Tag: venetia williams

Sussex National Day Preview

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Plumpton used to be my local course so I always look forward to the Sussex National meeting which takes place on Sunday.

It has attracted a typically strong field including Reblis who did this column a favour a year ago when sluicing through the mud for Gary Moore. He is back attempting a repeat victory and is 2lbs lower in the weights than last season after some moderate efforts. It seems safe to assume that this race has been the target for him but I just wonder if it is going to be soft enough for the son of Assessor.

Venetia Williams runs two here in Tarraco and Gorgehous Lliege. The former has had a hike in the weights after winning easily last time but the punters have gone for Gorgehous Lliege in the early betting. I watched his run closely last time and he was almost carried out by a rival, losing all momentum and never managing to get back into the contest. He didn’t quite do enough for me that day and I’ll side with Tarraco who looks better value at around 10-1.

Nicky Henderson claimed the big prize on Saturday with L’Ami Serge at Sandown and he should be on target with Caracci Apache in the 1.50. This one got up late to beat stable companion Clean Sheet last time out and the runner-up has gone in since. He looked as though he may only be fourth approaching two out but stayed on very strongly and stamina can again win the day here. Kilgeel Heel is the obvious danger but may not have quite as much scope as the Henderson horse.

Pain Au Chocolat should get punters off to a winning start at 12.50 after a very promising first run for the Million In Mind Partnership. He didn’t do anything wrong but was just outpaced from the last and will have learned a lot from the experience. The useful flat performer Devilment is the main threat for John Ferguson.

The novice chase at 1.20 may only have four runners but three of them are clearly above average. Chris Pea Green has bolted up here on his last two starts and was a fair hurdler last season while Grumeti was placed in the Triumph Hurdle a couple of seasons back. I am going to oppose both with David Pipe’s Sail By The Sea who won a hurdle by 25 lengths and receives weight from his rivals.

Pain Au Chocolat 12.50 @Evens Betfair

Sail By The Sea 1.20 @5-2 Bet365

Carraci Apache 1.50 @13-8 Bet365

Tarraco @10-1 Betfair

Eider Chase Preview

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Tasaday (tipped at 4-1) kept our noses in front at Meydan on Thursday but what happened to Certify? She lost her unbeaten record with a very disappointing display. I had my concerns when she was reluctant to enter the stalls so perhaps this was just an “off day”. It will be back to the drawing board with her as far as the big summer Group 1 races are concerned.

Back home and it is still nice weather for ducks with the weekend rapidly approaching. Our ante-post selections for the BetBright Chase have held their ground and the other big race is the Eider Chase at Newcastle. This is a very odd race in that it is over four miles and a furlong. The only other races in the calendar worthy of note over such an exhaustive trip are the National Hunt Chase, Scottish National and the Grand National.

In short, stamina is the one element that you simply have to take into account. That is even more important with the going heavy. If you remember Red Marauder’s National, that will give you some idea what to expect on Saturday!

I thought Haydock’s Grand National Trial was bad enough with only the Venetia Williams pair still able to put one hoof in front of the other in the closing stages but this could be even worse. I cannot see the top weights managing to cope but I am concerned that David Pipe may pull out both Junior and Master Overseer and trigger a weights rise.

Williams may run Relax after his Sandown victory in similar ground and it’s almost worth backing him purely because she is the trainer. He beat Ardkilly Witness by three lengths and the runner-up is well fancied for the big race at Kempton. A 7lbs penalty is not too much of a concern but he has yet to prove that he stays this sort of trip.

Sun Cloud is the one horse that seems to have bottomless stamina and handles any ground. The handicapper has put him up 12lbs for an 11-length win at Catterick and that would normally put me off. He has 11st 2lb at present but it would be a big worry if he finds himself with top weight on Friday night.

Tutchec has chalked up four wins in lower grade races but I wasn’t impressed with his jumping last time. I had an each-way bet on Royale Knight in the Warwick Classic and he scraped into a place behind Shotgun Paddy. He has won over four miles but he was going nowhere in the closing stages at Warwick and I am inclined to pass him over.

Smoking Aces travels well in his races and I thought he was going to win at Ffos Las last time. A couple of errors knocked the stuffing out of him and he could only stay on at one pace into third behind Emperor’s Choice. The winner ran well at Haydock last week so Smoking Aces has to be in contention here too.

Sun Cloud at 7-1 Paddy Power

Smoking Aces at 8-1 Bet365

Racing Preview Saturday 18th January

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Ascot and Haydock provide the pick of the action this weekend. I have already previewed the Clarence House Chase and the Peter Marsh Chase but there are plenty of other tempting races to bet on.

A three-mile hurdle is going to take some getting tomorrow and I’m siding with Carole’s Spirit in the 1.50 at Ascot after seeing her battle back at Haydock. She looked beaten two out but just refused to give in and fought back to win well. She absolutely bolted up at Plumpton in similar ground and can upset the favourite Mickie.

I was very impressed with Ptit Zig’s effort when he carried 11st 12lb into second place in the Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle at Ascot. The form hasn’t really been put to the test yet but he should be too good for Melodic Rendezvous in the Haydock Champion Hurdle Trial on Saturday.

Paul Nicholls is eager to send him over a fence so he would have to win comfortably to be allowed to run in the Champion. Soft ground is also a pre-requisite and that is not guaranteed in March, even if it does sometimes feel like the rain is never going to stop! I think the 50-1 will be cut in half if he wins well tomorrow so I’ll risk a small each-way bet.

Over at Ascot, I’m going to take a chance on Citizenship in the handicap hurdle for Venetia Williams. The stable continues in fine form and this horse was a very smart hurdler a couple of years ago for the Harrington stable in Ireland. He picked up a £50,000 prize and then ran in the County Hurdle but was never sighted in a muddling race.

He lost his way subsequently but looked in rude health when winning at Exeter and has been diverted here from the Lanzarote Hurdle. I’m slightly concerned that the heavy ground was the reason for his withdrawal but he has a couple of furlongs less to travel here and is worth a bet at 9-1.

Williams and Treadwell could land a big race double as Renard has decent claims in the next. He won well at Chepstow in similar ground and will handle it better than most of these.

Ptit Zig 2.40 Haydock at Evens William Hill

Ptit Zig (Champion Hurdle) at 50-1 each-way Stan James

Carole’s Spirit 1.50 Ascot at 4-1 Bet365

Citizenship 2.25 Ascot at 9-1 Coral

Renard 3.00 Ascot at 5-1 Stan James

*Sire De Grugy 3.35 Ascot 6-4

*Merry King 3.15 Haydock 11-2

*Chance Du Roy 3.15 Haydock 10-1 (each-way)

*Ante-post

Exeter Tuesday Preview

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We had a great weekend with Shotgun Paddy (9-1), Saphir Du Rheu (6-1) and Deputy Dan (11-4) all doing the business. All three look to have a great future, although it was slightly worrying to hear that Deputy Dan had sustained a nasty gash during the race at Warwick. Hopefully he will be fine and can run a big race in one of the novice events at the Cheltenham festival in March.

Shotgun Paddy confirmed his trainer’s belief that he needed a trip to bring out the best in him and the four-mile National Hunt Chase is a likely target for him. The Grand National has been touted as a long-term objective but I’d have thought that can wait for another season. His jumping can be low and flat which is not ideal for Aintree. Given his ability to handle heavy ground, I’d keep him in mind for the Welsh National in December.

The weather continues to play havoc with the fixture list and a soggy Exeter keeps the show on the road on Tuesday. It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the stables in and out of form with Cheltenham creeping ever closer and Venetia Williams has her string firing on all cylinders. She won four races in row at Plumpton recently and bagged another double at the Sussex course on Monday.

She and Aidan Coleman also teamed up with a nice priced double at Warwick on Saturday and Dungeness turns out quickly under a 7lbs penalty. He was always travelling well at the front at the weekend and responded well when challenged to finish well on top at the line. Tomorrow’s race is over a further half mile and he must now shoulder top weight.

There are a couple of other horses to note in the race in Catcher Star and Residence And Spa. Both improved enormously last time out, Catcher Star overcoming a last flight blunder to beat subsequent winner Getabuzz and Residence And Spa staying on strongly over three miles at Taunton. Both will be hoping for proper gallop but I’m hoping Dungeness has further improvement in him.

The Veterans Handicap Chase looks like an ideal opportunity for Nick Gifford’s Tullamore Dew to win his first race since 2011. The chestnut was a creditable second in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby last time and comfortably holds Junior on that form. The rest of the field look moderate, although I’m a little wary of the Williams runner Ballyoliver with just 10st 4lb to carry.

Tullamore Dew at 9-2 Coral

Dungeness at 7-2 Bet365