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On race today with a poor seller, on profile, at Catterick. Another limited
race tomorrow at Beverley with a claimer before some better action returns
on Saturday with Leicester & Ripon maidens.
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The three that have experience in the field at Catterick have not achieved
much. Dispol Toba ran in the second race of the Warwick in what
was a weak looking race. The winner and second have looked ok in later
runs but (Result) the 4th has
been beaten twice since (see Pontefract notes below), the 5th, 6th, 9th
& 14th have been beaten in sellers and the others that have run above
seller level have competed moderately. A lesson in there about not looking
for 'Eyecatchers' all the time and about how the better types often find
a way to finish up the front whatever the conditions.
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The ground at Warwick was holding and a real test for the limited fillies
that day. There is a plus for Dispol Toba in that she showed enough pace
and nous to lead early and go through halfway in third close up behind
She's A Shaw Thing & Percolator. This effort meant she blew up with
two furlongs to go and fell back through the pack. Her final finishing
position probably undersells her because if she had bumbled around in midfield
rather than mixing it with the two better fillies she would have been closer
at the end of the race. But, it would have been poor form and dropped to
a seller tells the story of what the trainer thinks of her. The plus points
are she has experience, can front run and is on an easy, downhill track.
Which means she can set a reasonable target for the others.
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Syrup and In The Moment made their debuts in the same seller
at Bath and both as second strings for their trainers. The runners finished
quite close together on the day but off a slowish pace. The winner, second
& third (i.e. Syrup) haven't competed that well in similar races since.
In The Moment looked a better physical type than Bill Turner's Joli Haven
who drifted from being favourite and withdrawn at the start. She was too
mentally young to keep with them when the 'pace' increased at Bath and
a nudge from another runner in a rough race was enough to see her fade.
Syrup was unplaced in a claimer at Thirsk at the weekend but that was a
tougher race than this one.
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Two of the newcomers run for Ron Harris who has never had a debut runner
finish closer than 6th (of 6 runners....) since his first runner in 2005.
The first string looks to be Forzando Bloom over Sweet Mujahid.
If he is going to have a surprise placer or winner this is a weak enough
race. We have seen that effect at Thirsk with the 33/1 win for Fangfoss
Girl in a claimer for Geoff Oldroyd who had a similar record to Harris
with FTOs. The one pointer there was that that filly was owned by Reg Bond
and by the first season sire Monsieur Bond who raced, as you would
guess, for Mr Bond. So, the idea was perhaps to whizz her up a bit and
put her in low grade to get an early winner for the sire. No such background
with the Harris runners.
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The other newcomer cost nothing, is by a non 5f sire (even Richard Hannon
ran him at 7f on debut), and is his trainer's second 2yo runner. The moderately
monickered Ykikamoocow doesn't have anything to recommend either.
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In summary, Dispol Toba is likely to lead unless In The Moment has
come on for her Bath debut and she should hang on for a long way in this
grade on what she showed at Warwick. In The Moment should show up better
and has solid prospects of beating Syrup this time. The newcomers do not
appeal apart from Keiser Blue who runs for a reliable trainer in
this grade and was declared for the Thirsk claimer but a non-runner.
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At Pontefract on Monday the fillies' maiden was most notably for
a laughably slow pace. A really, really, slow one. That means that the
actual level of form shown was very poor and even the 18 rating for the
winner an over-estimate. In that sort of race being at the front should
be an advantage because making ground against those given a 'free' few
lengths in the late race pick-up is going to be difficult. Reading the
race and the result should be done with those facts at the forefront of
the mind.
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The winner was the newcomer Clumber Place who was allowed to get
across to an uncontested lead on the rail from being drawn 6 of 7 runners.
She did this with the absolutely minimum of effort. She made an effort
inside 2 furlongs from home in the straight and it was then up to the others
to try to close on her. Her jockey was still sat motionless a furlong from
home as the others laboured to do this and he tried very hard to win without
moving at all although had to shake the reins at her late on as Camelot
Communion drew alongside. So, a positive for winning and she has a solid
enough pedigree but we don't really know how good she is because she got
everything her own way.
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Camelot Communion sat in second after allowing Clumber Place to
cross in front of her because she wanted a lead. She needed to be niggled
a bit on the stiffest uphill section but did respond and that was perhaps
more inattention than lack of ability. In the sprint in the straight she
ran well enough to close a bit more than a length on the winners (who responded
when joined). She look a short and heavily built type and much stronger
than Transcentral on TV pictures. But, as with the winner it is a bit of
a guess how good she might be because this race was barely at good training
pace. Worth noting she ran in the owner's first colours.
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Given the slow nature of the race a case can be made that the third - Asian
Tale - who ran in the partnership's second colours showed as much promise
as the first two. Only sixth of the seven runners at halfway and more than
four lengths of the winner and her very easy lead. Asian Tale made good
progress, relatively, to move through to third in centre course in the
straight and then plugged on well enough. She looked a bigger frame than
the first two and on the 'Of Interest' list for Paddock Review.
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Transcentral had shown all her wilful tendencies and refusal to
listen much to the jockey in her first two runs. She hadn't learnt and
was the same here. The jockey had to canter her down a rail to the start
with his feet out of the stirrups. She was drawn on the wide outside and
showed her wayward steering by running away from the others after the break
and having to be pulled back to them. Unsurprisingly, she then pulled too
hard behind the notably slow pace. She got outpaced as the better fillies
made their efforts into the straight and faded in the final furlong again.
In this group her lack of size showed up more and highlighted the problem
she has in that she didn't win something early before the competition got
tougher. She presents other problems because if you try to restrain her
she won't have it and she might pull too hard in front. She'd be ok for
that Catterick seller mind.
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Nothing much to report behind although worth noting the two that finished
6th & 7th from a trainer perspective. Now, going in for educational
debuts is all very well but Tim Easterby seems to be taking it a bit too
far. He used to be a '2yo trainer' but his recent record negates that.
He's had nine debuts so far and 6 of those have recorded a negative rating,
two with minor positive estimates both had poor breaks and inexperience
noted. The one exception was Anglezarke who won the Ripon maiden he always
wins so he can do it. Sale Or Return was 9/2 here and the vibes
seemed that she might be a better debut. But, even in a very slow race,
she couldn't keep up and got blown away in the straight.
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There was a bit of 'each-way support' for Orphaned Annie although
the trainer hasn't had a runner better than 4th on debut in recent years.
The 6/1 SP she returned was the shortest for one of his debut runners in
that period. She had more trouble keeping up that the Easterby filly. You
wonder whether the soft ground that has been the usual to date is catching
out some youngsters or perhaps they just aren't as good as the trainer's
think. Something to check back on once we've seen more of what the likes
of Orphaned Annie can do on firmer going or the AW.
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Interesting stuff at Windsor on Monday and the Result
is pretty easily explained when put together with paddock review. If you
look at that result the horses finished in close to the expected profile
levels with a couple of exceptions. The first of those was Flashmans
Papers who on profile looked a typical debut for the trainer which
don't tend to be that strong. On Paddock Review he competed for being the
most likeable of the group. He's flashy with his four white socks and a
pretty boy with it so you have to look beyond those impressions. But he's
close to medium size and a solid build with it. Neatly made and in proportion
lengthwise and some depth to his chest. Nicely athletic with it and a positive
review for a very usable 2yo. He ought to be able to rate OR78-84 along
the way and win his maiden. Showed enough nous in the race to get a good
position on the rail and make an effort through to second as the winner
pulled away. Stalled a little late on as he followed her left across the
course but a pleasing introduction. Fair enough, and not hard to explain
why he exceeded expectations if not excelling.
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The runner to finish below his profile level was Paul Cole's Duke
Of Aquitaine and, again, the reasons were obvious. The report that
came back said he wasn't fit enough for the day and had "Mentally Immature"
underlined. He wasn't ready enough to compete and since he was blundering
around in 10th being driven along at halfway the reviewer wasn't wrong.
Given what looked a solid time for the race and some solid horses in front
of him he seemed to do quite well to get through to a moderate 5th. He
made ground past the faders and garbage in mid-track which might have been
a little disadvantageous as well.
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So, a definite to win next time like a Northern Tour? The paddock review
wasn't as positive about this one in physical terms as with Northern Tour.
Somewhat narrow through the body, walk a little weak overall and so on.
Enough to think he might be a 66-74er rather than better and would need
to find a winnable race rather than being overpowering in his next maiden
runs.
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The comfortable winner was Miss
Chamanda and she again showed a later race surge to pull clear.
On her debut a week before this had pulled her clear of the rest but had
been comfortably dealt with by Bonnie Charlie. Without a runner of that
calibre here she won comfortably despite hanging left across the width
of the track to the finish. This is very common at Windsor were there is
a sharp left turn after the winning post and the exit to the unsaddling
area is closed off so all the horse can see is a dead end and the sharp
bend the escape route. She had settled down in temperament here and it
looked a good effort. You suspect she may well prove better than She's
A Shaw Thing in the longer term having more size.
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As the bulk of the field drifted left following the winner in the race
the exception was Heliodor
who had been held up by jockey Hughes from a wide draw and dropped behind
the field onto the rail. Six lengths off the leaders at halfway the jockey
asked him to show him what he could do a furlong and a half out and he
closed pretty well through the large gap that had opened up along the stands'
rail. Still going forward at the line and another pleasing intro. In paddock
review a typical Hannon type and shape and lacking the extra build some
of the better ones have. Like the third probably around an 80-85ish OR rater
and a good contender next time out.
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Which brings us to dear old Klutz, err.., Klynch.
Not without ability but a bit of a daft lad at present. He's followed the
same route for the trainer/owner combination as Rough
Rock did in 2007. He managed a fourth, in a Windsor maiden, in three
goes before struggling in nurseries off OR72. Switched to a seller and
equipped with blinkers he ironed out seller field at Yarmouth (home of
the juvenile seller). That got him sold for a too high 28,600 guineas at
the post race auction (and had the Yarmouth management pretty pleased no
doubt with their cut). Up to OR75 and uncompetitive in three later runs
for a new trainer.
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Now, Klynch was fourth here in his Windsor maiden having sat in 7th at
halfway and making some progress in centre field when asked. He didn't
look proficient doing this and not entirely in control of his movement
but he did it, and he was chasing three solid types in front of him. On
physical grounds he's better than Rough Rock so, by comparison, ought to
prove a better prospect. Not the seller route and Fire Sale for him.
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In sixth was Hannon's second string with Buddy
Marvellous who was given a quiet ride in sitting 8th and making
some progress late in the wide gap up the rail to a respectful 6th. A negative
overall on paddock review and a 60s type of some sort probable. The type
that the Hannon's find a race for along the way but not a winner of a normally
competitive open maiden.
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From 7th back you are into the unlikely winners. Blushing
Maid lacks size and build and probably a lower 50s type. Willie
Muir's Striding
Edge was a relatively low 8/1 in the market but a negative on paddock
review. Soon outpaced as the race quickened after halfway and probably
a 58-63 type.
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Buckle Up
could be assessed properly in this group after the gloom and rugs at Kempton.
That paddock review got it right in the sense he's a solid height and raising
doubts over his narrowness and light frame. The picture shows that better
and he's all leg and no meat.
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Behind that were the two Milton Bradley fillies who both show his liking
for buying horses with some build and feeding them up. The trainer is out
of form and had his first winner for ages the day after at Folkestone.
Sharp
Discovery looked plain unfit and the heavy build needs to be worked
on. She ran ok in that she was in third past halfway and didn't crack immediately
as the pace went up but the lack of fitness told and she faded badly. She
might be usable at a low level if she ever tightens up properly. But the
trainer's record means you should probably lose that thought. His other
filly was on debut and The
Beat Is On is in the same mould and, again, not a rabbit given
the cheap purchase price. But added being too immature to other lackings
so was out the back before before halfway.
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