JOHN GOSDEN looks to have found Epsom Day a good opportunity to get off the mark in the totetrifecta Pick The 1, 2, 3 Nursery at Chelmsford on Thursday.
The Teofilo colt was thrown in at the deep end on his racecourse debut in a Newmarket maiden and failed to land a serious blow in a race won by subsequent Listed scorer Tashweeq. He was then tried on the all-weather at Lingfield on his next two outings and again didn’t make much of an impact in maidens, but the step up in trip and switch to nursery company saw him take much closer order last time out.
Tackling the extended nine furlongs at Wolverhampton, he came from a way off the pace to go down by just three-quarters of a length and didn’t get the clearest of runs in the closing stages. He is open to further progress, especially tackling an extra half a furlong at the Essex venue, and could prove hard to deny racing off an unchanged mark.
Gosden also holds claims in the first division with Investiture, but she looks sure to be suited by a step up in trip on breeding and can be taken on with Bonhomie. Owned by the Queen of England, the daughter of Shamardal made a very encouraging debut for Michael Bell in October. She finished third of nine at 25-1, staying on most encouragingly to the line when the first two had flown.
Another with plenty of stamina in her pedigree, she was outpaced at halfway which suggests she may need further already, but it could also have been a sign of greenness.
Mark Johnston’s Regal Monarch shaped well when fourth of 10 on his racecourse debut a fortnight ago and returns to Southwell for the 32Red Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Stakes. The son of Notnowcato was only a cheap buy but was doing all his best work at the finish suggesting the penny had dropped.
Newbury’s Hennessy meeting gets under way today where Value At Risk can make a winning debut over fences in the Bet365 Novices’ Chase. It is an unusual step for a horse to make its debut at Grade Two level in a new discipline, but it shows the regard in which Dan Skelton holds this six-year-old.
He burst on to the scene winning a maiden hurdle at this meeting last year and Skelton was always in two minds about Cheltenham in March as he viewed him as a chaser. He ended up taking his chance in the Albert Bartlett but it turned into a real slog and having been given a nice break since, Skelton will be hoping he reaches the very top over fences.
Skelton also looks to hold major claims in the Bet365 Intermediate Hurdle, better known as the Gerry Feilden, with Ch’Tibello. The four-year-old stepped up massively on his first run for the yard at Fakenham when pushing Altior close at Ascot.
Altior has come out and franked the form in graded company so the performance can be rated higher than at the time.
Kilmurvy is the pick in the Weatherbys Hamilton Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Taunton having already won one of his three starts in this sphere this term.
IRISH NEWS YANKEE
Nap: Epsom Day (6.10pm, Chelmsford)
Double: Bonhomie (4.40pm, Chelmsford)
Treble: Judicial Enquiry (1.20pm, Southwell)
Yankee: Double Chocolate (3.25pm, Taunton)
