Ginger Joe has identified four notable entries from a huge weekend of racing.
It’s a huge weekend of racing, with a host of big names set to make their seasonal debuts, and it really does have a bit of everything. I’m back again with my top 5 notable entries of the week, and it’s a very busy weekend.
On Saturday, a potential Champion Hurdle contender puts his credentials to the test in a red hot renewal of the Morgiana at Punchestown, taking on possible stablemates and having to concede weight. We should learn plenty there.
We’ve also got a top mares’ hurdle prospect heading to Ascot for her seasonal reappearance, and she is a mare that has become a real fan favourite.
Then on Sunday, the Ryanair winner returns, the Gold Cup winner is back in action, but I think there is an even more intriguing runner over the current Champions.
Several other potential stars line up across the cards and we are in for a real treat. It’s a massive weekend for Ante Post betting too. If a few key results don’t go the way the market expects, things could shift very quickly.
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15:00 Saturday
GREY DAWNING - Harry Skelton
(8 yo) Flemensfirth x Lady Ragtail
Form: 2P12-
Haydock, Saturday 22nd November - Betfair Chase 3m1f+
It appears Dan Skelton has once again chosen to start Grey Dawning’s season in the Betfair Chase, just as he did last year. I have to admit, it’s not the route I would have taken. Even though last year’s
conditions were gruelling, I’m not convinced that slightly better ground this time makes the race that much more suitable as a starting point.
The timing simply doesn’t fit naturally with a campaign building towards the Gold Cup, and the Betfair has never struck me as the ideal starting point for that kind of progression.
After running him in the race last year, I thought Skelton might have opted for the Charlie Hall or a similar contest, something at a less demanding track and under more forgiving conditions.
The Betfair isn’t his main seasonal target, but a tough run at Haydock can leave a horse on the back foot, forcing connections to play catch up with fitness later on.
So personally, I’d have preferred a more patient approach with Grey Dawning this year. Still, who am I to argue with Dan Skelton, who is enjoying an excellent season so far!
Grey Dawning is a horse with real Gold Cup potential, and I’m keen to see whether Skelton can unlock even more from this striking grey and have him peaking when it ma
14:40 Ascot
WODHOOH - Gordon Elliott
(5yo m) Le Havre x Dhan
Form: 1111/112-
Ascot, Saturday 22nd - Ascot Hurdle 2m4f
Wodhooh has quickly become a real fan favourite, and she has done nothing but improve with each run as she’s matured. She won her first seven starts over hurdles, including the Martin Pipe at the Cheltenham Festival, and her only defeat came in her eighth and most recent hurdling start, when she finished runner-up to the superstar mare Lossiemouth over 2m4f in the Aintree Grade 1.
Still only a five-year-old, Wodhooh has already climbed to a mark of 154, and there’s no indication that the improvement has stopped. She has the pace for two miles, the stamina for 2m4f, and that narrow defeat to Lossiemouth represents the best form in the mares’ division outside the reigning champion.
With State Man now ruled out for the season, there’s even a possibility that Lossiemouth could be rerouted to the Champion Hurdle. If that happens, the Mares’ Hurdle could open right up for Wodhooh, who at this stage looks a clear second-best in the division and crucially, the one still on an upward curve.
Kargese and Jade De Grugy are obviously talented, but they haven’t been campaigning in this sphere just yet. Wodhooh is now firmly in the conversation as a big mares contender.
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GAELIC WARRIOR - Willie Mullins
(7yo) Maxios x Game Of Legs
Form: 1112F-
Punchestown, Sunday 23rd November - John Durkan (Grade 1) 2m3f+
I’m really excited to see Gaelic Warrior this season, and I genuinely believe he could shape into a Gold Cup horse by the time March comes around. He’ll be taking on the Ryanair winner Fact To File and the emerging Gold Cup contender Inothewayurthinking here, but I suspect both of those rivals will need a run or two to reach peak fitness. Even though Fact To File managed to reel in Spillane’s Tower last season, I don’t think that was anywhere near his best form, and
he’s worth taking on at this stage. Gaelic Warrior, to my eye, will be ready to rock and roll first time out, and a right-handed track like Punchestown is absolutely ideal for him. He travels strongly, he’s an Arkle winner so he’s got a bit of speed, and we’ve still yet to see anything close to the ceiling of his ability.
This could be the season he blossoms into a top-class staying chaser. If all goes well, he might even head for the King George next before making his way to Cheltenham in March.
THE BIG WESTERNER - Henry De Bromhead
(6yo m) Westerner x Augusta Bay
Form: 1/112P-
Cork, Sunday 23rd November - Mares Beginner Chase 2m5f
The Big Westerner is my absolute favourite mare in training, and I’ve been eagerly waiting to see her tackle fences. She finished second to Jasmin De Vaux in the Albert Bartlett, and she has always shaped like a mare who would improve once sent chasing.
She’s big, strong, travels beautifully, and is clearly an exceptional talent. There simply aren’t many mares like her in training. What sets her apart is that she isn’t a speed focused type like Dinoblue or July Flower, she’s a relentless galloper who stays and stays.
Because of that, I don’t see her ending up in the Mares’ Chase. In fact, I think she’s a genuine three-mile mare, and if she’s good enough, which I think she will be, she could well end up in the Brown Advisory taking on the geldings in March.
She should keep improving as the season progresses, which is exactly what you want from a mare aiming for the major Grade 1s in the spring. She’s shown consistent progress throughout her career, and although she pulled up at Fairyhouse, reports suggest she was in season that day.
Put a line through that, and her form stacks up very strongly. I see no reason why she can’t develop into a top-class staying chaser.
She’s likely to face stiff opposition on her debut over fences this week and will want a longer trip, but if she can get close, or even get the job done, I’ll be delighted, and I’d fully expect her to improve again for the run.
