal Bonus (2-1) landing the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Chase. It's Nicholls' fifth successive win in the race, following Noland, Herecomesthetruth, The Nightingale and Kauto Stone.

Cristal Bonus won his first two over fences last season, including the Pendil at Kempton in February, but was pulled up in the Jewson at the Festival and was beaten by Menorah at Aintree. At least one of those runs had something to do with the poor form of the yard in the spring.

He looked much better here, though he had to be shaken up to go clear of Bog Warrior in the straight. That rival then fell at the last.

2.45pm No more Michael Hills

Chris Cook: Michael Hills was supposed to be riding for the final time today, but he has given up his mounts at Newmarket. "I'm dehydrated and don't feel well, so I'm not riding today and that's it," he has told the Press Association.

It means that his long and successful career ends on rather a downbeat note, his final ride having been Flawless Beauty, eighth in a Listed race yesterday. Still, he had a winner on his last day in Winter Song.

So far, none of his intended mounts have actually managed to win. Red Jazz (3.40) and Bunraku (4.10) were supposed to be his last two rides and the last one in particular is supposedly fancied. Hills began his career with a winner and had hopes of ending it in the same way.

Paul Hanagan gets the ride on Bunraku. I can't see any official word yet on who rides Red Jazz.

2.35pm Kauto Stone wins at Down Royal

Chris Cook: Paul Nicholls has won the jnwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal for the fourth time in six years with Kauto Stone (4-1), who travelled well and stayed on dourly to beat First Lieutenant (9-2), who had been in the front rank throughout.

Quito De La Roque (2-1) was to the fore at the turn for home but couldn't go with the first two and may have needed this first run since December. Chicago Grey unseated early on. Sizing Europe became a non-runner this morning when his trainer, Henry de Bromhead, decided the going (yielding to soft, soft in places) had become too testing.

Kauto Stone is a half-brother to Kauto Star, who won this race in 2008 and 2010. He won the Grade Two over two and a half miles on this card last year but had no problem with three miles today and that opens up some options for him.

Still, it may be worth remembering how his form tailed off last season after his Down Royal victory. He was second to Sizing Europe in the Tingle Creek, which is pretty sound, but he flopped at Ascot in February when many of his stablemates were sick and was stuffed behind Finian's Rainbow at the Grand National meeting. In between, he fell at the first in Cheltenham's Champion Chase.

At his owners' day in September, Nicholls said of Kauto Stone:

He won impressively at Down Royal on his first start for us last year but his season tailed off from there. He was a bit the same in France, running well in the autumn and then losing his way in spring. He's had a breathing operation because I think he used to get wound up in his races and panic. He definitely wants to go three miles and his first run will be over that distance at Down Royal again. He looks fantastic, he's had time to acclimatise and that makes a big difference to some horses.

Today's best bets, by Will Hayler

Planet Of Sound (3.25) must be fancied first time out in Wetherby's Charlie Hall Chase. While Silviniaco Conti has proved popular in ante-post exchanges and reportedly carries plenty of stable confidence, Planet Of Sound's second to Carruthers, conceding nearly a stone, on his seasonal reappearance in Newbury's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup last season is a very solid piece of form.

Silviniaco Conti may have shown considerable promise in novice company, but he lacks the consistent Grade One form of the selection and yet is far shorter than him in the betting.

How frequently do we see the promising novice fail to make the expected impact when first pitched in against experienced rivals? With the favourite priced at around the 6-4 mark, it may pay to retain a healthy scepticism and stick with the proven ability of his rivals.

Newmarket 1.55 Mahmood al-Zarooni took this with subsequent Classic scorer Blue Bunting two years ago and Power Of Light could repeat the victory. She looked still in need of the experience when fourth in a Group Three at this track last time out, but kept on well enough in the closing stages and the return to a mile could suit.

Wetherby 2.15 The comfortable winner of this contest 12 months ago, Alasi should go close to scoring again, but faces a tough-looking opponent in Une Artiste. She blotted her copybook when refusing to race on her final start but a repeat of either of her previous Cheltenham victories will make her hard to beat.

Down Royal 2.25 With slightly quicker conditions and another year on his back, Sizing Europe's stamina may finally be stretched out to last three miles and he can reverse placings with Quito De La Roque from this race 12 months ago.

Ascot 2.35 The jury must still be out as to how much Ile De Re has improved for his new yard, given that his two Flat wins in the summer both came in atrocious ground. However, in all probability Ile De Re will show in time that this lowly hurdles rating underestimates his talent. Furthermore, Donald McCain takes the opportunity to claim another 3lb off by booking the experienced conditional Henry Brooke. Having undergone a wind operation in the summer, Ted Spread is open to considerable improvement, too.

Wetherby 2.50 Alan King has hit the ground running faster than some of his rival stables at this stage of the season and Smad Place holds outstanding claims. A much-improved performer last season, he made the frame in the World Hurdle behind Big Buck's and was on course to challenge that rival again when coming down at Aintree afterwards. King reports Smad Place to be showing more in his work than at the same stage last year.

Ascot 3.10 This is a rare venture to a right-handed track for Poquelin, who has the class to take a hand if fully wound up for his reappearance. But Alfie Spinner will appreciate this sort of contest, having never really been seen to best effect in smaller fields last season. His form behind Invictus and Bobs Worth at this track in February makes him look potentially nicely treated.

Newmarket 3.40 Multiple Scandinavian scorer Entangle brings something different to this race. She is versatile over different trips and surfaces and, although it's hard to get a precise handle on the strength of her form, the kind of events she usually tackles rarely provide easy pickings for British raiders.

Will Hayler

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/nov/03/talking-horses

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