Ginger Joe picks out five notable entries ahead of this week's horse racing action, including one Irish Raider at Cheltenham on Friday.
We’re back again with five more Notable Entries for the new week!
We enjoyed some nice success last week, with Gameball overcoming a tough novice hurdle.
Despite some untidy jumping, he showed a serious engine and produced an impressive turn of foot after the last to settle the race in style.
His jumping might still be a slight concern, especially considering Henry de Bromhead is known for schooling his hurdlers thoroughly, but hopefully he’ll tidy that up next time out.
Whatever happens, he’s clearly a very smart prospect ad he will likely be pitched into graded company as expected this season.
King Of Kingsfield also impressed when winning his Grade 3 chase, and interestingly, he features in this week’s Notable Entries once again, but for a very different reason this time!
I’ve picked out another five horses worth noting ahead of the upcoming week’s racing, and it’s worth taking a read into my reasoning for each runner. Best of luck this week!
TRIPOLI FLYER - Fergal O’Brien
(6yo) Getaway x Collen Beag
Form: 512/21116-3
Perth, Tuesday 21st October - Beginners Chase 2m4f
Tripoli Flyer showed plenty of promise in bumpers and backed that up over hurdles, winning the Grade 2 Dovecote at Kempton in fine style. His performance there was so impressive that he was sent off a 7/4 favourite at Aintree, ahead of both Salvator Mundi and Romeo Coolio. Things didn’t go to plan that day, he found himself on the back foot early and a similar story unfolded at Punchestown. Still, full credit must go to connections for being bold enough to take him over to Ireland to have a go.
On Tuesday, he makes his chase debut in what is currently a three-runner race. While that might sound like a modest turnout, it could prove a useful test of his ability. He faces Jet To Vegas, who finished ahead of him at Aintree, and Kingston Pride, now making his first start for the Olly Murphy yard after leaving Seven Barrows. Tripoli Flyer holds a 5lb advantage on official ratings, and although he’s far from a certainty, this looks an ideal opportunity to gauge how he handles fences. Both rivals have claims of their own, but on paper, Tripoli Flyer stands out as the one to beat, and this small field could still contain a smart prospect or two.
WENDIGO - Jamie Snowden
(6 yo) Great Pretender x Biche D’Oo
Form: 311/21215-
Worcester, Wednesday 22nd October - Beginners Chase 2m4f
Wendigo has to be one of the most exciting British novice chasers to look forward to this season, and I’m fortunate enough to own a share in him through The Racing Club. He was purchased for us by Tom Malone, who has always spoken very highly of him, and since beginning his career under rules, Wendigo has done nothing but improve.
He’s by Great Pretender, the sire of top-class horses such as Lossiemouth, Beanie Des Dieux, Ptit Zig, Greantaneen, and many others. Pedigree doesn’t always tell the full story, but from an early stage it was clear we had a pretty classy horse on our hands.
Last season, Wendigo finished runner-up to The New Lion in the Challow Hurdle, and that form looks even stronger now with The New Lion currently 4/1 favourite for the Champion Hurdle. Wendigo then lined up in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, where he was right in contention before being badly hampered leaving Gavin Sheehan clinging on around the home turn. He lost several lengths and plenty of momentum, but once he got going again, he flew home late and would likely have finished third without the interferance. Although that was frustrating at the time, it confirmed we had a genuine class act to go chasing with.
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His Wednesday entry is only tentative for now, as while he’ll handle a faster surface, it feels fairer to start him off with some soft in the going description for his first run of the season. We know he’ll come on for the outing, but we’re all very excited to see him jump a fence. Hopefully, he can develop into the kind of horse to take us to the Brown Advisory Chase at Cheltenham in March.
HERON IN THE PARK - Tom George
(5 yo) Walk In The Park x Night Heron
Form: 11-
Worcester, Wednesday 22nd October - Mares Novice Hurdle 2m+
Heron In The Park arrived from the point-to-point ranks with a big reputation before joining Tom George to continue her career under rules. She’s by the ever-popular sire Walk In The Park, who completed a remarkable Gold Cup and Grand National double last season and continues to produce a stream of smart performers.
In her point-to-point, Heron In The Park was sent off the 6/4 favourite and justified that confidence in style, winning by an eased-down nine lengths. Of course, point-to-point form always needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, but when you look at her attributes, she ticks just about every box. She travelled strongly, jumped beautifully, and handled the fast conditions with no issues at all.
The ground is an important point here, because when she switched to racing under rules, she made her debut on soft going, and found that just as straightforward. That bumper win looks solid too, as the even-money favourite, There Runs Mary, had valuable experience from winning well on her previous start. It’s also worth noting that There Runs Mary runs again on Tuesday, which could provide a nice form boost if she were to win. That said, Heron In The Park beat her comfortably enough. She was held up early in that race, and the fact she was ridden for a speed finish shows she’s not just about stamina. She quickened clear with ease and looks a fascinating prospect going forward. Definitely one worth tuning in for!
DOCTOR ON CALL - Paul Nicholls
(5 yo) Doctor Dino x Tornada
Form: 1-
Fontwell, Thursday 23rd October - Maiden Hurdle 2m3f
The opening race on the card at Fontwell on Thursday could turn out to be a decent contest if some of the main protagonists take their chance. The one that instantly catches my eye, though, is Doctor On Call for Paul Nicholls.
I’m a big fan of the Doctor Dino progeny, they tend to produce sharp jumpers and quick, classy two-milers, with State Man for Willie Mullins being the standout example.
On his debut last season, Doctor On Call ran in a bumper and beat a nice Dan Skelton horse called Just Golden, who went on to win impressively next time out. Unfortunately, we didn’t see Doctor On Call again for the rest of the season, which was a real shame. I’m not sure of the exact reason, but even if it was due to a minor setback, you can trust that Paul Nicholls, the 14-time champion trainer knows when to be patient. He wouldn’t be running this gelding unless he was in good health and ready to perform.
The fact that the form has worked out so well since is obviously encouraging too. While we don’t yet know just how good this fella is, he’s already shown plenty of likeable attributes, and he should be highly competitive here. If he’s sharp enough to win, then all the better, but regardless, I’d be hopeful he’s a nice type to follow going forward. Definitely one worth watching in the market.
KING OF KINGSFIELD - Gordon Elliott
(7 yo) Vadamos x Passion Planet
Chase Form: 2-1131
Cheltenham, Friday 24th October - Novice Chase 2m
King Of Kingsfield makes the Notable Entries list for a completely different reason to the others, and I don’t even expect him to run! Let me explain why this is notable though.
For those who have seen my Irish Horses To Follow list, King Of Kingsfield featured there because last season he did much of the donkey work for Brighterdaysahead over hurdles. Despite his obvious talent, he never really got a fair campaign of his own, acting primarily as a pacemaker. This season, however, he has shown what he’s truly capable of on his seasonal chase debut, he was electric over fences.
When I recorded a stable tour with Gordon Elliott on my YouTube channel, Gordon himself confirmed that King Of Kingsfield will have a full campaign focused on his own chasing career. That really caught my attention, especially considering that he remains a novice after four chase starts this season, three of which he’s won, including his most recent success in a Grade 3.
Now, as I said, I don’t expect him to run this weekend. One reason is that the stable plan is to run Sporting Glory, and this entry comes quite soon after King Of Kingsfield’s latest outing. My belief is that this British entry is more about testing the waters, seeing what kind of mark he’ll be given on this side of the Irish Sea, which suggests Gordon could have a future target in mind. My feeling is that the race he’s considering is the 2m4f Jack Richards Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if King Of Kingsfield is given a short break now to freshen up and prepare for Cheltenham in March. So, while I don’t expect to see him line up this week, his entry is very notable for future purposes, and definitely one to keep a close eye on.
