Saturday, April 24, 2004

THE VALUE BETTING COLUMN EVERY SATURDAY

3.35pm SANDOWN, SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2004

BP = 18/1

2) 3306 Stormez Martin Pipe 7-11-11tv Tony McCoy
Tough performer who was second in this race last year. Has run Ok this season without hitting the peaks and has it to do off his big weight. Also ran in the Scottish National recently and appeared a very tough ride but of course he has the right jockey.
BP = 16/1

3) 321U Rule Supreme Willie Mullins IRE 8-11-10 David Casey
High-class novice chaser performer at best, as he demonstrated when landing the Royal & SunAlliance Chase on his penultimate start. Not always the best of jumpers as he showed when unseating at Aintree last time. This is a tough course and very competitive race so others look better propositions.

BP = 9/1

4) 15UU Puntal Martin Pipe 8-11-07t Danny Howard (3)
Usually races at much shorter distances but was still in the hunt when unseating at the 19th in the MartellGrand National last time out. Difficult to know how he will react being back on a conventional track as he has been moody in the past but has some chance at a big price. Still a novice chaser.

BP = 25/1

5) 2-28 Haut Cercy Henry Daly 9-11-05 Mark Bradburne
Comes here relatively fresh after just two runs this season and would have a clear chance on his best form. However, disappointed badly at Cheltenham and the odds are not generous.

BP = 7/1

6) 2237 Royal Auclair Paul Nicholls 7-11-04t Christian Williams(3)
In fair form this season and goes well on good ground. Found the Mildmay course at Aintree too tight last time out but ran well at Cheltenham the time before - looks a sort who has been crying out for this longer trip and could be worth an each-way interest.
BP = 22/1

7) 842U Shardam Nigel Twiston-Davies 7-11-03 Carl Llewellyn
Won a good handicap at Cheltenham back in November and again ran well when second to Fork Lightning at the Festival. An early casualty in the National and will like the ground and distance here. Clear chance but odds do not appeal at all.

BP = 9/2

8) 132F Iznogoud Martin Pipe 8-11-01 Timmy Murphy
Signs of a return to his best this season and is well handicapped on his best form. Chances, but overall record is not wholly convincing. Likes this faster ground. Interesting jockey booking.

BP = 11/1

9) 7336 Montayral Pat Hughes IRE 7-10-12 Jim Culloty
Thorough stayer who ran well behind Shardam at Cheltenham back in November. Was a fair sixth in the Irish National last time out. He goes well for Jim Culloty. Definitely one to consider but may need softer ground.
BP = 12/1

10) -3PF Bounce Back Martin Pipe 8-10-12 Jamie Moore(3)
Won this race a couple of years ago and sixth last year. Often disappointing but cannot be ruled out of his favourite race.

BP = 14/1

11) F312 Kings Mistral Patrick Chamings 11-10-10 Barry Geraghty
Real course specialist (six wins at Sandown) and comes into the race on a good racing weight, though he is racing off his highest ever mark By far the best race he has contested over the fences but is very game performer. Cannot be ruled out even though he really needs softer conditions. Odds are poor too.

BP = 7/1

12) 0P5F Royal Predica Martin Pipe 10-10-09t Rodi Greene
Good form at best but hasn’t shown much this season and is passed over.

BP = 40/1

13) 222P Fasgo Paul Nicholls 9-10-06 Joe Tizzard
Generally consistent performer this season (second here to Kings Mistral). Has not run since February when disappointing in the Tote Eider. He seems to like good ground rather than having it too soft and stays well and is definitely one to consider.

BP = 11/1

14) 4798 Carryonharry Martin Pipe 10-10-00v Gerry Supple (3)
Real old monkey who shows flashes of ability from time to time but cannot be supported with any real confidence but will one day come from behind to win one of these long distance handicap chases.

BP = 66/1

15) 2113 Scotmail Boy Howard Johnson 11-10-00 Graham Lee
Won here in December over three miles and a furlong and a good third in Topham Trophy last time over the Grand National fences at Aintree. Stable finishing the season with a flourish. This is much his toughest race and he has failed when trying this sort of trip before.

BP = 14/1

16) 082P Imperial De Thaix Martin Pipe 8-10-00tv Mr Tom Malone (7)
Stays well and has the odd bit of decent form this season but too inconsistent to be a betting proposition and seems to do best on small tight courses.

BP = 50/1

17) 1537 Multi Talented Lawrence Wells 8-10-00b Colin Bolger (5)
A winner at Ascot earlier this season and is relatively lightly raced but he has yet to prove he is effective at this distance and has run a couple of times already in April.

BP = 50/1

18) 32BF Lord ‘N’ Master Richard Rowe 8-10-00 Tom Doyle
Stable won this race a few seasons ago and this one has shown some progressive form on occasions this season. Was a close second to Scotmail Boy here earlier in the season - likes this course with two victories here - and there is very little between them except their odds. Fell when going well at Exeter last time which was uncharacteristic and was unlucky to be brought down the time before.
BP = 40/1

19) 9F1F Early Edition Oliver Carter NON RUNNER

SUMMARY
This may not be the classiest renewal of the high-profile race but it is certainly a competitive renewal. The best value is with Royal Auclair and Lord ‘N’ Master. The statistics are against horses carrying over 11st which Royal Auclair does even with his rider’s allowance deducted and this week’s Value Betting Column choice is Lord ‘N’ Master at 40/1 each-way

FABULOUS MIXED CARD AT HAYDOCK ON SATURDAY, MAY 1

The feature event is the Grade Three £70,000 FREEPHONE STANLEYBET SWINTON HANDICAP HURDLE (1.40pm), for four-year-olds and upwards over two miles, which has a long and exciting history.

Newmarket-based trainer John Berry today revealed that Jack Dawson, already a winner eight times, is likely to take his chance in this valuable handicap hurdle which was first run in 1978.

Berry said: “The Freephone Stanleybet Swinton Handicap Hurdle is the plan for Jack Dawson, although if it was very wet ground he probably wouldn’t run.”

Kirkland Tellwright, Haydock’s clerk of the course, reports the going on the hurdle course to be currently good, with the weather due to be sunny and dry. Watering is an option next week.

Jack Dawson was an excellent third to Puck Out on his first start for nearly seven months in the Martell Cognac Cordon Bleu Handicap Hurdle at the Aintree Festival on April 3.

“He’s come out of Aintree fine. We had contemplated running him in the Great Metropolitan on the Flat on Wednesday but it was very soft ground at Epsom so he didn’t go there and now he’ll head straight to Haydock. He’s done two or three gallops since Aintree and is very well,” reported the handler.

“We could have done without the rain that they had before the race at Aintree. He didn’t travel as well through the race as I think he does on faster ground but he’s such a genuine horse that he always tries his best.”

Berry has ambitious plans for the Persian Bold seven-year-old in the next few months
“I would hope that Jack Dawson’s programme will mix both Flat and jumping. Hopefully, he will run in the summer and autumn, probably have a break then because he wouldn’t be a winter horse as he doesn’t like it too soft.”

This year sees the 26th running of the Freephone Stanleybet Swinton Handicap Hurdle which is the first big race of the new 2004/2005 jump season which starts on April 25.

After the great Fred Rimell sent out the winner, Royal Gaye, of the inaugural running in 1978, the following year’s Swinton Hurdle went to the Bob Turnell-trained Beacon Light, who earlier that season had been third to Monksfield and Sea Pigeon in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Rimell gained his second victory in the space of four years when Gaye Chance entered the winner’s enclosure in 1981. Three years later, after Mercy Rimell had taken over the reins from her late husband, Gaye Chance won at Cheltenham’s National Hunt Festival, taking the Stayers’ Hurdle by one and a half lengths from Goldspun.

The 1984 winner Bajan Sunshine was a versatile performer over hurdles and on the Flat. In addition to winning the Swinton, he was successful in one of the 1983 Flat season’s major handicaps, the Cesarewitch at Newmarket, where he proved too powerful for Popsi’s Joy.

Champion jump trainer Martin Pipe had the first of his three successes with Corporal Clinger in 1985. The master of Nicholashayne also struck with Tragic Hero in 1996 and Rainbow Frontier two seasons later.

Past Glories, the first of two successive winners for trainer Bill Elsey in 1988, followed by State Jester in 1989, was another Swinton winner to be subsequently placed in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle. He was only beaten three and three-quarter lengths into third by Kribensis in the 1990 Cheltenham showpiece.

More recently, Irish trainer Tony Martin launched one of his famous raids on major British prizes when She’s Our Mare was successful in 1999.

Just over two months later Martin returned with She’s Our Mare to the Lancashire course for one of Haydock’s best Flat events, the Old Newton Cup - she came third to Celestial Welcome. Later that year the daughter of Commanche Run captured another of Britain’s major Flat handicaps, the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket.

Two years ago Intersky Falcon was successful in the Swinton Hurdle for trainer Jonjo O’Neill, who also won the Haydock hurdle as a jockey on the Peter Easterby-trained No Bombs in 1980.

Intersky Falcon has gone on to win a number of top prizes including two Grade One Christmas Hurdles at Kempton and also came third to Hardy Eustace in this year’s Smurfit Champion Hurdle.

Last year’s renewal of the Swinton Hurdle was won by the Richard Fahey-trained Altay, who was given a brilliant ride by conditional jockey Padge Whelan to master Patsy Veale by half a length in a tremendous finish.

FREEPHONE STANLEYBET SWINTON HANDICAP HURDLE PAST WINNERS

YEAR HORSE AGE/WGT OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY SP RAN

2003 Altay 6-9-11 Robin Jeffs & John Potter Richard Fahey Padge Whelan 13/2 14

2002 Intersky Falcon 5-11-10 Interskyracing.com and Jacqui O’Neill Jonjo O’Neill Liam Cooper 11/2 11

2001 Milligan 6-11-4 George Leatham Venetia Williams Norman Williamson 10/1 23

2000 Mirjan 4-10-6 Miss S Blumberg Len Lungo Tony Dobbin 7/1 22

1999 She’s Our Mare 5-11-8 Denise Reddan Tony Martin IRE David Casey 10/1 22

1998 Rainbow Frontier4-10-0 Clive Smith Martin Pipe Charlie Swan 10/1 16

1997 Dreams End 9-11-11 T G Price Peter Bowen Leighton Aspell 14/1 19

1996 Tragic Hero 4-10-9 Knight Hawks Partnership Martin Pipe David Bridgwater 9/1 19

1995 Chief Minister 6-11-6 Graham Shiel Tom Dyer Peter Hobbs 16/1 13

1994 Dreams End 6-11-4 T G Price Philip Hobbs Michael Hourigan10/1 18

1993 Spinning 6-11-0 Paul Mellon Ian Balding Jimmy Frost 3/1 17

1992 Bitofabanter 5-11-1 Mrs I Loughlane Arthur Moore IRE Tom Taaffe 14/1 22

1991 Winnie The Witch7-10-2Paddocks Thoroughbred Racing Ltd Ken Bridgwater David Bridgwater 8/1 12

1990 Sybillin 4-10-1 Marquesa de Moratalla Jimmy FitzGerald Derek Byrne 8/1 14

1989 State Jester 6-10-0 Eric Barber Bill Elsey John Quinn 14/1 18

1988 Past Glories 5-11-9 Noel Hetherton Bill Elsey Paddy Farrell 16/1 23

1987 Inlander 6-10-8 Jeff Daniels Reg Akehurst Steve Smith Eccles 4/1 8

1986 Prideaux Boy 8-11-2 Graham Roach Graham Roach Martin Bowlby 15/2 20

1985 Corporal Clinger6-10-3 Jay Dee Racing Ltd Martin Pipe Paul Leach 11/2 21

1984 Bajan Sunshine 5-10-13 Paul Green Martin Tate Peter Scudamore 6/1 15

1983 Abandoned due to water logged ground

1982 Secret Ballot 8-10-3 Jim Joel Bob Turnell Andy Turnell 10/1 17

1981 Gaye Chance 6-10-10 Mrs M Curtis Fred Rimell Sam Morshead 13/2 18

1980 No Bombs 5-10-9 Snailwell Stud Co. Ltd Peter Easterby Jonjo O’Neill 7/1 14

1979 Beacon Light 8-11-1 Jim Joel Bob Turnell Andy Turnell 12/1 17

1978 Royal Gaye 5-10-0 Sir John Hanmer Fred Rimell Colin Tinkler 20/1 20


Racing on Saturday, May 1, kicks off with the £27,500-added FREEPHONE STANLEYBET LONG DISTANCE HANDICAP HURDLE (1.10pm), for five-year-olds and upwards, over an extended two miles and seven and a half furlongs.

Persian Waters was a talented Flat horse, having finished third to Cover Up in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2001. He put this experience to good use in last year’s running of this long-distance hurdle for trainer James Fanshawe, drawing clear on the run-in under Carl Llewellyn to defeat October Mist by six lengths.

The previous season Surprising belied his name for Philip Hobbs when justifying favouritism from Deano’s Beeno.

Crazy Horse was in fine fettle when he scored in 2001 for Scottish trainer Len Lungo. Having won a handicap hurdle at the Aintree Festival, he came to Haydock where he beat Manx Magic.

The other five races on the May 1 card are on the Flat. An exciting initiative this year is the £10,000-added FREEPHONE STANLEYBET FLAT V JUMP JOCKEYS HANDICAP (2.10pm), for four-year-olds and upwards rated 0-70 over a mile.

This event will feature six top jump jockeys competing against six high-profile Flat riders, with two horse reserves waiting in the wings to ensure that each team has six contestants.

The team element will be emphasised by the jockeys wearing distinguishing caps to identify which squad they are representing.

The principal Flat event is the seven-furlong Listed £30,000 STANLEYBET.COM SPRING TROPHY STAKES (2.45pm), for three-year-olds and upwards who have not won a Group One or Two race after 2002.

The Michael Blanshard-trained Patsy’s Double beat Polar Ben by half a length in the race last season, while Membership, trained by Clive Brittain, last of seven, then bounced back to form to win the Group Three Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Patsy’s Double had come second in 2002 to the Richard Hannon-trained Reel Buddy who went on to take the Group One Sussex Stakes at Goodwood last year.

The £14,000-added FREEPHONE STANLEYBET CONDITIONS STAKES is over six furlongs for three-year-olds and upwards who have not won a Pattern race after April 30, 2003, and is due off at 3.20pm.

The Peter Harris-trained Resplendent Cee ran on well under Richard Quinn to beat Orientor by two and a half lengths in this race last season. The winner subsequently scored in a Listed race at Chester exactly three months later.

Eric Alston’s grand old servant Tedburrow took the spoils in 2002 gamely by a short-head from Kier Park and progressed to win a Group Three event at Newcastle the following month.

David Arbuthnot’s mudlover Monkston Point revelled in the soft conditions in 2001 overcoming Halmahera by two lengths. Just over a year later, he was too good for Patsy’s Double (see above) in a Listed race at Windsor.

The seven-race programme is completed by the concluding £8,000-added STANLEYBET.COM MAIDEN STAKES, over an extended 10 furlongs at 4.30pm, and the £8,000-added FREEPHONE STANLEYBET HANDICAP (3.55pm), over six furlongs.

Newmarket trainer Henry Cecil chose the former race to introduce Tuning Fork last year and the Alzao colt won well and was subsequently the half-length runner-up to Magistretti in the Group Two Dante Stakes at York.

Tidy won the Freephone Stanleybet Handicap Stakes in 2003 for trainer Jamie Osborne, providing Haydock Park’s racegoers with a memorable finish when just touching off Quicks The Word by a short-head.

ORDER OF RUNNING

Time Race Distance Prize Money

1.10pm The Freephone Stanleybet Long Distance Handicap Hurdle 2m 7.5f £27,500

1.40pm THE FREEPHONE STANLEYBET SWINTON HANDICAP HURDLE 2m £70,000

2.10pm The Freephone Stanleybet Flat v Jump Jockeys Handicap 1m £10,000

2.45pm The Stanleybet.com Spring Trophy Stakes 7f £30,000

3.20pm The Freephone Stanleybet Conditions Stakes 6f £14,000

3.55pm The Freephone Stanleybet Handicap Stakes 6f £8,000*

4.30pm The Stanleybet.com Maiden Stakes 1m 2f 120y £8,000

TOTAL £167,500

For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink Archive

©Racenews 2002
designed and produced by Racenews Internet Services