Tanya Stevenson's Ante-Post Previews April 25th
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Ayr, what a joy, no pretension, just a jolly good experience. There was comfort amongst an enthusiastic crowd who lined the paddock before each race, eagerly willing to learn at the same time not shy with their opinions of the winner, the world, and the best beer.
There was no room for hype, instead, it appeared Ayr was stealth in its promotion and it worked, there was an inevitability about the quality of the sport on the course, so why smother it?
Letting it play out made it better. Ayr had seen a little of the theatrics of a Trainers Championship in 2016 when Willie Mullins had sent over five runners.
Eight years on this was on a whole different scale, the script had three players all intent on winning. For those of us watching it was just Festival scale racing to bask in.
Mullins Mopped Up at Ayr
Willie liked Ayr, the four-timer helped plus the filling four of the six places in the Scottish Grand National. Let’s hope his new endearment to Scotland means he returns in the future.
At times with my five layers including a big Puffa coat, I felt overdressed, there were hardy souls in a kaleidoscope of colour. It was grand to see that there were smiles aplenty something we don’t see enough.
Plus, I note that at the catering stalls, they didn’t go under the name of ‘I see you coming’. If you want people to return don’t relentlessly hit them in the pocket. Ayr, I'm grateful, and thankful, that you installed the belief that a day at the races is about the horses and it's fun.
Git Maker ran a gallant third for me in the Scottish National, he didn’t jump well enough making errors at many of the 27 fences, full plaudits to a brilliant, patient ride by Gavin Sheehan to get him to within four lengths of the first two.
I was on edge watching, though it gave me the belief that he could be in with a chance of winning the Welsh Grand National in December. He has only had eight races over the bigger obstacles and run two brilliant races recently.
The second in the Kim Muir to Inothewayurthinkin and then that run at Ayr. He has run and won at Chepstow on heavy ground but that was over two miles we have enough evidence now that the distance will not be an issue come the festive period in December.
In actuality, he had a quiet season this season with just four races. He has proven he runs well fresh. He has raced 12 times and only been out the first three twice with six victories. Git Maker is in the ante-post each-way notebook.
Before that though, there’s the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in November. JP McManus has never won the big race, his best finish has been third in 2017 with Regal Encore.
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Plenty Left In The Locker With Iroko
He goes into the 2024-2025 season with a plethora of top-class staying chasers and it will be a tough enough job managing the targets of them all, a lovely problem to have mind you.
Iroko is the unknown and he has so much potential a date with Newbury in November surely beckons. Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero based in Cheshire, have only sent five runners to Newbury, they’ve made it count with three winners. Iroko had a rating of 145 over hurdles.
Victorious in the 2023 Martin Pipe Conditional Hurdle, he then finished third in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices Hurdle at Aintree behind Apple Away. Even then I cease to believe that he reached his full potential over hurdles.
This season connections sent him straight over the bigger obstacles at Warwick, a tricky course at the best of times, the sternest of test for a Novice yet he treated the fences as if they were hurdles and glided over them to win emphatically. Quotes for various targets at Cheltenham were like confetti and he slotted into the exciting prospect category.
He then suffered a foot injury, gutted with the expectation managed in regard that Iroko would miss the remainder of the season. Yet recovery was so speedy that he arrived at Cheltenham in the Grade 1 Turners Novices Chase.
Just sit back and take that in, he had one chase, been injured, had 128 days off, and then ran fifth to Grey Dawning and Ginnys Destiny, in ninth was Sharjah.
He then went to Aintree to run in the Mildmay Novices Chase, Grade 1. I keep watching the replay and marveling at how he was traveling so well coming to the second last.
He didn’t have much room either and inexperience would have counted against him.
On only his third start over fences, he was challenging Inothewayurthinkin at the last fence! He has a rating of 152 which has to have immense room for improvement.
My fingers are tightly crossed that the target will be Newbury. Quite a few six-year-olds have won the race for the most recent Native River. He has to be valuable to put in the portfolio.
Tip - Iroko to win the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury
Temps To Take King George In His Stride
On to Kempton on Boxing Day, deep breath as I'm going to go with a couple here. It will be hard to match the drama and excitement of this year, Hewick and Gavin Sheehan with resonate as one of the iconic renewals.
An hour before though we had witnessed one of the best jumping performances ever seen. Il Est Francais was surreal in the Kauto Star Novice Chase, though connections were keen to establish the horse was not going to the Cheltenham Festival but instead would be trained for a return to Kempton and King George.
After 102 days off the track he returned to Auteuil to put in a run too bad to be true, something had to be amiss. Now if he can be brought back on track, his current odds are value.
I'm going to back up the pick with the Willie Mullins-trained Il Etait Temps, he has run in 11 Grade 1s, winning three. He has been running admirably well over two miles in the highest echelon.
Yet stepping up to two and a half miles at Aintree in the Manifesto Chase was the making of him, and for me, it was an indication that going up to three miles was no issue.
There may be an argument to say that those in behind may have had a tough season, though that can be offset by the fact Il Etait Temps was having his fifth race and four of those were Grade 1.
He appears to be the ideal horse for Kempton and perhaps better on a sounder surface.
I appreciate Punchestown is around the corner but I wanted to look further afield and get the value now, roll on jump season 2024-25.
Tip - Il Etait Temps to win the King George at Kempton
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