The jump racing season is now in full swing with Ireland’s first G1 of the season going to Gigginstown House Stud with Road to Riches making all to land the JNWine Chase under Paul Carberry at Down Royal. The 7-y-o received quotes of 12/1 and 20/1 (first show) for the Ryanair and Gold Cup respectively with BetVictor whilst Charlie Hall Chase winner Menorah received similar quotes of 14/1 for the Ryanair and 16/1 to win jump racing’s Blue Riband at Prestbury Park in the spring.
Jump-racing comes from Kempton and Plumpton with Tothemoonandback (2.25) fancied to give the Moore family a local winner in the novices’ handicap chase at the latter. The 6-y-o hasn’t been seen since chasing home David Pipe‘s subsequent Badger Ales winner Standing Ovation last season at Wincanton. That winner is now rated 30lb higher than that success and with just a 3lb rise for Tothemoonandback, he can record his first success over the larger obstacles at the third time of asking.
David Pipe’s Saint John Henry (4.00) can send punters home happy in the lucky last making his handicap debut from a very lenient mark of 100. Despite showing little in a trio of maiden hurdles last term the 4-y-o looks the ideal type to improve now sent handicapping up in trip and Tom Scudamore in the saddle for the first time.
Barry Geraghty guided Nicky Henderson‘s Volnay De Thaix to success in the opener on the corresponding card last year at Kempton and can follow suit with John Ferguson’s Commissioned (1.00) in the novices’ hurdle over the minimum trip. The selection runs under a penalty after his relatively easy success last month at Cheltenham and looks a cut above his challengers; 25/1 with BetVictor for next year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Geraghty rides Call the Cops for boss Nicky Henderson in the feature Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle over stable-mate Utopie Des Bordes however Royal Regatta (2.35) gets the nod under Richard Johnson for the in-form Phillip Hobbs yard. The selection has won first time out for the previous two campaigns and looks to be on an attractive mark of 130, fancied to land a decent pot before embarking on a campaign novice chasing thereafter.
Johnson can double up riding Annacotty (3.10) for the first time in the Graduation Chase over two and a half miles. The selection won the 3m handicap chase on the corresponding card last term and followed-up that success with a ten-length romp in the G1 Feltham Novices’ Chase at the track on Boxing Day. The selection is expected to fly the flag for the Keighley team and complete a third course success en-route to coming back for a crack at next month’s King George VI Chase.
There’s all-weather action from Wolverhampton with Roger Charlton’s Sleep Walk (3.20) a fascinating runner, having just her fifth career start. The Oasis Dream filly receives 2lb from her elders on the weight-for-age scale and arrives in excellent form having won three of her four careers starts. The selection was well beaten on her sole start on the polytrack at Kempton but can bounce back on Dunstall Park’s newly relayed tapeta surface under in-form jockey George Baker.
Freddie Tylicki has enjoyed a terrific second-half to the season since teaming-up with Godolphin trainer Saeed Bin Suroor with 14 winners for his new boss this season, and a record 13 winners during the month of October. He rides Panatella (4.55) for James Fanshawe in the mile and a half maiden with his mount taken to get the better of Marco Botti’s Cerutty. The filly receives 5lb from her main rival and can get her head in front at the belated sixth time of asking after excellent efforts in defeat, finishing second in a brace of maidens at Kempton.
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