15th November - Downpatrick Review (AW)

15th November – Downpatrick

Going; Soft (Times suggest heavier)

L’Acajou won the maiden hurdle for Edward O’Grady, whose yard is in good form. The winner had run a couple of times already this season and if you don’t know, Downpatrick tends to lend itself to horses that hold themselves close to the pace. This was the tactic employed with the winner, who had run consistently at similar trips recently, and it paid off. I’d imagine the winner would be kept in novice company for the time being. This gives Kazal’s form a boost and again highlights him as a nice prospect for fences. Care And Share went off a worthy favourite and I’d suspect the track was of no advantage to him, he could slip under the radar and turn up as a little bit of value next time out.

Moody Lad won the handicap hurdle and has a similar profile to that of another Philip Rothwell runner that I highlighted recently, Strand Line. Not a lot has been done over hurdles until landing this first handicap success and for a trainer that is quite shrewd it may be worth taking the winner to one side as being slightly unexposed. Don’t be surprised to see a return to Downpatrick before a trip to the sales at Christmas. I’ve picked out a race on the 13th December as a possibility at the venue.

Fresh from the flat after losing to a really top looking jump prospect in Lounaos, Orbit Of Gold made a winning debut over hurdles for ever in form Noel Meade. Meade says that it will depend on the handicapper’s reaction as to where they will be heading next. The performance was pretty useful and I don’t think the handicapper will go that easy on the winner. I’d estimate a rating of around about 110 for the winner.

The winner of the next advertised two other jumpers, Some Legend and Glenfinn Captain, whilst also being a controversial winner, as the first past the post was placed second. Ballfinney has been running consistently and was denied a run by the highly tried The Tricky Bricky. The stewards reversed the placings. The performance was fair, and as I say it gave a boost to those two horses that had beaten the winner.

Renepogel did what I warned he may in a review earlier in the season, and that was to win around a tight track in a weak race. If kept around a similar course further success may be gained but I’d be more inclined to think that the horse will at least run with more merit.

Romek took the beginners chase with a similar front running display. Whilst the performance wasn’t at all something fantastic it provided further support to two other winners in the similar way that Ballyfinney did earlier in the day, with Gazzas Girl and Letterman the horses this time around.