Thursday’s best bets, by Chris Cook
It has been announced this morning that Towcester racecourse, one of the least glamorous but most testing of jumps tracks, is being prepared for administration. This can be a surprise to no one, since it has long been reported that the business was losing millions a year and appeared to be propped up only by the wealth of Lord Hesketh and family.
The famous uphill climb before the turn into the home straight, coupled with the sapping quality of the Towcester turf after rain, make the place an extreme test of stamina which suits a certain type of horse that has trouble winning elsewhere. While that hasn’t made it popular with all racing professionals, trainers like Kim Bailey and Fergal O’Brien have repeatedly done well there over the years. It attracted helpful publicity when AP McCoy rode his 4,000th winner there.
Towcester has long had a maverick reputation, having quit the Racecourse Association in 2004 and pursued a model of free admission that tempted no other tracks. But course officials did terrible damage to its relevance as a centre for horse racing when, in 2014, they sold seven of its 17 fixtures, including most of its best-attended days, one of which was on Boxing Day. Pitifully, the business is thought to have been paid less than £1m for that self-reducing act which left it with just three racedays in the period June to January. Its next scheduled racing fixture is on 10 October.
At the same time, a greyhound track was created in the middle of the course, which has evidently done little to sustain the business as a whole. Racing regulars complained the new circuit obstructed views of the horse-racing back straight.
A posting on Towcester’s Facebook page says: “The directors ask that they be given time to focus on exploring other options for the business and they anticipate there will be a further update in the next few days. The directors remain hopeful that despite the current situation ... there will be significant interest from potential acquirers.”
Moving on, I was pleased to side with André Fabre yesterday but the outcome was disappointing as Gyllen did not take the step forward I expected from him. Perhaps his previous run flatters him.
Anyway, without really meaning to, I find myself behind Fabre again today as he fields Plumatic (4.10) at Salisbury in the Sovereign Stakes. I looked to see if this was the great man’s first runner there but not only has he had a runner at Salisbury, he’s had runners at Catterick, Musselburgh, Carlisle, Redcar and Southwell, so he’s better travelled than I imagined. Maybe there aren’t enough races in France.
Plumatic couldn’t cope with the French Derby or the Arc last year but he won cosily when stepped back to a mile last time. What he has in his favour is this morning’s rain, which has turned the going good to soft and is still falling. That counts against Zonderland, who won this in 2016.
Elarqam will be fine on it but he has been a disappointing and frustrating horse this year and I couldn’t fancy him at even-money when the Mark Johnston yard seems to be going a bit quiet. Plumatic will do for me at 7-2.
Earlier, Black Sails (3.10) is interesting after being dropped 8lb since April, when she joined David Simcock. There was some encouragement in her second place at Brighton last week, the ground may help and odds of 9-2 are fine.
Lifeboat (3.40) is down to 3-1 from the 8-1 that one firm offered last night and comes from the Charlie Hills yard that is experiencing a revival after a slow first half to the season. He was a never-nearer fifth after a slow start at Leicester a fortnight ago and is ready to beat this mark, which is 13lb below the one from which he started the year.
Wolverhampton 1.20 Axe Axelrod 1.50 Power Link 2.20 Lonely Boy 2.50 Glamorous Rocket 3.20 Sister Celine 3.50 Counter Spirit 4.20 Considered Opinion 4.55 Genuine Approval
Beverley 2.00 Rapture 2.30 One To Go 3.00 Native Soldier 3.30 Compton River (nb) 4.00 Precision 4.30 Power Sail 5.00 Vigee Le Brun
Salisbury 2.10 Concello 2.40 Sharg 3.10 Black Sails 3.40 Lifeboat 4.10 Plumatic (nap) 4.40 Lorelina 5.10 Supernova
Yarmouth 4.45 Another Situation 5.20 Golden Valour 5.55 Dark Side Jazz 6.25 Courtside 6.55 Agent Of Fortune 7.30 Late Change 8.00 Gnaad
Chepstow 5.05 Goldfox Girl 5.35 Fox Trotter 6.10 Elysian Lady 6.40 Slipstream 7.10 Rebel Heart 7.45 Arty Campbell 8.15 Reveleon
Tips by Chris Cook
