I trust most of you have seen the spectacular last-fence fall suffered by Mr Lewis Ferguson (7) in Wincanton’s hunter chase yesterday. If not, it’s here.
This is an 18-year-old having his first ride over fences and his fifth under the rules of racing. He is apparently regarded as some kind of prospect and Paul Nicholls put him up on the 4-9 shot Merrion Square but the horse was running around a bit up the home straight, seemingly looking for a way to run around the final fence.
In so doing, he managed to unseat Ferguson about a stride before take-off. Momentum carried the jockey chest-first on to the fence, after which he flew up in the air, described a couple of loops and came down on his back.
It was an extremely dangerous incident but, as it turns out, Ferguson managed to avoid any significant injury. He was on all fours for about 30 seconds but then appeared fine. Luke Harvey saw him actually sprinting into the weighing room about two minutes after that, stopping only to tell someone: “That was some spin!”. Teenagers, eh?
Hopefully no one will have any such experience today at Taunton, where the going is on the fast side. I’m thinking that may help Ballyegan (4.20), who made a fair fist of things from the front at Newton Abbot last week until smacking into the fourth-last. He was trying for his third success of March.
This is a step up in trip but the faster surface will help his jumping and stamina and he might have the others in difficulties by the top of the straight if things work out. He’s 7-2.
Earthmoves (3.50) is the day’s nap in the preceding handicap hurdle, though he’s just 6-5 under a penalty for last week’s storming success in a novice hurdle. Paul Nicholls plans to keep him going while the ground is suitable.
At Ludlow, Dan Skelton’s Workbench (4.00) makes some appeal at 9-2 after a midwinter break. He won over fences a couple of times at the end of the summer and doesn’t look badly treated on the best of his form. He’s run some game races since, notably when third in the Badger Ales, but may have done enough for the time being by that stage.
This is competitive but Wilton Milan has been hard to win with over fences while It’s A Steal does not look well handicapped.
Tipping competition, day four
Our winners so far:
Monday
New Horizons 4-1
Rolling Maul 8-1
Poker School 2-1
Tuesday
Royal Native 2-1
Mr Lando 11-4
Free Of Charge 9-1
Wednesday
After Eight Sivola 7-1
Just Spot 10-1
Miss Buckshot 14-1
And our leader is. . .
waltersobchak +18
… who was one of two to find Miss Buckshot, the other being Mulldog (+11), now second, with yesterday’s leader, Viejo, third on +10.75. Three folk found Just Spot: melonk (+7), sandiuk (+7) and shouty TIMEFORM (+2).
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 4.00 Ludlow, 4.20 Taunton, 4.30 Ludlow.
This week’s prize is rather special, a copy of Timeform’s Racehorses of 2014, the definitive reflection on last year’s Flat season and its horses by those dedicated experts at the respected ratings organisation. Retailing at £79, this hefty tome includes extended essays on more than 75 of the leading horses from last year as well as an individual entry for every British-based horse that ran on the Flat in 2014. It runs to more than 1,200 pages and, if you don’t win, you can buy it here.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -9.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here. Good luck!
Click here for all the day’s racecards, form, stats and results. And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
