by Jack Milner
Richard Fahey enjoyed a magnificent weekend at Ayr’s Gold Cup meeting winning both spring handicaps with Don’t Touch and Tatlisu, part of the stable’s x-the-card six-timer on Saturday, and Jordan Sport (2.00) can give the yard yet further success in this afternoon’s opener at Beverley. The well-bred colt made a promising debut over course and distance in July, finishing third when not knocked about in the closing stages, before disappointing las time out in a warm maiden at Sandown. The son of Dubawi lost his chance early when refusing to settle, before hanging badly in the closing stages, but would be a confident selection providing he becomes more amenable to jockey David Nolan’s urgings.
Green Door is a fascinating runner in the feature Conditions Stakes over the minimum trip and could be potentially well-treated if reacting favourably to the application of a first-time visor. He made an impressive debut for the Robert Cowell yard last month at Ascot and should be stripped fitter for the run but on this occasion preference lies with Paul Midgeley’s consistent Line of Reason (3.00) under Paul Mulrennan. The selection chased home the excellent yardstick Maarek over course and distance two starts ago and was far from disgraced when beaten last time out on Irish Champions weekend at the Curragh. He bids to concede upwards of 4lbs to his six rivals but still comes out 5lb ahead of the field on official ratings and can score for the second time this term.
All eyes will be on Victoria Pendleton for the finale as she bids to better last month’s narrow second aboard Royal Etiquette in the Amateur Riders’ Handicap over a mile and a quarter. Lawney Hill’s 8-y-o should give another good account but is overlooked for Full of Speed (5.30) for James and Tom Fanshawe. The selection failed to fire last time out, however prior to that was second in a brace of mile and a half handicaps at Wolverhampton and Kempton respectively. The handicapper has dropped him 2lb for those efforts and that combined with both the rider’s 7lb claim and the drop back in trip should see the well-bred son of Raven’s Pass go close once more.
The opening meeting of the new National Hunt season at Warwick sees Clemency (2.10) make her debut over timber after a trio of runner-up efforts in bumpers and confident selection to score for Nicky Henderson and Andrew Tinkler. The well-bred filly has been a runner-up in bumpers at Ludlow (twice) and Fakenham and boasts the ideal profile to improve further now sent over hurdles.
Seven head to post for the handicap chase over two and a half miles with Donald McCain’s Court of Law (3.10) likely to take all the beating under Wayne Hutchinson. The selection put in a career best last time out at Perth over three miles and dropping back in trip can defy a 3lb rise at the weights.
Emma Lavelle’s Vendredi Trois (3.40) was unlucky to bump into one last week at Stratford and should be able to go one better in the handicap hurdle over an extended three miles. The selection pulled-clear with a well-backed runner from the David Pipe yard, 10 lengths clear to the third, and should remain competitive from an unrevised mark.
The Lavelle yard can double-up with Highland Lodge (4.10) in the feature handicap chase over an extended three miles. The selection was a beaten favourite in the 2013 Hennessy when finishing fourth from a mark of 143 and has tumbled down the weights after disappointing thereafter. He was a beaten favourite when making his seasonal debut last October at Chepstow, when travelling well throughout the race before tiring in softer than ideal ground. Despite that effort the 9-y-o boasts a terrific record fresh and is a confident selection to get his head in front for the first time since beating Our Father in a Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham in December 2012.
Martin Keighley’s Creepy (3.40) is another animal with a terrific record first time out and can land the handicap chase over two and a half miles. The selection has been successful on all three seasonal debuts and back to his preferred trip is a confident selection to give weight and a beating to his five rivals under Andrew Tinkler.
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