A poor start to the month was turned around on Saturday with Island Brave – tipped at 20/1 but a 40p Rule 4 – landing the Nap at an SP of 15/2. We thus finished the period 1/09 -3/09 with a profit of +£3.25 to a £1 level stake to add to our +£40.62 in August.
5.30 Newcastle
The Newcastle card begins with a cracking mile-and-a-half handicap and WORLD WITHOUT LOVE remains a maiden after nine starts, but her best runs, arguably, have come for the switch to tapeta in her last two starts.
Andrew Mullen was in the plate when the filly finished runner up over C&D on her penultimate start and she is a half-sister to leading stayers Subjectivist and Sir Ron Priestley. She will never scale the heights of her close relatives, but I would be disappointed if she were not able to win her fair share of races. Mark and Charlie Johnston are likely to step her up in trip sooner rather than later but the 13/2 opening show looked too big – to my eyes anyway – although it is a cracking race.
Frankel colt King Eagle has a poor draw and did not look to get this trip at Ripon last time and a bigger danger may come from the Nathaniel gelding Novel Legend who finished second at Newbury last time albeit in a race where the odds-on favourite failed to give his running.
Recommendation: World Without Love EW 8/1 with William Hill
7.00 Newcastle
HAVEYOUMISSEDME has never won at two miles, but he finished runner up in the Consolation Northumberland Plate here in June from a 1lb lower mark and did land the opening 12f handicap on this corresponding card 12 months ago. The far rail was not the place to be in the Silver Bell at Hamilton last time and I believe you can put a line through the form.
The market is headed by Diamond Bay who won a Racing League contest at Lingfield from just a 3lbs lower mark last time and has won on tapeta previously. He only has to give 3lbs to the selection and the handicapper could certainly have been harsher for his recent polytrack victory especially when you consider the form was franked at Kempton on Saturday. That said I feel Haveyoumissedme can edge it.
Recommendation: Haveyoumissedme at 3/1 with William Hill
There was rain forecast at Newton Abbot on Sunday with further showers forecast today. Conditions are likely to be slightly slower than the official description of good – good to firm in places – on Sunday morning.
1.50 Newton Abbot
It would be fair to say that the horses who run in the colours of Judith Wilson are campaigned aggressively and this will be Abaya Du Mathan’s 15th run of the year in the near three-and-a-quarter mile chase for conditional jockeys. His sole win over the summer came over an extended 2m 3f and I am surprised – to put it mildly – to see him head the betting.
The mare On Time scored over C&D back in July but the forecast rain is a concern, and I am sweet on the chances of MINELLA VOUCHER who was given a modest ride at Worcester last time by Nick Schofield. The jockey suggested that his mount was badly interfered with by a faller at the first and always on the back foot as a result, but he met with minimal interference but did get lit up after swerving to avoid the casualty.
On his penultimate start I thought the 11-y-old ran a cracker on ground softer than the official description of good when ridden by Philip Armson who takes the mount on Abaya Du Matthan this afternoon. The each way recommendation would not be inconvenienced if the rains arrived, and jockey Toby Wynne can take off a valuable 3lbs.
Recommendation: Minella Voucher EW at 6/1 with William Hill 3 places
6.45 Galway
There is a jumps card at Galway this evening. Henry de Bromhead declared two runners for the meeting before the tragedy that was to engulf the family and the whole Irish racing community as news emerged on Saturday evening that De Bromhead’s 13-year-old son Jack had died following a freak accident in a pony race in county Kerry earlier in the day.
My best friend the magnificent and incomparable Ian Cockbain died suddenly on Friday morning aged 64. It has been a weekend of quiet reflection with many tears. We cannot take life for granted. I always thought Coey was indestructible. He wasn’t.
God bless you both.
I hope to see Hallowed Star make a winning chase debut.
Recommendation: Hallowed Star at 7/4 with Boylesports
