It’s the Flat’s much-publicised Future Champions’ Day at Newmarket, but for many a National Hunt enthusiast this Saturday features the start of their season proper, with the jumping game really getting into a proper rhythm from this weekend onwards.
Pleasingly there may well be a future champion or two on display at Chepstow, and I’ll be heading over the Severn Bridge to see such delicacies as Fingal Bay against Poungach, as the pair clash on their combined chasing debut (3.00pm), while top juvenile hurdler Hinterland is back trying to concede lumps of weight in the limited handicap hurdle at 3.40pm.
With many of those on display at the home of the Welsh National making their seasonal reappearances it’s early days to be getting stuck into anything over the sticks, but the Channel 4 cameras are in attendance at Flat racing’s HQ, and it’s card that looks ripe for a wager…
As I’ve already mentioned it’s Future Champions’ Day, with a pair of Group 1’s in the shape of both the Middle Park and the Dewhurst, plus the monster field handicap which is the 2m 2f Cesarewitch, but I’m keen to play in the opening race on the card which is the seven furlong Group 2 Dubai Challenge Stakes at 1.50pm (live on C4).
It’s a race in which bookmakers are going 5/1 the field, such is its open nature, but John Gosden is in a position of real strength in the race to top the trainers’ standings after Ghurair netted a sales race worth £277,000 last weekend, and I fancy him to be celebrating once again here with his chestnut Street Cry colt Fencing primed for a first win of the season.
Richard Hannon’s tough four year old Libranno tops the bookmakers’ lists after his win in the Park Stakes at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting, but this will be race number eight of the campaign of the season, and he’s had some hard ones along the way, so given that he’s attempting to give weight away to all 10 rivals he can be left alone.
Godolphin’s Scarf is another one of the older horses who won last time out, securing a listed race at Newbury over this trip in the hands of Frankie Dettori (who again takes the ride).
After transferring from Peter Snowden’s Australian operation the grey has managed to win twice for Saeed bin Suroor (plus fit in a short Spring campaign in Dubai), but this is a step up in class for a horse who has never been tried in Group company, and this will be his tenth run of the calendar year!
Charles Hills’ Red Jazz also has to be considered – he won this in 2010 and simply loves the Rowley Mile, as form figures of 1,8,2,1 at the track testify.
The problem with him though is recent form – since scoring at Haydock back in May he’s taken four comprehensive beatings, and it’d be some leap of faith to get involved against this quality opposition.
However, getting weight from the older horses I think this can go to one of the three year olds, and as I’ve already mentioned the one that stands out is Fencing.
His stable could hardly be going better, with seemingly everything making the frame, and it’s intriguing to see Gosden re-introducing this son of Street Cry after a four month absence.
Despite having three runs as a juvenile this is only his seventh career appearance, though he already has some outstanding form in the book after being campaigned at a very high level.
I was at Newbury to see him win the listed Washington Singer over this trip back in August 2011, after which he had his first shot at a mile when third to Camelot in the Racing Post Trophy.
He kicked off 2012 with a slightly laboured sixth in the 2,000 Guineas, before travelling like a dream up to a mile when he didn’t get home in the Dante (1m 2f).
It was no surprise to see him dropped back to a mile next time out, but he was badly interfered with in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, and all chance passed him by.
You can be sure Gosden will have him raring to go after a long absence, he has the brilliant William Buick up top to assist, and though it might seem like he needs everything to fall right to get his head in front this drop back in trip and break might just do the trip, and at 13/2 with either Bet Victor or William Hill it’s a chance worth taking.
The drop back in trip is key, he has lots of early speed and a return to more aggressive tactics could pay dividends.
Good luck!
Saturday’s best bets at Newmarket:
1.50 – Dubai Challenge Stakes – 6 Fencing (win) @ 13/2 (Bet Victor or William Hill)
