Today’s TV races, by Chris Cook
It may not exactly surprise you to learn that Aidan O’Brien has an excellent record in the Racing Post Trophy but the obvious line, that he has won it three times in the past seven years, doesn’t quite do justice to the Irishman. In the other four runnings during that time, he has had the runner-up and there are few holes to be picked in the chance of his main runner this time, Yucatan (3.50).
It had been thought that Yucatan would come here as O’Brien’s second string but a rush of money for him on Wednesday suggested otherwise and lo, Capri, who had been favourite, was not declared at the final entry stage on Thursday. Yucatan chased that one home in the Beresford last month, seeming to run above stable expectations for the second time, having beaten a more fancied stablemate in a Curragh maiden in August.
The colt is bred to be good, being by Galileo and out of Six Perfections, a Breeders’ Cup Mile winner who has already produced two Group-class types. In a reasonably competitive field, Yucatan should be the favourite, though even money is about as short as he should be. The Anvil, another O’Brien runner, would be a threat if returning to the form of his Royal Lodge second.
1.50 Cheltenham Rebecca Curtis is doing so much better now than at any stage of the last season, creating interest in anything she runs in handicaps. Racing Pulse has clearly had his problems but would be very nicely weighted on bits of his form if able to show something like his best here. On the one day last season when he was able to do that, he won on heavy at Chepstow but he doesn’t need testing ground, or even good to soft. Now that his stablemates are winning at a 42% strike-rate, he could go close here and it could be interpreted as a positive sign that Curtis is prepared to bring him here first time out.
2.05 Doncaster Mark Johnston is still getting plenty of juvenile winners at this late stage of the season and his Comedy School could make the necessary step up. She was having just her second run after a four-month summer break when hammering a big field at York, a race in which she was the least experienced.
2.20 Newbury A half-brother to the Derby winner Australia, Frontiersman is lightly raced, progressive and likely to prove at least good enough for this level. He hosed up in a Newmarket handicap last time when stepped up to this mile and a half and will benefit from being one of just two three-year-olds taking on older horses on favourable terms here
2.40 Doncaster The five-year-old Tithonus has been one of Ireland’s most improved horses this year and his Curragh victory last time suggests he has not peaked yet. All ground seems to come alike to him.
2.50 Newbury Blinkers did the trick for Blair House last time and the way he finished over a mile that day suggests this step up to 10 furlongs may suit. The chestnut comes from the Charlie Appleby yard that remains among the winners.
3.00 Cheltenham A couple of lines of form suggest Adrien Du Pont might be up against it here but his final outing of last season was exciting and he could now be a class above these rivals. Having missed his intended target in the spring, he turned up at Ascot in April and cuffed Oceane by six lengths. With the Paul Nicholls yard in exuberant form, this Grade One winner will surely go well.
3.15 Doncaster Half-fancied for the Derby, UAE Prince wasn’t ready for anything like that level in the first half of the Flat season but eventually won his maiden in style at Leicester, despite greenness, and could prove up to taking this handicap from his mark of 93. The third horse in his maiden, beaten eight lengths, was rated 92.
3.30 Cheltenham Boondooma won nicely at this meeting last year before going wrong in mid-race the following month. He is believed to be back in good health and is only 5lb higher than for that win. He was also a winner first time out the previous season, his first with Dr Newland, the trainer who has done so well with him.
4.05 Cheltenham Zarib’s keeping-on second to Matorico here in April reads well in the context of this race. He will be sharper for his reappearance run over a too-short distance behind a horse that won again here on Friday.
