Next Race 

October 25th

Aintree (Going; Good To Soft, Good in places)

Old Roan Handicap Chase (Grade 2) 2m3f200y

It's hard to know what way the ground will go over the weekend so check back. A big field of thirteen for this obviously helped by the fact that it is a Handicap with 18lb between the top and lowest rated. Boombawn (Dan Skelton) is the early favourite. He hasn't won in twelve starts since winning the Rising Stars at Wincanton in November 2024 of a mark of 135. He rose to 153 over the next three runs before slowly dropping down the scale to his present figure. He warmed up for this is a Grade 3 Handicap Hurdle at Chepstow two weeks ago and finished 11l behind the winner. Hitman won this at the fourth attempt last year and has been runner up in it twice. However he has to carry 6lb more than last year and at 10yo he probably has peaked. Nonetheless he runs well on the Mildmay course here which is a plus. Connections felt Imperial Saint needed the run when 11l behind Hitman last year. He had finished runner up over the course in the Freebooter the previous April and has won three times over this course. Wendigo was in our horses to follow last season and won two and was placed twice in six starts. He fell at Cheltenham in March and the Mildmay here last April was probably a run too many. He appears to go on any surface. Matata has to carry top weight. Only an 8yo he's  won six and been placed ten times in twenty five starts. He's run poorly on the Mildmay course the three times he's ran but they all came at the end of the Season. He has won on seasonal appearances twice  and he's only 1lb above his last winning mark.  Matata's stablemate Master Chewy was beaten 2l by Hitman last year and is now 3lb better off. He put in some pretty poor runs after that and had a wind op over the summer. This is his first start since so is best watched. The Mare Bluey won three of her six starts in Novice chases last season having had a wind op after the third run. On her penultimate start she was just over 2l  behind Queens Gamble in a Mare's Listed Chase over a trip short of her best. Prairie Wolf won three of his last four starts. The last of them came at Newbury in March when he beat Twinjets by almost 2l when in receipt of 5lb from the runner up. He won over this Course and distance last December. He has won seven of his nineteen starts over fences and is now off a career high mark of 142. Riskintheground is now 9yo and runs with a tongue tie. He has been lightly raced over the summer winning at Perth although he appears to be the Skelton's second choice and wouldn't want too much juice in the ground. The Stable's first choice Boombawm will also be accompanied by Matterhorn and Etalon as the yard tries to pile on the prize money. Insurrection has joined the growing stable of Nick Schofield from Paul Nicholls having appeared to have lost his way a bit at the end of last season. It looks a wide open contest but while I am a fan of Wendigo one piece of form that caught my eye was last November when Bluey was beaten into fourth, just over 4l, by Mambonumberfive. Bluey was conceding 4lb to the winner who was rated 133 and Bluey was rated 129 meaning she was 8lb wrong at the weights. The winner went on to win the Wayward Lad (Grade 2) at Kempton over Christmas while Bluey, who had weakened after the last, had a wind op after her next run and went on to win two of her subsequent three starts and was second ib the other. Mamboonumberfive is now rated 146 while Bluey is 136 so I think she may have a bit up her sleeve and is made a sporting selection. 

Selection; Bluey (8/1 freely available. Look for Best Odds Guaranteed)

Best Alternative; Wendigo (EW)

October 23rd

Cheltenham (Going; Good To Soft )

The Sharp Novices Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m87yds

Ten go to post for this but the Bookmakers have it priced up as a match between two. With more rain forecast on already watered ground conditions could get very testing for these Novices so it is a race not not to get too involved in. Dan Skelton's yard is flying at the moment with over 100 wins on the board so far this season and just £40k short of £1 million in prize money. He runs Cooltobecareless here who has shortened into favourite this morning. A cheap buy as a 3yo Store at €6k he won his Point last year  before changing hands privately. He won his Bumper at the second attempt befroe disappointing in the Aintree Bumper. He had a wind over the summer and resumed with an impressive win over this course and distance two weeks ago winning y 13l showing an impressive turn of foot. The Nicky Henderson trained Planters Punch has drifted out in the betting to second favourite. The Seven Barrows trainer has yet to hit form although his runner here has Course and Distance form having completed a hat trick of Juvenile ' National Hunt @ Hurdle wins here last April. That was his last start and although the form of those wins has worked out race fitness might catch him out. Scott's Legacy has won two of his three starts the latest at Newton Abbot last Month, his first start over hurdles. He's from the Twiston-Davies yard who are in red hot form operating at 33% (9 wins from 27 runs last fourteen days) and might appeal to eachway backers. Eddie Buckley sends over Bells Grove for his Ratoath base in Ireland. He's won his last two, both on Good Ground, earning an Irish rating of 124. He was third, beaten 2l, in the Bumper at this meeting last year also on Good ground. He has yet to run on ground with soft in the description but his sire Capri was effective on it. Matiwo was 6l abck in second to the aforementioned Scott's Legacy at Neton Abbot and back in February was beaten over 8l in a Grade 2 at Kempton and on ratings has a bit to find with the favourite. One to keep an eye on in Sixpack from  the James Owen yard. Five from twenty five on the Flat he had one run over hurdles last October finishing down the field. He resumed on the flat over the summer and his latest start was his second run over Hurdles which he won beating subsequent winner Tralee Girl. The ground might be against him. Spanish Darling won two of his four points, a Bumper and his only start over hurdles when he won at Worcester by 7l pulling up earlier this month. Eternal Angel has plenty of experience winning his only Bumper and 3 of his twelve starts over Hurdles and placed in six other. He looks pretty exposed at this stage. Cooltobecareless was impressive at Chepstow both in his Jumping and finishing and gets the selection.

Selection; Cooltobecareless

Best Alternative; Bells Grove (Each Way)

October 9th

Chepstow (Good To Soft)

Persian War Novices Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m3f100y

One of the difficulties at the start of a season is deciding if the benefit of a run makes up for a difference in ratings and whether horses have needed the first run in previous seasons. Cosmic Connection (Rated 138) won his Point last January and changed hands privately. He had his first start for new connections in March beating Road To Wembley who went on to win his next three. Cosmic Connection had three more starts before the end of April winning twice and finishing second in the other. In his penultimate start, which was around this track on Good To Soft, he beat The Kemble Brewery who went on to win his next two. However the best form in this race is with Lord Byron who despite being top rated at 147 is still a Maiden after seven starts over hurdles. The 4yo has been to the best races beaten 4l by Maestro Conti in the Grade 2 Juvenile Trial in January and was over 3l back in fifth to the winner in the Triumph in March. His best run was at the Punchestown Festival when he was beaten a head in the Grade 1 over 2m4f by King Rasko Grey who had won the Baring Bingham at the Cheltenham Festival. Lord Byron had a warm up for this at Carlisle last month finishing in Midfield. North Shore has his fist start for the Skeltons having moved from Gavin Cromwell's. He won his maiden at the fifth attempt having been highly tried. He twice finished 11l behind Narciso Has before been a long way back in the Triumph. He fell next time but made amends when getting of the mark in a Maiden at Killarney in May. He's been off since and with a rating of 135 has a bit to find. Henry De Bromhead sends over the Mare La Cote Fleurie. She's now rated 123 after winning at Kilbeggan last August and has her first start since then. The August run was her first since winning at Limerick in May. She gets a 7lb allowance. Lock Stock won on his first start in almost nine months when a comfortable 5l winnner at Warwick last month and he repeated that two weeks later at the same track. This is a big step up. Paul Nolan sends over Le Moulin Rouge from his Wexford base. A faller on his only Point start he got off the mark over hurdles at the third attempt last April in Wexford. This is his first start since and on a mark of 129 has a bit to find. West Hill Verde is still a maiden after six starts, finishing third four times and second once. If the ground dried out Chicker would be of interest as an each way play and the rest have it all to do. Lord Byron with Harry Cobden in the saddle can get us of the mark.

Selection; Lord Byron

Best Alternative; Cosmic Attraction

Oct 3rd

Gowran Park (Going; Good)

Champion Chase (Grade 2) 2m4f

 We're back for another season and as usual kick off with the PWC Chase, honouring the great Danoli who was trained locally. Just the four go to post and there's not much between the top two  As I right Blood Destiny, who was second to Western Fold in last year's running, has gone favourite for a local victory. The Willie Mullins charge is the highest rated in the field at 156 but he has had his issues and is prone to the odd poor run. He has won seven and been placed eleven times in twenty three starts so is fairly consistent. He disappointed at Galway on his last start twenty six days ago, beaten 22l back into sixth. Nothing abnormal showed up post race and it could be that having raced keenly he ran out of steam. On his previous start, also at Galway in early August he had won a Handicap Chase going away at the finish having conceded 10lb and more to all his rivals. While he isn't totally ground dependent he is better on a sounder surface. Jumping is one of his strengths and if things go for him he has a chance. Fleur In The Park is probably the main rival to the favourite. He hasn't run since finishing almost 4l back in second to Western Fold in the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown back in April. In six starts over fences he's won twice and finished second three times. He's rated 3lb lower than the favourite and may lack race fitness. His form suggests he goes on most ground and won't be inconvenienced by the current Good To Yielding. I was a bit shocked to see Senecia is rated 150. Winner of three and placed in six of his twenty three starts over fences he has plenty of PU's and UR's in his form. However he did beat El Fabiolo by just over 1l in the Grade 2 Webster Cup at Navan in 2025. Given his profile it's hard to be confident about him. Emily Love looks outclassed on ratings and has been pretty poor in her last two starts leaving her with a rating of 121. The best they can hope for is a bit of placed Black Type. So we have a race where the contestants have a few questions to answer. Emily Love has a huge amount to find on ratings  while Senecia is unreliable and can't be backed with any confidence. Fleur In The Park won first time out in 20203 and '24 but was beaten over 6l into second in the Novice Chase at this meeting last year. We don't know how good the winner is as he hasn't run since but the runner up was over 20l clear of the third. Despite putting in an occasional poor run, Blood Destiny has never as far as I can see run two successive bad races and with the benefit of race fitness is slightly favoured. However it's not a race to get too involved in.

Selection; Blood Destiny ( 11/8 Paddy Power BOG)

Best Alternative; Fleur In The Park