POWELL OPTIMISTIC OVER INCHLOCH’S CHANCES IN totesport.com NOVEMBER HANDICAP
Maximum field of 23 lines up for £75,000 contest
A maximum field of 23 has been declared for the £75,000 totesport.com November Handicap, the highlight of the final day of the Flat turf season at Doncaster on Saturday, November 10.
Trainer Brendan Powell is looking forward to a good performance in the 12-furlong event from the five-year-old Inchloch, who was a staying-on fourth last time out in the Trade Union Unison “Your Friend At Work” Handicap, run over the same distance at Doncaster on October 27.
The Twyford-based handler believes that Inchloch, set to carry 8st 1lb in Saturday’s contest, was unlucky on that occasion and hopes that the gelding will run a big race.
Powell said: “Inchloch is lightly raced this year because he picked up a slight injury at Lingfield at the beginning of March. He needed his run at Windsor badly, and it was a cracking run last time at Doncaster.
“Richard Quinn said at the time that Inchloch should have finished second, and he got no run whatsoever. He stayed one and a half miles really well that time, and he’s definitely got a good chance off a light weight this time.”
Powell has little concern about the likely going on Saturday, as Inchloch has performed well on decent ground throughout his career.
He continued: “They are due a drop of rain at Doncaster, and providing there’s no sting in the ground he’ll run. He won his maiden for James Fanshawe on firm ground as a three-year-old, and he’s also scored on decent going last July at Newbury.
“Dale Gibson takes the ride, and you don’t get more experienced at that weight. It’s a big race and Inchloch won’t disgrace himself. He is in real good order.”
Inchloch, rated a 25/1 shot by totesport, has raced three times this season. After injuring himself in a handicap on the Polytrack at Lingfield on March 1, the five-year-old was unlucky when fifth on his racecourse return at Windsor on October 1, running on well despite being carried right on leaving the stalls.
Godolphin’s New Guinea heads the weights for the totesport.com November Handicap on 9st 10lb. Godolphin also run Rampallion while the Paul Cole-trained Pippa Greene, unbeaten in three outings, is the 11/2 clear favourite with totesport.
Other interesting contenders for the totesport.com November Handicap include the Geoff Wragg-trained Heron Bay, successful in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot while Richard Hannon is doubly represented with Malt Or Mash and Oh Glory Be.
Recent Newbury handicap scorer Heaven Knows is 7/1 second favourite with totesport but has yet to win beyond 10 furlongs.
Jamie Spencer and Seb Sanders, neck and neck in the race for the jockeys’ championship both have a ride. Spencer will be aboard favourite Pippa Greene while Sanders is set to partner 25/1 shot John Terry, trained by Amanda Perrett and successful at Newmarket in July.
Kevin Darley, who will bring down the curtain on his career after riding at Doncaster on Saturday, will be bidding for a final big-race win on Akarem, trained by Karl Burke and third last time out over the course and distance in the Trade Union Unison “Your Friend At Work” Handicap on October 27.
LATEST totesport ODDS FOR THE totesport.com NOVEMBER HANDICAP
11/2 Pippa Greene, 7/1 Heaven Knows, 7/1 Malt Or Mash, 10/1 Tropical Strait, 11/1 Sanbuch, 12/1 New Guinea, 12/1 Heron Bay, 14/1 Greek Envoy, 16/1 Bandama, 16/1 Oh Glory Be, 18/1 Rampallion, 20/1 Akarem, 25/1 Dzesmin, 25/1 Inchloch, 25/1 John Terry, 25/1 La Estrella, 25/1 Lundy’s Lane, 25/1 Night Crescendo, 25/1 Philanthropy, 25/1 Realism, 33/1 Turn Of Phrase, 66/1 Bazart, 66/1 Chicken Soup
Each-Way: 1/4 Places at 1, 2, 3, 4
BOB BOB BOBBIN PRIMED FOR RETURN IN SERVO COMPUTER SERVICES TROPHY
*CLUB 16-24 NOVICES’ CHASE PLAN FOR JOE LIVELY*
Meeting - The Open, Dates - Friday, November 16, Saturday, November 17 & Sunday, November 18
Admission Prices - Club/Tattersalls from £20 (£18 in advance), Best Mate from £8
Gates Open - 10am all days
First race - 12.45pm Friday, 12.55pm Saturday, 1.10pm Sunday
Dorset trainer Colin Tizzard has targeted the £60,000 Grade Three Servo Computer Services Trophy (3.45pm) at Cheltenham on Saturday, November 17, for the seasonal debut of his popular grey chaser Bob Bob Bobbin.
The eight-year-old’s last appearance on a racecourse came in the totesport Gold Cup at The Festival on March 16, when he was pulled up after sustaining an injury, but a summer of recuperation has put the gelding spot on for a return to Prestbury Park in the extended three mile, three furlong handicap chase at The Open, which is race seven in the Order Of Merit.
Tizzard revealed today: “Bob Bob Bobbin is going to Cheltenham for the Servo Computer Services Trophy. He put his pelvis out when he ran in the totesport Gold Cup but it was nothing too much. He has been in 14 weeks now and he is fine and ready to go.”
A smart novice two seasons ago, Bob Bob Bobbin defeated subsequent William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase third Distant Thunder at Bangor last term before finishing a creditable fourth to later Grade One Guinness Punchestown Gold Cup victor Neptune Collonges in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle in November, 2006.
Tizzard continued: “We will go to Cheltenham and have a look at how he gets on. He is a 142-rated chaser and he has run well at Cheltenham before, so it is a proper race for him. He will then go for the Rehearsal Chase and the Welsh National. That is the plan up until Christmas and hopefully he will win one of them.”
The Sherborne handler has earmarked the £20,000 Club 16-24 Novices’ Chase (1.30pm) over an extended three miles on the same day for the progressive Joe Lively, who won over the course and distance when taking the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Novices’ Chase by 17 lengths from Ice Tea, on October 20.
Joe Lively has won four of his last five starts and is one of two possible Tizzard-trained candidates for the Club 16-24 Novices’ Chase, the other being Flight Leader, who won the Grade Two Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in December, 2006.
Tizzard reported: “Either Joe Lively or Flight Leader will go for the novice chase but I don’t think the ground will be soft enough for Flight Leader. He loves heavy ground so the weather would have to change completely for him to go there.
“Joe Lively will probably go to Wincanton on Saturday and if he comes out of the race fine then he will go to Cheltenham. He loves good ground and we have looked after him, so it wouldn’t hurt for him to have two quick races.”
The Servo Computer Services Trophy Handicap Chase was won last season by the Paul Nicholls-trained My Will, who defeated Idle Talk by half a length, while the previous year’s renewal went to the JP McManus owned and Francois Doumen-trained Innox, who held Lou Du Moulin Mas by seven lengths and went on to add the Grade Three Racing Post Trophy the following February. The 2004 renewal went to the Martin Pipe-trained Stormez, who was winning the race for the second time, having first triumphed in 2002.
The Grade Three contest is part of a fantastic six-race card on Saturday, November 17, which features the prestigious £120,000 Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.40pm) over an extended two and a half miles.
Saturday’s action also includes the £30,000 Grade Two Cleanevent Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle (2.05pm), which was won last year by subsequent Grade One JCB Triumph Hurdle hero Katchit.
Saturday, November 17, is day two of The Open at Cheltenham, which runs from Friday, November 16, to Sunday, November 18.
GOING
The current going on the Old Course is good (watered) while the cross country course is good to firm (watered in places).
The outlook for the next week is unsettled with some rain forecast.
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