Guineas News: Smart looking to send his Classic hopefuls to trials

News / Timeform / 01 April 2012 / Leave a Comment

Newmarket Racecourse

"Romeo Foxtrot and Ptolemaic have also done exceptionally well."

Bryan Smart is keen to give his three Newmarket Guineas entries a run in one of the trials to assess their prospects of going for Classic glory.

The North Yorkshire trainer has Foxtrot Romeo (Timeform master rating of 99) and Ptolemaic (97) in the 2000 Guineas and Excelette (102) in the 1000 Guineas.

All three are big prices in the ante-post markets for their respective events, but Smart reports them to have wintered well.

"Excelette has done really well through the winter. I'm very pleased with her," said Smart.

"Romeo Foxtrot and Ptolemaic have also done exceptionally well.

"All three will probably take in a trial and we'll see what we do after that.

"They all had good first seasons and have done very well during the winter."

In other Guineas news, Mick Channon is weighing up options for his exciting filly Samitar (112).

The daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar showed her quality during a fine juvenile campaign, winning an Ascot Group 3 and a Newmarket sales race.

She was also beaten just a head by Lyric Of Light (114p) in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile and Channon is looking forward to seeing her return to the track as a three-year-old.

"Samitar is great, I'm very pleased with her," said the West Ilsey trainer.

"I'm not quite sure where she'll go first, she might run in a sales race, but we'll see."

Samitar is currently [30/0] for the 1000 Guineas and the same price for the Epsom Oaks.

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Festival Trials Weekend Review: Can Grands Crus topple Big Buck's?

Results & Reviews / Timeform / 31 January 2011 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet View Market

Grands Crus pulls a long way clear of Knockara Beau

Timeform look back over the major talking points to emerge from Trials day at Cheltenham...

"The bare form Grands Crus achieved in beating Knockara Beau 10 lengths is not a great deal better than he achieved in a handicap the time before, but the really exciting thing about him is the promise of how much more there is still to come"

Festival Trials day at Cheltenham on Saturday certainly lived up to its billing, producing several performances that are sure to have implications for the big one in March. The undoubted star was Grands Crus, who laid down his claims as a more-than-credible challenger to Big Buck's in the World Hurdle when destroying the field in the three-mile Cleeve Hurdle. The bare form Grands Crus achieved in beating Knockara Beau 10 lengths is not a great deal better than he achieved in a handicap the time before, but the really exciting thing about him is the promise of how much more there is still to come. On Timeform ratings, Grands Crus is rated just 2 lb below Big Buck's, with a 'p' on his rating signifying the likelihood of further improvement.

In terms of having implications on the Festival, the day's next most significant race was the two-and-a-half mile Classic Novices' Hurdle, which was won by the Nicky Henderson-trained Bobs Worth. In beating Rock On Ruby by two and a quarter lengths, Bobs Worth ran to a level of form more or less on a par with what most Baring Bingham winners achieve, and he is rightly now the favourite for that race. The runner-up Rock On Ruby shaped almost as well as the winner and will certainly be worth his place in a Grade 1 at the Festival. The disappointment of the race was Backspin, whose below-form fourth resulted in his displacement at the head of the ante-post market for the Baring Bingham.

The day's most valuable event was the Grade 2 Argento (Cotswold) Chase over three and a quarter miles. The race has tended to be a Gold Cup trial in name only in recent seasons, and this year's renewal is unlikely to buck that trend. Nevertheless, Neptune Collonges produced a high-class performance, returning to something like his best, in beating the mercurial Tidal Bay by a length and a quarter. While anything more than a minor placing will likely prove beyond Neptune Collonges in the Gold Cup, he is reportedly under consideration for the Grand National, and appeals as the type to take to the unique demands of that race. The disappointment of the race was Punchestowns, who is yet to approach his top-class hurdles form as a chaser, not finding much having made mistakes on Saturday.

Elsewhere on the card at Cheltenham, Local Hero maintained his unbeaten record over timber in the Triumph Hurdle Trial, putting himself firmly in the picture for the main event at the Festival, while Philip Hobbs's novice chaser Wishfull Thinking put up a much improved performance to win the valuable Murphy Group Handicap, in so doing confirming himself a leading contender for the new Jewson Novices' Chase at the Festival.

Sunday's most interesting racing took place at Punchestown, where the highlight was a five-timer for Willie Mullins. The best of those five winners was Golden Silver, who upset hot favourite and reigning Champion Chaser Big Zeb in the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase. It is worth remembering that Golden Silver has disappointed both times he has run at Cheltenham, but the level of form he achieved at Punchestown puts him right in the mix for the Champion Chase. Big Zeb met with his first defeat since last season's Tingle Creek, but ran creditably all the same and probably didn't do his Champion Chase prospects too much harm, arguably hitting the front soon enough as Paul Townend delivered Golden Silver with a perfectly judged challenge to lead close home.

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Follow The Money: Cheltenham Trials Day special!

Follow the Money / Follow The Money / 29 January 2011 / Leave a Comment

Will today's Cheltenham selections come good?

"Backspin is undefeated in two starts over hurdles including a Grd1 last time, beating an impressive field."

Today's FTM market movers all come from the jumps action at Cheltenham.

Our first selection comes in the 15:05 2m4f Nov Hrd where Backspin has been well backed from [3.45] into [2.66]. The JP McManus-owned chestnut is undefeated in two starts over hurdles including a Grd1 last time, beating an impressive field. Today's race is not short of promising types either, but with the champion jockey aboard he sets the standard here.

Our next selection comes in the Cleeve Hurdle at 15:35. Grand Crus has drifted out from an early [2.92] out to [3.9]. This horse has won both starts this term but that was back in November. Today's race poses a much sterner test of his abilities as it is a big step up in class, also despite hailing from David Pipe's powerful and well respected stable his record with runners at Cheltenham is unimpressive with just a 8% strike rate and the drift seems to stabilise this view.

The final selection is in the final race of the day in the 16:10 2m1f Hcap Hrd. The horse in question, Cockney Trucker, has been supported from an early [21.0] into [15.0]. He is yet to win a handicap but there is plenty to like about his previous runs, he was a little too keen when fading into sixth last time out but can definitely improve on that effort. This is a very open race and with Richard Johnson enjoying a 16% strike rate when riding for Philip Hobbs at this course all the signs point towards a good run.

Recommended Bets:
Back Backspin @ 15:05 [2.66]
Lay Grand Crus @ 15:35 [3.9]
Back Cockney Trucker @ 16:10 [15.0]

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