Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
The really excellent thing that can be said about ITV Racing at this stage is how much employment it’s giving to the great game’s TV types. The list of people now signed up to work on terrestrial coverage of racing from January is: Ed Chamberlin, Francesca Cumani, Matt Chapman, Oli Bell, Hayley Turner, Mick Fitzgerald, Richard Hoiles, Mark Johnson, Alice Plunkett, Rishi Persad, Sally-Ann Grassick, Lucy Verasamy, Jason Weaver, Luke Harvey, Brian Gleeson, Frankie Dettori, Victoria Pendleton and Brough Scott.
Boy, that’s a lot of talent. It reminds me of those war films from 40-odd years ago where the whole point seemed to be getting a different A-list actor on screen every 10 seconds. And there’s still time for latecomers. When they announce next week that Alastair Down and Mike Cattermole have been added to the ensemble, we’ll know that ITV are not thinking merely about racing and are working on a remake of The Longest Day.
If the production values match the expansiveness with which this cast has been put together, racing fans are in for a treat. Let’s hope that does prove true.
Realistically, the hiring policy suggests that no firm decisions have been taken about what the new programme is going to look like, so that everyone who might make a useful contribution has been hoovered up and options kept open thereby. In the long run, it will be quite an impressive effort if the producers can find significant screen time for all these people, even allowing for some of them being used for only half the year.
Small fields will be the way of it for jump racing until we get some proper quantities of rain, which, I’m afraid, will not come in time for Cheltenham this weekend. But there is still value to be had, perhaps in the 11-2 about Royal Battalion (4.30) at Plumpton.
He seemed not to relish being part of a larger field over a longer distance at Warwick last time and dropped right away but he had won against five rivals at Fontwell on his previous start and is barely any higher in the weights this time. He had good to firm that day and it won’t be far off that here. Blinkers first time may make a difference.
The market favours Kamool, who has certainly been in good form through the summer, but he’s 17lb higher than when beaten in July and such horses bump up against their ceiling eventually. His two wins have been at bowling-green Southwell, so Plumpton’s undulations present a different test.
Speaking of undulations, Pontefract’s opener may fall to the 5-1 shot Party Nights (2.10), from the Luca Cumani yard which is one of the few that can be truly said to be in form at this late stage of the Flat season. Remember when Cumani made a slow start in the spring? This is where he profits from that.
It’ll be soft going in Yorkshire, which is fine for Party Nights, a winner on her nursery debut at Ffos Las last month, when Jamie Spencer was at his most considerate in getting her home by a short-head. Chelmsford’s all-weather didn’t quite do it for her next time, though she still ran well, but today’s conditions can help her take another step forward.
At Windsor, I’ll stick with Rosie Royce (4.50), who didn’t get home over a furlong further here last month when fourth, beaten less than a length. Her Nottingham effort last time was disappointing but I’ll take the chance of a return to form back here, with Dane O’Neill returning to the saddle. She’s 9-2 and seemingly fancied.
We are no longer able to continue with competitions every week, but they will still run in the biggest weeks (Cheltenham, Aintree, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and maybe one or two others, as well as the Christmas quiz).
We’ll still have a Talking Horses each day for tips, analysis and news, so we very much hope you’ll join us to chew over whatever racing happens to be going on and post your tips or racing-related comments below.
