This is a big weekend for two of Britain’s best young trainers, both with the Christian name of Harry. Neither will want to come away empty-handed from the next three days of racing because both men are giving racecourse outings to some of the best horses in their respective yards.
I will start with Harry Derham, nephew of 14-times champion National Hunt trainer Paul Nicholls, and who is no less ambitious than his uncle to make a name for himself. Derham is also astute at picking the best possible races for the equine talent in his care, not being afraid of crossing the Irish Sea and taking on the likes of Willie Mullins and the Gordon Elliott if the right opportunity arises.
Derham runs no less than three of his horses in today’s Fitzdares Sovereign Handicap Hurdle at Windsor (3.35 p.m.), including one of his stable stars BRENTFORD HOPE. This eight-year-old gelding showed talent on the flat for trainer Richard Hughes before being switched to Derham’s care two years ago.
Brentford Hope has to carry the top weight of 12 stone today in a competitive 14-runner handicap and that has clearly put off some punters. Others may have been put off by the trainer saying that the Bet MGM Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton next month is his main objective.
However, Brentford Hope will be suited by the soft ground and the likely fast pace much more than he was when he was second to Rubaud in a muddling three-runner Grade 2 race at Wincanton in early November.
Odds of 16-1 seem too big to me and so back him each way at that price with bet365, William Hill, Betfred or BetVictor, all paying four places. Incidentally, the other two horses in the race from Derham’s yard both have a ‘shout’, Givemefive and Court In The Act.
In the same race, I had been tempted to put up Beat The Bat from the stable of Harry Fry because the horse has rock-solid form. However, the drop in trip and the poor form of the yard – no winners for all of 29 days – means I will stick with just the one bet in the race.
I will be frustrated if Secret Squirrel wins this race having put him up for the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle last month. In that race, jockey David Bass chased a suicidally strong pace and so Hughie Morrison’s gelding did well to still be in third place when coming down at the last hurdle. Nico de Boinville will take the ride today and, if the horse has recovered from a heavy fall, he will be firmly in contention again at the last hurdle. But the horse has been backed into 4-1 favourite so I am happy to give him a miss at the price today.
It is perhaps pushing it to describe Fry as ‘young’ because he is now 38 and has been training in his own name for well over a decade. He had a poor season by his own high standards in 2023-4 so he will be wanting to make up for that at this year’s spring festivals and starting with a good weekend now.
By the time Beat The Bat runs, Fry’s promising novice chaser Gidleigh Park will have taken part in the Grade 2 Fitzdares Lightning Novices’ Chase (Windsor, 1.50 p.m.). Then, tomorrow Fry unleashes Altobelli and Might I in handicap hurdles at Ascot and Taunton respectively, while his charge Boothill is one of just four runners in the Grade 1 BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot.
However, it may not be until Sunday that we see potentially the most exciting talent in the Fry yard when he runs Anno Power in the Fitzdares Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (12.10 p.m.). A convincing win would almost certainly see her line up in two months’ time for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on day three of the Festival.
But I will return to Derham for some of his other weekend runners. He runs no less than 13 horses up and down the country tomorrow when he will be hoping that Noahsgreatrainbow, who is very much the apple of his eye, puts up a much-improved performance than when he was last of eight to Anno Power at Sandown in November. That was too bad to be true when the horse ‘bled from the nose’. Noahsgreatrainbow runs in a modest maiden hurdle at Taunton tomorrow (12.55 p.m.) and should get back on winning ways at a likely cramped price.
I put up FORTESCUE for the Unibet Veterans’ Chase Final two weeks ago when it was due to be run at Sandown. Today, after another postponement last week at Warwick, the race will finally be staged at Market Rasen (2.35 p.m.) and I am not going to desert Henry Daly’s 11-year-old gelding now. Take the 9-2 each way with most bookies, all paying three places because this race is Fortescue’s ‘Grand National’ and he has been carefully prepped for it.
There is plenty of good racing tomorrow, notably at Ascot, but no bets jump out at me. I’d prefer to wait until Windsor on Sunday when the course stages the second day of its Berkshire Winter Million meetings.
The declarations are still being made for Sunday as I write but the horse that interests me is Lucinda Russell’s AHOY SENOR in the Fitzdares Fleur de Lys Chase (3.05 p.m.). Russell keeps emphasising that her ten-year-old gelding is best in the spring and the evidence of the past two seasons suggests she is spot on.
However, after pulling up in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, Ahoy Senor has a wonderful opportunity to get his season back on track. He is the officially the top-rated horse in the race yet, under the terms of this race, he receives 10lb from some runners and 4lb from others at the four-day stage. Given the timings and not knowing the final line-up, I can only put this horse up at Starting Price (SP) and, because he is so inconsistent, I am going to propose 2 points win.
Looking ahead to the Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase at Doncaster a week tomorrow, I can’t resist backing FORWARD PLAN because he will surely go off a shorter price than he is now. He’s a real course and distance specialist over three miles and was narrowly beaten in this race a year ago.
Yes, he is 9lb higher in the official ratings 12 months on, but he is wonderfully consistent and is not ground dependent so I can’t believe that trainer Anthony Honeyball hasn’t had this race in mind for him all season. Take the 12-1 each way that is on offer with most bookmakers, paying four places.
Finally, I am going to have my first ante-post net on the Randox Grand National at Aintree on 4 April. Last year’s winner I Am Maximus is the favourite and he is due to lead what will be, as always, a strong Irish challenge for the race.
However, Paul Nicholls is keen on the chances of his nine-year-old gelding KANDOO KID, the winner of the Coral Gold Cup (or ‘Hennessy Gold Cup’ in old money). Indeed, Nicholls is so sweet on the horse that he does not intend to run Kandoo Kid again until after the National weights are published next month for fear of ruining his current official mark of 152.
We know Kandoo Kid handles the unique brush fences from his third place in last year’s Randox-sponsored Topham Handicap Chase at Aintree and we know that he improved this year for a step up in distance.
What we don’t know is if Kandoo Kid can handle the marathon trip of 4 miles 2 and a half furlongs but, at odds of 33-1, I am prepared to take the risk. If all goes well Harry Cobden will be in the saddle so barry Coddback Kandoo Kid each way at 33-1 with bet365, paying four places.
Pending:
1 point each way Brentford Hope at 16-1 for the Sovereign Handicap Hurdle, paying 1/4 odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Fortescue at 9-2 for the Veterans’ Chase Final, paying 1/4 odds, 4 places.
2 points win Ahoy Senor at S.P. for the Fleur de Lys Chase.
1 point each way Forward Plan at 12-1 for the Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase, paying 1/4 odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Kandoo Kid at 33-1 for the Grand National, paying ¼ odds, 4 places.
1 point each way July Flower at 11-1 for the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle, paying 1/5 odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Liam Swagger at 33-1 for the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle, paying 1/5 odds, 5 places.
1 point each way Djelo at 16-1 for Ryanair Chase, paying 1/5 odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Ahoy Senor at 50-1 NRNB for the Cheltenham Gold Cup paying 1/5 odds, 3 places.
Last weekend: quits. Meetings cancelled.
2024-5 jump season running total: – 18.3 points.
2024 flat season: + 41.4 points on all tips.
2023-4 jump season: + 42.01 points on all tips.
2023 flat season: – 48.22 points on all tips.
2022-3 jump season: + 54.3 points on all tips.
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