Not the worst of days racing on the cards for this Monday afternoon and evening. With a flurry of cards, I found it fairly easy to be knocking a fair list of interest together, but I just couldn’t make most of them work for a bet for one reason or another. We go with one from a list of five, under a rider who is looking likely to be a cash machine in these races in particular.
A good day of it yesterday with plenty to take, but another blank on the results front. I said at the start of the month that March is usually a difficult one, and so it has proved itself again. But for a positive Festival, there has been very little to shout about. It’s a muddling month, where the jumps racing is phasing out between ground changes and bigger targets, and the All Weather is full of warm-ups ahead of the Flat season getting into full swing. It’s a time to pick our spots sparingly, which we have done, and things will pick up soon enough as the picture begins to unravel.
Anyway, the bet today…
In touch with leaders, bit short of room over 2f out, no impression final furlong
Henry Callan, the son of longstanding Flat jockey Neil, is fast becoming the worst-kept secret in Amateur riding, as he continues to ride his counterparts to sleep in these Amateur Rider races. He left me kicking myself on both Friday and Sunday with two excellent rides to win, on mounts who didn’t look particularly well treated.
He is certainly the taller of the two brothers, and it is likely his height which has prevented him going down the Apprentice route like his brother Jack. However, there is no knocking his style — he rides like an accomplished and seasoned professional. His ride on Friday, where he delivered Latin under a superbly cool ride, shows it as well as any. A calm head and pleasing style, he stands out leaps and bounds ahead of his rivals and is surely worth stones in the saddle.
Henry goes again today with a ride in the opening Amateur Riders race at Wolverhampton, and this time it’s one who is very easy to make a case for. He takes Spun To Gold for Jim Goldie — a consistent enough sort on the All Weather who has managed to get down to a near career-low mark, having not won since completing a hat-trick back in November last year.
With two of those three wins at the back-end of last year coming in Apprentice Riders races, it meant he wasn’t hammered at the weights by the handicapper, and his mark didn’t exceed a 4lb rise for the trio of wins. A succession of defeats — none of which have disgraced him — has seen his mark come back down to the level he won the first two of that trio from (54). Now with the hottest property in these races booked to ride, I fancy he’ll be back to winning ways.
Simon Walker has long been the go-to rider for these races and with a ride here on Instant Bond for Michael Wigham, it appears the market has again been formed around his ride, as is so often the case. With Instant Bond so often running a close enough race but nearly always finding one or two too good, he was a banker to be taking up a chunk of the betting, and they have duly delivered — putting him in as a clear favourite. With a profile of 1/19 and his only win coming recently in a dogged race up at Newcastle, he is exactly what I love taking on at the head of the betting.
Others to note…
It’s not often I’ll pass up a Kempton card without a bet, but there were two of interest today — one at wild odds — and I’ve managed to let both of them go. Hopefully I don’t regret that.
The first is Art Gallery (6/1, Kempton 15:10), a Qatar Racing filly by St Mark’s Basilica, who is becoming one of the most overlooked sires. It’s one we’ll likely be following the progeny of very closely this year, as they are consistently underestimated in the betting. You can bet St Mark’s Basilica progeny blind on the All Weather for a profit — albeit minor — but there aren’t many sires you can say that about, and that doesn’t factor in the numerous runners at big odds who have hit the frame. Art Gallery goes today for her handicap bow and I was surprised the handicapper had been lenient enough to give her an opening mark of 75, as bar her debut she has done little wrong. I was set on a bet here, but the favourite just looked a smidge too strong to take on. I think they’ll know they’re in a race, though.
The next one was more of a sniff than anything. I always have my eye out for Charlie Johnston runners taking a marked step up in trip, which is the case for Moon Is Up (40/1, Kempton 17:10), who could find a sudden wheelbarrow of improvement as so many of theirs do. The yard have a strike rate of around 28% with runners taking considerable steps up in trip on the All Weather. This doesn’t look the easiest race, though, and with place terms limited to the 1-2 on account of just six runners, I let the long odds go without a bet.
At Ludlow I looked at two — The Kalooki Kid (9/2, 15:57) and D Day Arvalenreeva (16/1, 16:27). The Kalooki Kid is a very rare course runner for Nicky Richards — the first, I believe, since 2013 — and for that alone I was curious enough. I couldn’t make heads or tails of the race, though. D Day is one who has fallen well out of form but is now in the hands of Nick Schofield, a yard in great form, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get her winning before long. She has tumbled down the weights and should find an opportunity soon enough if they can get her firing — but this race didn’t look the easiest, and I need to see a positive back over hurdles before jumping in.
Best of luck with your punting today.
