Hennessy thoughts and next batch...

Dear All Check back later - for a two-miler on my wish-list and three horses I am following for success at Newbury tomorrow. Happy horsing (Mark(RM)

Dear All Back today with another batch of horses that have caught the eye or have the right type of profile for winning or running well in races during the coming weeks. Thrilled about Coneygree winning yesterday and he looks a fair tool for future success; have a feeling Mark Bradstock was pretty confident of a good run yesterday having seen the RUK interview... he will win you more money; of that I'm sure... Missed much of the racing this weekend; my lovely niece, Donna having permitted me the honour of giving her away on her wedding day. Backed Walkon to win the Paddy Power and Nadiya De la Vega (profile selection) to place, so decent result but not having Al Ferof in the Ten To Follow competition is a blow. Need to know what is ailing the Pipe-trained Grands Crus; clearly something amiss there - has been blown out like a candle last two starts more than six months apart. Stable had a good meet so unlikely to be a yard issue... Up And Go also won for us at the weekend; though at 1/3 he is not going to make this author filthy rich... As you know, I keep a quite lengthy list of horses to follow on the GG.com Alert list based upon a wide range of qualifying criteria - this comes in really useful on a daily basis when I've little time for various reasons. So, let's delve into the collection and identify a handful of interesting sorts... First up is not especially dark - Tarla; another from the Mullins production line; another racemare; German-bred (love German-breds - haven't done any calculations but I bet a higher proportion of German-breds win than any other breeding ground). She is apparently going chasing; anything to avoid Quevega (she's either so good she might end the female Pegasus's winning run or Willie knows there's no chance...). In any case, she was unbelievably impressive at Clonmel as she was at Punchestown. I have a list of damsires which I use to unearth potential classy chasing prospects when they debut in bumpers - a particular favourite is Buckskin - Deep Run, Pollerton, Over The River, Orchestra, Callernish and Mandalus are others. For my next selection though, the damsire in question is one Glacial Storm. These types usually imbue their stock with plenty of size and scope. Puffin Billy is maybe this year's Oliver Sherwood one to watch - sired by Heron Island, the 4-year old has been impressive in bumpers at Fontwell and, more recently, at Ascot achieving a useful RPR of 128... winners have come from those behind at the quaint Sussex course and the right stables were represented at Ascot (Curtis, Honeyball, Hobbs for instance... Things haven't really gone to plan for the highly touted, Keppols Hill, in two starts since arriving at Ditcheat from the lush Irish pointing fields... always intrigued with anything owned by the Timeform Betfair Racing Club especially when running in Betfair sponsored contests - might be my imagination! Made a horlicks of two out at Ffos Las when victory was assured, then fell at the last when two lengths clear at the last - I suspect that at sometime next season this one will be a household name. Watch this space! The horse to benefit from the Indian Danehill-sired beast, was Grove Pride. I saw this one over hurdles and, to coin a popular racing phrase, (someone needs to write a book about racing phrases - where else do you hear the immortal words ("..stays longer than the mother-in-law...?" here was a chaser in the making..! Henry Daly trains (under-rated, training genius - if Dicky Johnson is booked; he fancies it!). Trevor Hemmings owns (for Hemmings, read stout stayer with a touch of class). 130-rated over hurdles; will be much better over the tall ones... The 17-furlong Maiden Hurdle at Cheltenham's October meeting read like a very good race - won by Court Minstrel - a decent third in a typically informative contest at the Open meeting last weekend - there were any number of potential winners behind. of 3rd placing when chasing home the promising and highly regarded, Valdez. Softsong is the name (remember it); only 4 years old; a son of the mighty Singspiel... trained by the Minehead maestro, Philip Hobbs and ridden by the aforementioned, Dicky... one to follow without a doubt!

Back later...

Dear All Hopefully, you will have seen (and backed) Coneygree, which appeared in my last selection of horses to follow, hose up in the handicap hurdle at Cheltenham... I will be back later this evening, with a fresh selection - watch this space! Happy punting Rm (Mark)

Early thoughts...

Dear All For those of you who love incisive comment, slightly quirky tipping and selective rather than saturated coverage, I suggest you log into the free content at www.racingexaminer.com. I'm an enormous fan of these guys and you can also access my blog directly from the site. Now we've hit November, a little of the early jumps form is starting to settle and it's time to start to identify some of those that caught the eye in the early weeks; maybe (and hopefully) some that have slipped effortlessly under the radar... I also will highlight a couple of interesting runners from the Flat to keep a weather eye on for 2013 glory... Today's two and a half mile Intermediate Chase at Carlisle always throws up a useful performer. Bold Sir Brian finished distressed when a run of three successive victories ended in the Spring. On this reappearance, he travelled like a dream and won with any amount in hand. The question is will Lucinda head south to Cheltenham for the Paddy Power Gold Cup in two weeks time? Gordon Elliott may have unearthed a new star from the fertile Irish pointing field with Bonisland It takes a useful sort to mark up a post 130 Racing Post Rating on a hurdling debut. Bonisland did this; Gigginstown are the owners so they will have the big festivals in mind; on his one and only bumper outing, he mastered Thunder And Roses, a subsequent winner from a major yard; further encouragement is garnered from having the speed to win over 2-mils but shaping like a stayer. Mix all this together and you're looking at serious horse. I'm sweet on this one... Also from Ireland, if 130+ attracts attention then 146 on a chasing debut (a hurdling career skipped) is awesome. Henry De Bromhead knows a good horse when he has one, especially for his principal patrons, the Sizing people, Mr and Mrs Potts... Buckers Bridge was a well backed 2nd favourite and along with the favourite, he pulled 55 lengths clear of the 3rd home. In the pot for the big novice chases both sides of the Irish Sea - when De Bromhead has a good one, he knows how to plan a campaign... At a much lower level, take note of Coneygree from the under-rated and unfashionable yard of Mark Bradstock. He is a half-brother to the stout stayer and highly tried Carruthers; outscoring his illustrious sibling with a bumper success and then trouncing the opposition in a novice hurdle at Uttoxeter... Finally, I'm expecting Well Regarded to honour his name later on in the season. Emma Lavelle's haven't fired from the blocks quite as quickly as usual, but Well Regarded ran a promising race behind the race-fit and progressive, Hildisvini... will be a 140+ chaser needing a sound surface being beautifully bred by Dr Massini out of a Presenting mare... On the Flat, I've always followed the form of the Zetland at Newmarket; the longest distance contest for juveniles in the calendar. Only three runners but I suspect that both the Zarooni colts will take higher rank next season especially the gorgeous runner-up, Cap O' Lashes, a regally bred son of New Approach out of a Shirley Heights mare so therefore imbued with a touch of class as well as limitless stamina. The Derby and the St Leger are not out of the question if he progresses as I expect during the winter break... Finally, look out for Pallasator, an immature 3-year old, trained by the Master of Heath House, Sir Mark. A tall individual, he has the scope to attract the jumps boys; the Wylies have regularly purged the Prescott jewels. I have noticed he was listed for sale on 30 October but then withdrawn. If stays on the Flat expect him to progress to feature in contests such as the Ebor next season... Speak soon. Rm (Mark)