".... there's almost certainly more to come...."

Wednesday, 6th November 2024

“…. there’s almost certainly more to come….”

A 4-runner handicap at Wetherby isn’t something that would ordinarily light the blue touch-paper of unbounded enthusiasm….

…. but it was well worth paying attention to last Friday’s Each Way Extra At bet365 Handicap Chase….

…. because it marked the return to the track of the Venetia-Williams-trained Galop De Chasse….

The 8yo had been out of action for almost a year having suffered a nasty wound when running at Newbury last November….

…. and whilst he didn’t manage to come out on top at Wetherby – he was beaten by Genois, a horse that’s improved for a switch to Jonjo O’Neill’s yard and who was match-sharp having already appeared at Warwick….

…. Galop De Chasse did produce a perfectly acceptable return to action in second – with 153-rated Midnight River well in arrears in third….

It was only his second go in this country at the trip and – whilst it wasn’t a career-best performance – it was close enough given the circumstances and augurs well for the future….

He ran off a career-high mark of 132, and the official handicapper has reacted to the performance by raising him a pound to 133 – which is fair enough….

…. but there’s no doubt in my mind that he can rate quite a bit higher in time….

On his only appearance last term he held off the fast-finishing Kandoo Kid off level weights in a C3 handicap at Newbury – beating him a neck at the post with the rest of the field well beaten off….

That one – trained by Paul Nicholls – has since risen 22lbs in the rankings to a mark of 145 and his trainer has big plans for him this term. Speaking to the Racing Post last week he said this….

“….. he jumped the Liverpool fences beautifully when third in the Topham. He was staying on strongly at the end of two-mile-five, so the plan is to take him back there in the spring for the Grand National. Before then his first big objective is the Coral Gold Cup….”

He’s probably a stayer and Galop De Chasse likely isn’t – and I’m conscious of the dangers involved when comparing a carrot to a parsnip….

…. but I’d say the progress made by Kandoo Kid over the last 12-months pays a compliment to the Williams horse….

…. and also gives some indication of how well-handicapped Galop De Chasse could prove on a mark of just 133….

There’s almost certainly more to come at trips of 2m to 2m4f and he’ll be better for the run at Wetherby last week – which he was entitled to need….

He’s one to follow in my book….

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The handicap hurdle take-out….

Well done if you managed to back Our Champ – winner of the Lavazza Handicap Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday….

His trainer Chris Gordon was on a losing sequence of 60 runners ahead of that race – a dismal run stretching all the way back to the end of May….

…. and it certainly put me off….

Coming back to the race this morning – it’s hard to know what to make of it because there are conflicting ways of looking at it….

You can’t argue with the time – which was strong….

…. but the ground was very quick on the hurdle track (which doesn’t say much for the novice event half-an-hour earlier on the card)….

…. and I’m cautious because not too many actually put in a performance that suggested they were truly on-song – which in turn affects the true strength of the race….

I’m mindful that ahead of the race Chris Gordon was bemoaning the fact that Our Champ didn’t have much room wiggle room with his handicap mark….

Given the outcome, the trainer’s either assessed the horse wrong or the race kind of fell apart for the 6yo….

…. with the favourite falling two out (albeit off the bridle at the time) and others really needing the run and not sharp enough in the closing stages….

I suppose Gordon will hope that he didn’t really know what he was talking about pre-race….

…. but if the latter scenario turns out to be the truth, a 5lb rise to a career-high mark of 136 isn’t going to make life easy going forward….

There is more to come from the second – Nicky Henderson’s Break My Soul….

…. lightly-raced, having her first go of the season, lacking the match-sharpness of the winner and competitive on the day….

…. but the one to take out of the race is the third – Secret Squirrel….

He too was having his first go of the new term and he was the one that came from the back in a race in which it was advantageous to be handy….

Hughie Morrison alerted punters before the race that his charge would come on for the assignment….

…. and on an unchanged mark of 126 the 5yo is at the right end of the rankings for a tilt at some of the valuable the big 2m handicap hurdle pots across the winter….

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I owe you an apology this morning – because I called it wrong yesterday when I said Afadil placed in that handicap hurdle at Ascot on Saturday….

I hadn’t take into account the three non-runners that reduced the field to ten – meaning the bookmakers changed the place terms ahead of the race….

Of course, Afadil’s fourth-place was one place outside the revised frame – an oversight on my part. Apologies for that….

That’s all for today….

Back tomorrow….

Meantime – contact me direct at – nick.pullen@oxonpress.co.uk

Stay tuned….

Against the Crowd