Horse Racing Podcast: Whistlestop World Tour

Our racing podcast team discuss the recent action and new stories and look ahead to racing in the UK, Ireland, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong

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This is Sporting Life well welcome along I forgot it was ricordo was scratching my not spot life racing podcast David all joined by Matt brle Bank Billy Nash graah Cunningham and David Johns a bit of everything this week a few chelam lines and Reflections on last week’s action look ahead to

Action this weekend too at Kempton Saudi Arabia and S as DJ’s pointed out just before we hit record button got the winter Derby coming up there but first we’re going to look back we’ll start with that bet Fair Ascot Chase on Saturday j i I’ll come to you first p

P Dory Won Won well it’s people put put it down to the genius of Harry cobon and bad R elsewhere where do you sit on the debate yeah interesting this Dave I have thoughts I have opinions but it’s up to you to get them out of me and I see

You’ve come to me first yeah it’s interesting I noticed big tone Tony Calvin there’s only one thing that he likes more than to berate his fellow media members members it’s when he can also rile up the base at the same time and he tried to do this with the Asar

Chase but I take a slightly different view um joking to a certain level four runners one of them Sail Away was there to pick up n and a half Grand or whatever it was for fourth and duly did so ridden accordingly um pig pig Dori is perhaps the most consistently accurate

Sharp jumper around in that sort of division at the moment quick and he’s very agile it’s difficult to put him on a a bad stride and up against him you had L press who we knew was likely to jump at least slightly to the left dulie

Did so and I can only imagine what might have happened if the Russell team had asked the cement footed aoy seor to go toe-to-toe or even stalk Pi dor from an early stage so I think that was a storm in a teac cup the winner is is a really

Really good horse now nowadays dead consistent not a superstar but give him anything like a softish time in front and he’s going to take advantage so it’s good to see him win I wasn’t mad about L press’s performance um AO Senor you know My Views and therefore overall um well

Done to Nichols and Cobden and P Dori and on to anry which is a theme I might return to a bit later on yeah but something else coming up along those lines later GC says David in terms of performance R into that race L press it

Was only four or five pounds clear on time where adjusted time forone ratings and that sort of disappeared at the start didn’t he he was he was beaten all the way through JC lukewarm on his Gold Cup prospects now how do you see him I share similar concerns to GC really um

Even if you taking that 170 performance that he looked like he was going to run two when we last saw him in the King George that’s still probably leaving him with at least five or six pounds to find with other horses like shishkin and then you’ve got even another four or five

Pounds perhaps on top you know that magic 180 barrier that we’ve already seen galapa shamps reproduce this season so I think it’s very difficult even if you make the case that going back up in trip and going left-handed will suit him better in the conditions and what he had

On Saturday I do think um it’s very difficult to see him getting back and being a realistic goal cup tender but the one point I wanted to make about this race was how it really did Shine the Light on the major issue of the lack of competition in these kind of races um

You know it was something that was talked about uh in the podcast last week about how these major races they’re just not stacking up and I think what was so bad about this race is that there was only four that lined up and to be honest

There was only one of them whose main aim was to go win the race you know I’m not suggesting that L press or AO seor were non triers or anything dodgy like that but essentially they were there to have a good spin to put themselves hopefully on target for the Gold Cup and

If they won the race connections would have been delighted but Pik Dori was the only one really who was under his ideal conditions and the one who was there to really go and do the job on the day and uh I think uh we we’ve got serious

Problem s at top quality racing is just taking place like this it’s just not a good spectacle can I I think it’s a really good point to pick up on uh there was a nice piece in the Racing Post in which the um Levy boards alen Del Monte

Emphasized that five and six Runner Fields turnover drops off by 40% if it’s four or five Runners 50% now turnover is not the the be all and end all I know that from a time in Hong Kong uh where it’s you know it’s stressed constantly there’s much more about the sport than

That but it is important but two things here it’s my view I think David would agree this is perhaps the most significant drum the British racing media should bang I’m betting without those who are paid to constantly bang the affordability checks drum it’s very important that the media bang that drum

Because despite what some might say I firmly believe that trainers absolutely adore small fields and why wouldn’t they money percentage status Prestige of course why wouldn’t they so it’s very important that the media bang that drum these trainers are absolutely shown their willingness to run infrequently so make it so either make

These racist handicaps or lose a couple of them on top of that we have a governing body a BHA who can be relied on to do the right thing only when every other option has been exhausted they will not do anything unless they are radical unless they are firmly firmly

Pushed and that’s why it’s very important that the media try to do that wherever possible because I guarantee you the industry is fairly lack aasal on this point he might have lifted it from last week’s podcast which I disgracefully didn’t listen to I’m told it was excellent but I

Disgracefully miss know I mean I’ve struggled to get the hot seat back but Matt Ed made the point Ed chaming on ITV on Saturday the goal cut I don’t if you lifted it from the podcast last week was the last grade one Chase in in Britain that’s been on ITV that had eight

Runners and three places in I mean that that just sums up to Perfection what’s going on at the minute yeah really sad um and and the real sad thing is that you look at that race on Saturday and you think what was missing you know sometimes you look at these races and

Think why haven’t they run this there why would they run that there but you know we’ve had the odd Irish horse come over faku de obviously WN it and we had I think Eddie hary brought a horse in few years ago in that Coney Island who ended up pulling up but the drf

Obviously takes away those horses now shishkin obviously last year and he was given a a real gift of a grade two over three miles at newb instead just the other week so there wasn’t an obvious one missing um it has often this race has often been a good um alternative for

Those also rans from the King George as well isn’t it and then you you look back at this year’s race and frodon retired and alaho has been ruled out and the real whackers being kept fresh for for chelham so and obviously no real desire to Run brave man’s game here which might

Have been a nice fit but why would he he’s going to win it with his uh with his well what has often been a proper grade two horse so yeah it was really unsatisfactory um what can you say about those those beaten horses the alarm Bells I I came quite close to backing

Our horor I must admit and then I read some quotes pre-race uh and the alarm Bells were were going off Linder Russell said uh this is a good one uh it’s obviously a very competitive race this was her speaking to the PA on Friday or whenever they got the uh the quotes from

It where to start with that it’s a three- Runner race for God’s sake um you know if he can run a big race we’ll see where we go at sheltonham I’m very happy with him like I was going to chelam hopefully this will put him spot

On for chelham and obviously me in the festival so that was unsatisfactory it sounded like uh venisha Williams and the owners of L press I think I think they used the word Ed now you just look at it you know he was odds on favorite like

You say for most of the week and they came out of it bumped and delighted it’s it’s really unsatisfactory and that’s just the state we’re at um that’s where we are perhaps L press will now go to chelam and show that this is his thing when it comes to these British horses

And I’ve been saying it for years but they all kind of have these very specific skills don’t they we’ve had horses like Bristol de May and protect um uh the other venisha Williams horse that has just won the better Fair Chase see royal pagy you know that’s like a hok

Horse and then we’ve had horses very um specific like brav man’s game towards Kempton with a bit more toe now perhaps L pre will come and show that a goal cup over three miles two is is his thing because he’ looked a real stay when he won that rehearsal Chase under a big

Weight and I just found it really odd going back in trip with him and running him again before chel was just so strange I think it was a mistake um we come out of it another grade one Chase in Britain with more questions than answers unfortunately disgrace job that

There was no Irish trainers targeting it Billy I don’t know what you’re doing for the great game over this side of the Irish it was very little from what I can gather but there was a graded um two and a half mile Chase in Ireland on Sunday

Wasn’t there and that was a three or four runner race with just two really competitive horses in that as well the a Sam yeah um very similar very similar over here um like you said the the Red Mills chase at Gordon on Saturday and again that’s probably something that the

Powers that be need to look at there should be a bit of joined up thinking I mean you have a two and a half mile grade two at at Gordon on Saturday you have a two and a half mile grade one at Ascot on Saturday I mean you’re there’s

A small pool of horses as it is why do you put on these two races on the same day so yeah like you said s Sam um had a a nice school around Gordon he beat his his only serious rival really in in Rivier theel beat her well but again

He’s a horse he’s probably a grade two horse at his best and Will’s talking about you know keeping him for there’s a similar race at the fairy house Easter Festival that he’s going to aim him at he’s probably not even going to go to cheltam now in true Willie fashion he didn’t totally

Dismiss the fact that he won’t go to chelham but he’s not um he’s not planning on doing it at the moment but yeah there’s there is a glut of these races and you know why do we need to have them all on the same day it just

Doesn’t make a whole pile of sense there’s a very strong case I think just to try and tie this up for making all the grade two and grade three chases limited handicaps down and how about this for a bit of thinking outside the box instead of group one’s group one grade one winners

Carrying penalties in grade twos Etc make them a handicap and give the grade one winners a small allowance reduce their handicap Mark by three four five pounds so that the up and cominging horses the 145 to 150 horses can really fancy their chances and the 160 165 W 70 horses can go into

The handicap but because they’ve won a grade one they might have a four or five pound allowance something to try to make these races more competitive for um the race goer and the punter that JC out the box thinking so little of it done in race it’s clear

That something’s got to happen it’s just time to rip up the cling the word n penalty penalize let’s try and encourage in instead of penalizing now talking of approaches on the back of what money thought was a magnificent front running ride from Harry Cobden reading the

Racing post this week um Harry fry and Aiden Coleman that the out of jocker ship GC is dying seemingly in Britain and one of the reasons why we’re struggling so much against the IR rich is that we’re just Gooding our horses too hard in the races yeah I you know

You should admit when you probably go a bit over the top and I think maybe I did in my tweet especially by um putting a red ribbon around it by saying what a load of bollocks which always tends to invite you know certain reaction uh but what I will say now to

Try and clarify this um the three people involved Lee M said Harry fry um and Aiden Coleman I admire Lee I think he’s a really really hard grafter I think he’s a good person a good writer um I admire um Iden Coleman especially you know for the way he’s handled himself to

Some really tough injury situations Harry fry I don’t know well but he seems a very measured individual um Le in his piece said are you slogs might even serve to accentuate Ireland’s domination um Harry fry I think it’s one reason going too fast why we’re struggling compared to Ireland Aiden colan it’s no

Wonder the Irish keep coming over and spanking us well they may have a point that in some day-to-day races uh the fields are going off a bit too fast but there are always receipts and we’ve had receipts for at least a couple of years now in the shape of numbers in the

Corner of the screen on RTV that tell you how fast they’re going I don’t believe that theory is backed up by what we’re seeing on those sectionals by and large uh more importantly nearly every good or potentially good horse we have in Britain can soft pedal its way to a

Festival by a series of small field sit Sprints so I don’t know where that argument is coming from at all so what a loot of bollocks may have been a bit too strong thought you’re doubling down strong no no he OB an interesting debate to have Billy we’re gonna move on to the

Action from ha do last Saturday and I’m goinging to you because grabing Cromwell I mean he’s operating at 25% strike rate in um the UK this year I think fact I know because I spoke to him last week that trials day was the only day chel

Meeting this season he’s had a runner he hasn’t had a winner he’s finding opportunities and placing his offes so well isn’t he on this side of the obvious he’s doing a wonderful job yeah um very astute trainer Gavin crell but as you say he’s very astute picking out

The right opportunities for his horses he’s seeing what’s happening over here it’s very difficult to win big races in Ireland with the The Mullins and the Elliott and Henry de Brad and you know bumping into those powerhouses every single day and he’s decided to take the

Approach that go to England pick up some of these um smaller races and he’s he’s done it really well like he said I think he’s had something like 11 winners over jumps in the UK this year work operating at a 25% strike rate took two horses to hadock on Saturday obviously y man

Who it didn’t wasn’t really picked up beforehand but was still a made over fences um going to hok on Saturday won the Grand National trial and now is the hour who to me looked like his second string in that um Albert Barton race I was hoping he’d run his other Horse Mint

By and now was the hour who looked to have a bit to find on the figures absolutely SLO up in that race so he’s done a tremendous job with his horses he’s been doing it all season and let’s hope he can he can do it at some of the

Bigger festivals towards the end of the season as well I don’t want to be a doom and glue Merchant DJ but when you see Gavin bring over a 12 to one chance for the grade two Albert bartler at ha and it wins doing handstands and you know he’s

Division two division three among the the Irish novices this season I mean we’re all teams so Geno aren’t we in the Triumph we’re looking for British winning the novice ranks this season yeah it does look that way doesn’t it obviously um you know I mean this wasn’t

By any means the strongest crop of novices was it don’t rightly know nine-year-old May in second so suspect the race probably isn’t going to amount to a great deal but uh yeah we we know that the Irish novices tend to be stronger than than the British ones and

It’s looking very much the case as though that’s going to be the the same again this year saw time form graphic yesterday I think Britain only has one novice hurler in in the top 10 at the moment which is that be I was at hok at

The weekend and you know those two Gavin Cromwell horses one wisy the other ground it out and you just think Christ they’re sending the third and fourth team again for our Saturday races and still snagging all the booty it made the point to me Matt gabin that Stumptown won a 50,000 handicapp at

Chel I think five opponents he said if that have been running Ireland it’ been a full field and he wouldn’t have won it’s just the the opportunity is so obvious that he’s taken advantage up yeah definitely it was four Four rivals it was only a five run handicap 20 six

Grand to the winner it’s absolutely remarkable this is on New Year’s Day at chelham it’s absolutely unheard of it it was an interesting pece Dave yeah I thought that you got with Gavin cromo it was it was really good don’t act surprise there I mean it’s it’s quite against wouldn’t he you

Know but yeah hor like stump turn I mean he’s able to kick that back I think he might um I think he might have given it an entry in the Kimo a little bit hopeful given his Irish marks 147 and Kim y not to 145 so are few times these are different times

Can’t remember the last time they nudged them down two pounds when they came over to England but yeah he’ll line up in the Ultima with a good chance won he’s only a seveny old but he was one that I thought might sneak onto the grand national radar which we might talk about

Later but he he wasn’t given an entry but yeah Cromwell he’s uh he’s a man to follow again JC you at he do at the Gary Mo yard having another double um Salva in the the Victor Lor and Botox Hass in the the renam a yard enjoyed a good

Season but using the week Jamie retiring a new a is beginning to Dawn down there as well absolutely we should tip our caps to Jamie Moore for you know a long and successful career in the saddle and say to all guys like that please don’t announce big retirement news on

Wednesday afternoon or a Thursday morning just after we finished our podcast far better to do it Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning but that apart no it’s it’s it’s a it’s a um operation I’ve always admired to Gary Mo flatten jumps and they’ve got um two very smart horses there in Salva who

Didn’t have a massive amount to beat did it pretty well despite getting edgy and Botox has who whizzed in uh but we’re looking at the pulse Jamie Moore here now era now and I think they’re in good hands with that Colin Quinn and Nile hulahan two young jockies who are both

Very capable but the other interesting point um I think this probably crepts under a few Radars look how how should we say you could say gun shy you could say real reality is biting now with some British trainers the key winners valuable winners for Britain over the weekend Henry spren battling in

The Reynold toown on a big day for Ben Pauling no chelton for him as far as I can see 3 under through five high quality handicap performance for Nichols and Cobden no chelam for him P Dori straight to anry Salva only if it got really deep but they don’t think they’re

Going to go for the Triant ferle Botox assh they don’t want to go to chelton with him um and you know you’re in trouble when the Twisters have a winner CU DBL thanks for all the messages by the way um when they have a winner and they don’t immediately commit to chel

Them so that one two three four five six pretty big winners for Britain at the weekend and no one ke to commit to go to Cham it’s a very very different era Now isn’t it they clearly haven’t got the countdown clock on the wall that does rounds on Twitter and he sleeps left

Till the the great meeting um David just a final quick line on um Jamie Mo started his training modules it looks like is obviously going to go on the license at least or begin to the process of the the new generation g m and that’s a really good Dual Purpose

Operation that be look he’d be looking to build up yeah you suspect um even whilst he’s been riding that he’s been heavily involved and I’d imagine it’s the same down there with Josh as well isn’t it so it’s always been you know a big team operation and I suspect that

Will continue and yeah Echo what what Graeme said earlier you know um he’s he’s come through a lot hasn’t he Jamie and it wasn’t well Josh as well you know both of them have had very serious injuries and uh you know you could Al almost say that they’re fortunate to to

Get out in the shape that they have done when you see what’s happened to some other Riders more recently and very much do do wish them well and hope that they have the same sort of success that what their father has and imagine that they

Will do to be honest it was put to Patrick Mullins Billy in Island last week that obviously a big thing over here John and hay oen the the fatherson teams on the Jo licenses would would it ever tempt him and zero chance was the exact word really yeah yeah he just said

Really do things his own way makes a final decision so there would be never any partnership it’s it’s Willie’s yard while Willie holds a license which I it works quite well as we start the weekend um tly Hill um the latest one of the theme of the no Molly novices this year

B have been beaten at long odds on first timeout in the Autumn then gradual progression there ever since he’s five to one in places for the Sky Bet Supreme now does he look chelon ready to you he does absolutely um I think yeah like you said Dave that this kind of does happen

Most years where you know there’ll be a couple of willly novice hurlers beaten in late October early November when he doesn’t tend to run that many horses anyway and people will all of a sudden say oh well this can’t be any good or this can’t be any good or whatever Tully

Hill was beaten fair and square first time out but it looked fairly obviously didn’t stay at punch Stone they tried him over 2 six they’ve dropped him back to two miles since and he’s been a bit of a revelation rate well I say a revelation his bumper form was obviously

Very good um he has looked much better back at two miles going a proper Gallop I mean you know um doesn’t seem to be any problem with Paul toonen gunning horses when he wants to uh so he just you know he seems to be a really strong

Stay at two miles he’s got a high cruising speed his jumping needs a little bit of work still he was he was okay at punches down he was better than he had been previously you’d still like to see him being a bit Slicker over two miles for the supreme but I think the

Supreme is the race they will run him in and I think because of that now Bal burn might go to the Albert Bon and that’s or that the the bmore that’s me trying to second guess Willie but I’m thinking that’s the way they will go I think toly

Hill is better off at two miles and he’ll take a bit of beating like I said he’s a he’s a really high uh High cruising speed and he’ll get a lot of horses out of their comfort zone and my slight concern would be if his jumping

Is slick enough just yet he looks to me like the type of horse that’ll be a better Chaser than hardler I think he’ll have a bit more respect for fences and obviously he came from the pine to pine field so he’s got a big engine he’s a

Very talented horse but he could be one of five six seven willly horses in the Supreme at this stage he he’s got a really deep pool of noas hurlers it’ll be interesting to see which way Paul toon in go I think it looks like um if

Tly Hill runs in the Supreme I think him um obviously Mark Walsh will write mystical power and B bur then might go to the the Bal Moore that’s the way I’m thinking Dave but you know obviously Willie has his own ideas and I know there’s not many sleeps left but plenty

Things can happen between now and the chelon festival not not long now Billy Matt that’s the thing that that struck me as well it’s a similarity in the profile to valy burn the running style Etc he’s only got the Supreme option JP will decide where mytical power runs

They have that sort of sway there that that be it the team there but if you were Willie would you do you see read it the same way as Billy this dial at the minute I do yeah we said it a couple of weeks ago didn’t we where we weren’t

Rolling out when everyone was sort of jumping on the B burn to the Supreme band wagon we weren’t ruling out a late move for the baring Bingham I think that’s the way it will go like Billy said the strength and depth there is absolutely amazing the absolute latest

One there’s a mover in the Supreme Market as we speak this morning from Mullins the uh moner and suede horse called Mr GIF has been cut across the board for the skybet Supreme so this is one that’s barely been mentioned in any of the stable tours rean so as Billy

Says this whole situation has has got weeks to go it’s got legs hasn’t it there’s what call that this latest one it’s called Mr GIF he won he won a maiden hurdle by about 16 length with 20 lents back to the third this was at at

The end of January yeah um a French flat import not from nine on the on the flat over there and bought for 200,000 or something and he’s he’s one of the latest movies in the market so that’s one to keep an eye on but yeah tly Hill

I was impressed with I think um you mentioned the similarity in style with B bur I think the key thing to point out is the similarity in style with some of those previous Supreme with us um classical dream I’m thinking champagne fever where they just they they he’s

Going to lead isn’t he in the Supreme and what he does do is he edges a little bit to his left where Town’s just going to be able to let him go let him go and um you can see him certainly winging around that old course and turning in um

With a with a lead at the top of the straight yeah I really like him I wasn’t totally Blown Away by mystical Powers performance in this the Moscow fler again I was a little bit cooler on B burner as being a supreme project but this one was really one that I sort of

Sat up and take notice and I see now he is you say fives that’s all gone it’s it’s seven to2 in places now and if Bal burn went then you’d be looking at five to2 favor I think Billy lantry lady Henry de bromad two from two now 11 runs

Between the two runs she only had one serious rival but she she was impressive at the weekend she was impressive but it was a very muddling race Dave it’s not one that you can you know it’s really difficult to put a proper figure on the Philly the bottomless ground there was

One just blasted off out in front that they completely ignored and she beat her only serious rival who was giving her a stone and she beat it really well now she’s impressive there’s a lot to like about her she’s two from two both on heavy ground at Gordon like you said 11

Months apart she’s a well-bred May she’s a she’s out of a unraised half sister to Annie power and you know physically there’s Lads of like about her she looks like a mayor that’ll jump off fence in time now I see people have been talking about her for the mayor’s hardle cheltam

She is probably entitled to go there she’s not a novice anymore so I mean their options are limited enough with her put strictly on the figures we’ve given her a Time Farm rating of 137 that leaves it about 20 to find with lassot who I think is 156 or that way galam

Maro who runs today at at puncher stone is about 148 or that way so ashro Diamond will be around that so she’s entitled to take her chance at chelton but she’s about 25 to one at the moment and I think that’s about right I mean you couldn’t really be considering at

This stage that she’d be good enough to beat those horses that she on that race Dave um the runner up who was conceding the stone in weight uh Gordon Elliot and gigginstown how stood what’s up darling seven-year-old gelding that was his fourth run in an noice and

He’s been entered in the coral cup County H in the M pipe unsurprisingly so let’s talk about handicap entes or handicap weights David the Grand National weights out in the office yesterday there was great excitement just the publication the r dos Grand National weights excite you David

Johnson not so much really I mean particularly we’re in the Postville Smith era as well aren’t we you know where we used to have the great excitement of how you know we had to toil through the form book you know sat up burning the midnight oil to knock two

Pound off here add a pound on there and basically make little difference so I think um did Martin greenw say this year is a first year in about 20 that they haven’t had to Tinker with it so um I think HCK is in there off top weight of

169 which is what his published Mark is so uh there wasn’t any tinkering required there so yeah I I mean there’s so many horses entered at this stage isn’t there it looks uh very very tricky but I was encouraged um by the quotes from Martin where he thought

The cut off would be around 144 now the one that caught my eye from the drf was Panda Boy on 146 so so hopefully that does mean that he will get in but um I must say I I was surprised that he thought it was as low down as one 144

That means um I think that was down to number 61 so if there’s quite as many as that come out um I would be a little bit surprised but we’ll see I TI Panda Boy up as my early National selection arrival podcast and actually called it

Peru man so anybody who listens to that and can’t find tou JC talk about that Phil Smith I mean I’m boycot until restore a starter to the menu at the Grand National WS launch I will not be returning and that has been my stance for years now yeah but that that that

That it’s just completely gone now as David says that element of the bespoke handicap the the Rouse the anger it just it just seems like it by on a broader point I ask this as a question I I feel I suspect this is true hasn’t that whole

Occasion got old in a hurry from dear old neun kange with some school kids welcoming visitors on arrival from Martin Greenwood saying you know such a horse is a nightmare for a handicap Ruby Walch and AP reflecting on you know yester year loads of old people people

Who are starting to knock on you know Finding for the old days really but saying it’s still a great race you know still a great race despite the changes it just it just feels it feels a bit musty and a bit you know Tony py tweeting from the guardian tweeting the

Gravy trainers arrived in Liverpool as he tweets a copy of the menu I just find it I find it awkward and as if the whole thing needs to Rock It Up its ass to be honest it was a totally P tweet that made me think gu when I saw saw that

Land Billy one thing we’re not short of is Irish trained entries um Martin thinks they’ll be a single digit British team I mean you look at that you look at Gardens entry in particular and Willies and if they’ part that ruling that limited them to farun how on Earth they

Would have thinned those out to be far you’re looking potentially for Deadwood there horses that are just stopping others getting into they’re only three or four that I think would fall into that category there’s a handful um they they both have a handful into that you

Think oh I don’t really know if that’s going to turn up on a national or is that really suited to a national um but yeah they’ve they’ve obviously stacked the field like you said if they were only allowed four each I think we’d be getting a of new trainers in Ireland all

Of a sudden you know um Patrick will be going on the license then I can tell you um but yeah this it’s it’s a really interesting really interesting National weights um there was a couple that caught my eye when I went down through it uh I think it’s the I last year’s

Irish National winner IM am Maximus is interesting um no guarantees that he’ll jump around because he kind of has his own way of doing things but a mark of 159 doesn’t look excessive to me that’s that’s 11 pounds hard in his Irish National win um I’ve always thought that

Statler was a national horse in in waiting now if you looked him if you watched him clamber around the cross country course of punches Stone a couple of weeks ago you might think that I think his Mark is fair but it’s very hard to know what sort of form he’s in

At the moment but I did think it was interesting Gardon Elliot made the point that he thought Galvin was well handicapped and you can see where he’s coming from I know he only got As far as the first in the race last year but he

Ran off a mark of 166 he has somehow been dropped to 155 this time around now he’s you know he’s packed around in a couple of cross country chases since wasn’t going well when he F the first Billy wasn’t going he was flying yeah absolutely tanking to DAV Russell um so

Yeah he’s one that that certainly caught me I I think it’s very easy to make a case for last year’s runner up vanilia he’s only gone up four pounds and he’s another one that we might see at the weekend so yeah um plenty plenty to get

Your teeth into but it it’s it’s like you said it it looks like it’s going to be pretty much Irish dominat numerically anyway hopefully the Finish will be as well I thought Elliot missed a trick where he said he hopes to run eight or 10 of those 23 entries I really wanted

Him to come and say yeah I’m hoping to run the allall B just want move on to M did they ain’t ain’t that a shame did that dream die last year after the meling road second time I saw him appear in the entres again and the heart skipped to

Beat yeah well you know after his run the last day that’s that’s put him back on people’s Radars again I’m just not convinced he gets the trip to be honest I think four and a half miles or four and a quarter whatever it is these days

Is probably a bit too far for them but he I’m sure he’ll turn up and take his chance again Dev Matt you have done a value bet and value bet first one of 2024 put up chemical energy I have uh one of the 10 for Elliot I think there

Is quite a lot of Deadwood in there but I’ll be honest I think that’s quite a risky guess saying that some of those down at 144 down at 5050 odd are going to get into the race like you know you just see it now they’re just just keep

They just stay in there don’t they it doesn’t cut up quite that much I wasn’t willing to risk going much below 40 myself um chemical Energy’s currently number 38 he’s got 10 Stone five that’s obviously set now he’s now suddenly lo and behold got his entry this weekend

After the weights he’s running in the Bobby Joe which has produced one or two national winners over the years and I thought he was really well handicapped um on a couple of pieces of form last year he ran in the National hunt Chase he was he ended up being second to gadu

Manil now obviously that horse came and finished third to Korat Rambler in last year’s National uh that was when he was rated 155 um so chemical energy just looks really well handicapped here this is um way down the weights if you go back even even further into last season earlier on

At at cheltam he absolutely hammered um malam Mission a horse that uh he was running level weights uh sorry he gave him5 pounds that day at Shelton Over three miles on good ground and he’d be getting 10 pound from him in the uh in the Grand National so he’s you know

Twice the price of that horse so yeah loads to like about him kept him fresh for the for the spring he likes decent ground so hopefully bit of sunshine before entry just something we ought to point out if you are playing antios particularly with those Irish horses

That are on the cusp we’ve got the Irish National with the early Easter I think here’s April the 1st isn’t it so it’s a couple of weeks before entry so if you are on the curp there’s got to be a good chance that perhaps the likes a panda

Boy they might be tempted to go to fairy house first okay if they’ve got 13 days he might have a chance to take him both but you could run the risk of them not you know playing the roulette of whether they’ll get in or not and choose to go to fairy house

Instead that put me off the that put me off the Brazil the other braz hor sorry Dave desert Moore house was on the short list as well and yeah that put me off him I think he might end up running at fairy house GC Y national what’s on the

Radar if anything at this early stage well I didn’t delve after the publication yesterday you know I’m a Mal Mission fan and I take Matt’s point about the handicapping I do um but Mala Mission has plainly improved um not just since that cheltam defeat to chemical energy but uh also since that um

Unfortunate departure in the National hunt Chase cuz go back and and watch his I won’t call it the Hennessy it’s the coral Gold Cup although I do still insist on calling the article the scorting life article um that’s another debate uh watch the way he went through

That Coral Gold Cup at um Newbury and tell me that’s do hor who’s who’s ready to run a massive race in any big handy cap granted a bit of luck I know he’s higher in the weight 7 pounds higher but and I know that the stats fiends will be

Dead against him because hardly any national winners are coming back off a long long break which he will be in April unless connections decide to give him a quick spin somewhere before then that’s clearly by Design though isn’t it it’s not a setback so you know if you

Are put off by that you full you’re a fool really you know it’s still a great race DJ I’m Gonna Let You Go first because you threw this onto the red for the weekend winter Derby at subtle new ven is it still the same magical race well that’s it it’s it’s a very

Different race isn’t it and uh one of the key thing well two key things uh it’s a shame that there won’t be a crowd there because SEL is still not open to the public since the pre- Christmas flooding yeah yeah but um the main issue

With regards to key race is a change in distance uh sou never had a mile and a quarter um course because of the position of the bz and stuff so the the winter Derby will be run over a new trip of 11 furlongs and now that brings

Complications I think for Lord North who would be clearly the best horse in the race you know several time group one winner won the last three Runnings of the Dubai Turf and presumably they’re going to use this winter Derby as a prep for that so he’d be slightly concerned

About him over this trip first time out wouldn’t necessarily be his um big Target and just interesting to see whether he he ends setting it up for a stable mate this Lions pride in there who has something to find but is extremely Progressive his form is worked

Out well he won a listed race at Kempton towards the back end of last year and the horse that he beat measured time has come out and won a group one out in Dubai since so that form is working out and there’s a really interesting one of

Um Andrew Baldin in here called Eden who we haven’t seen since a long long way ago back back in corus’s 2000 guine so um he shaped that day as though a mile was a bare minimum and you’d have thought he’d have stepped up in trip gone for races like the eclipse and and

Perhaps further so uh you know this sort of trip should be fine for him but obviously you don’t know what you’re getting in terms of um his well-being off such a long break but it looks a really interesting race that brings together quite a few strands and I think

Lions pride is the one that interests me most to be honest you a lot more interesting they expected you to be David thank you I’m looking forward to it now I wasn’t before I POS a question Matt there’s no crowd at subtle there will be at Kempton and a famous face or

Two as well there will be a famous face or two yeah Brooks ker and gr McDow are set to be in attendance no on Adonis hurdle day go on go on Brooks Brooks has got one uh in the Adonis yeah this has obviously come about after some uh bet

Where Harry Daren was playing in a uh in a pro am alongside uh greem McDow and they’ve bet on you know buy me a horse if you get closer to the pin I don’t know how these things were mid round GC I think you’ll know a bit more about

Inplay gambling when you’re playing golf but on the they’ve landed on gry McDow invested in our score give me five who uh was only rated 60 odd on the flat but seems like a little crackerjack over hurdles now he’s in against this this very well regarded hor of Paul Nichols

Called kff de burle who um they they they’ve said it GC he’s been bought for gold cups you’ve heard it before he been bought he’s been bought to win the Gold Cup so good luck to them now obviously all eyes are going to be on him but he’s

Got to give five pounds to this horse and um give me five he he attacks his hurdles I like this about a juvenile where they’re not he’s not afraid at all of really attacking his hurdles Harry derham’s obviously gunned him prettyy early and very well and he’s won races

At Market raisin and Warick on soft ground and he gave um plenty of weight away at wari last time out came was a bit of a surprise to connections I think he was giving s pounds to everything absolutely hammered them made all one by 18 length um and he might just be one

That you know if a kale DEET is a proper longterm project and maybe a proper stayer further down the line then just give me five might give him a race and what you’re trying to say here and rightly so is one point win I think so

To two I I agree with everything you I think he might just one of those not overly big horses from the flat who just loves hling and and therefore is miles miles better so getting five pounds from that um Nichols French import it’s it’s a onepoint win job you’re AB you’re so

Right one point win I wasn’t expecting that but and JC they’ve got the pendal one of two other interesting r on that kton card yeah get your notebooks out I’m going to take you around the world here in the next this is what we50 seconds yourself a coffee one point win

Give me five um I like tamus for Nichols and Cobden in the Pendle salute to Nickelback he’s having a great season but I don’t think he’ll be able to get loose like he did uh at Sandown last time and I thought Urus probably threw the race away in a

Tidy little three run a race at exra I think he saw that Stable Gate and he was hanging badly on the run in but either way he’s a good jumper and he’s a pretty smart horse getting weight five pounds from Nickelback now I’m going to take

You very quick uh Saudi wrap up I haven’t done all the races but I’ve had a look at a few um The Big Race $20 million Saudi Gold Cup sets up really well for that white AB bario readers Cup Classic winner there’s loads of American speed in there and and he’ll be very

Well suited by that the Sprint’s interesting from a Euro point of view let’s have a quick look art powers in there group one winner I’m not sure he like whizzing round a Bend at Saudi with various Front Runners up against him uh Matilda piot is one of them she comes

Out really well on time form figures if she handles the step back to six but again Pace pressure dolphan SE jumby mysterious knights in great form for goodlin but two horses The A Team here breus Cup winning trainer Mick applebe that Anna is a pretty smart horse and

He’s got that stalk and pound style which I think will be really well suited and he might sneak under the the whirlpool radar shall we say given that he’s not representing Super Flash connections and a Japanese horse in that race also called aguri who’s just a good solid group two Sprinter bit unlucky

Last time Anna an aguri and I’m now going to take you to Hong Kong on Sunday morning it’s always been my theory that the markets are incredibly efficient there but not so much in the group ones it’s strange it’s the Hong Kong Gold Cup Battle of the Derby when his romantic

Warrior and um Voyage bubble but there’s a horse called straight Aaron who was very unlucky didn’t get any chance to show what he could do in last year’s Derby and he was only just behind romantic Warrior and Luxembourg should have TI map to Luxembourg heun in the

Big Turf race in Saudi but the market could be heavily skewed towards two horses Voyage bubble and romantic Warrior and I think this straight Aaron might give them both a shake at what could be a very very good value price manous stuff from from Soule to Saudi

Arabia and Hong Kong via kton and I’m I’m now going to take you to fairy house and nce with Billy n we’ve got the Bobby Joe which has been a big Grand National pointer over recent times and on Sunday at nay see that the ler spotted fery Hollow appear among the the entries

There’s still time for some light close yeah GC has just taken us around the world I’ll take you to both north and south of Dublin there go the like you said the Bobby Joe at fairy house on Saturday it’s usually a good clue for the Grand National we’ve got a couple of

Interesting ones chemical energy that Matt has already mentioned vanilia andya Maximus are all entered in that race hopefully the Trea will turn up um should be interesting like you said fery Hollow at n on Saturday um they had him entered in the in the Red Mills at Gordon last weekend so

Obviously he’s he’s fit and ready to go um the Newland chase at n doesn’t look a particularly strong race he’s been off the track a very long time but you know if he does retain any even a a chunk of his ability he should be good enough to

Win this race be very interesting to see what they do with him from here on in but there’s a really interesting race at n on on Sunday um it’s a new one to me I I don’t remember this being on the card before but they have a perm qualifier

There um which then we never had a par times qualifier in Ireland this late in the season and there’s a couple of really interesting names in it including last year’s per times winner good time Johnny who went into plenty of people’s notebooks at the Dublin racing Festival

Over fences as a potential for you know possibly a Kim mure or one of those races for chelton but I see they have entered in the over hurdles on Saturday also in there is Desert Mo house Who Matt mentioned earlier on as a possible Grand National Horse you know could they

Sneak him into a a perms qualifier or into the perms final perhaps and Gardon Elliot has a few interesting ones the probably the most interesting one is a horse called Cletus Pula who’s a decent novice he finished second to B buror at Christmas and beaten a long way

Obviously uh then went and won a maiden hardle at n quite impressively next time out stepping up to three miles and probably suit him but he does need a run if he’s going to qualify for any of those chelam handicaps be it a Martin pipe or a per temps or whatever so he’d

Be interesting but yeah the there’s some interesting names on show in Ireland this weekend Dave and it should be some good racing if not possibly you know Not Top Class Dave can I just ask Matt the Brock broel bank and not for a tip but for a quick line on this big handicap

Chase it’s a coral sponsored race handicapp at Kempton on Saturday so 150 Grand in prize money stacks up extremely well with any Festival handicap you care to name only 14 entries at the 5 day stage and perhaps even more significantly the 14 entries are trained by eight trainers yeah only eight

Trainers thought they had a um a suitable Contender at the 5day stage for a handicap worth 150 sovereigns he used toit isn’t it sorry sorry bil it I said game’s gone in Britain you know Cromwell needs to get something over for that race he does

Yeah J know G I was looking at um yeah I’ve not I’ve certainly not done it in Great depth but um Anthony Honey Ball’s got two uh three and I was looking at Sam Brown because he actually ran okay behind shishkin and you know protector

At a couple of proper horses and he was was he quietly fancied in some qu that race the greated because the weather sort of came in his favor and having another W week now whether he turns out again at fortnite later because they’ve obviously got Blackjack magic as well and I think

The Sam twiston Davis was already booked up on that uh jocked up on that um but yeah I mean it’s Kitty’s light sort of season isn’t it and he’s another one entered up in the National and running this weekend but uh he wants good ground so maybe be waiting for even deeper into

The season with him so yeah not done it in Great depth I saw bter greatness was a bit of a market move and maybe tipped on a on another podcast near us Dave not on the podcast but I believe they The Punchy podcast in may have selected it

Himself in a a written getting your feet right under the table there aren’t you very if if I looked this tring the podcast it was just s booking coming through me Diary I was going for the PA absolutely absolutely catastrophic thank you to the guys heading down to Nicki

Henderson’s now for the pre pre- chelam stable visit there that’s been eventful over the years Matt so look forward to that and what do you produce from there thanks to GC DJ Billy and Matt and we’ll be back next week after what hopefully is another interesting weekend of action visit sportinglife.com for more

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