Donn McClean's Horses To Follow: February 12th to February 19th
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Before we dive in, some basic rules for a horses to follow list is to keep them in a tracker and on your radar for the next three runs, bearing in mind ideal conditions across variables like venue, ground, opposition and price are satisfactory to you as a punter. This column should help you build up a list that proves profitable under those circumstances, provides timely reminders to reduce repeated form study and assist with your enjoyment of a season be it National Hunt or Flat racing in the UK and Ireland and sometimes beyond.
I Like To Move It - Newbury, 12th February 2022
The majority of the field were well grouped for much of the race in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last Saturday, and yet it was the hold-up horses who came to the fore. The winner Glory And Fortune was eighth as they left the back straight, the third home First Street was 12th, the fourth home Lord Baddesley was 14th and the fifth home Soaring Glory was 13th of the 14 runners. I Like To Move it was fourth, and he did well to finish second in the race, beaten just a short head by Glory And Fortune.
Nigel Twiston-Davies' horse travelled well through his race, he travelled well into the home straight, and he moved up nicely on the far side on the run to the third last flight. He travelled well down to the second last, and he battled on well from there on the far side, just failing to reel the winner back in, with the pair of them finishing almost three lengths clear of their rivals. It was a nice step forward by the Trans Island gelding, after he finished last of five behind Jonbon in the Kennel Gate Hurdle at Ascot before Christmas. He had won his previous three races, including the Grade 2 Sharp Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham's November meeting, and this was a resumption of the progress that he showed then. He holds an entry in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, but he would be of greater interest if he lined up in the County Hurdle instead. A 4lb hike for his Betfair Hurdle run up to a mark of 142 was not harsh, he is progressive and he is obviously proven in big-field handicaps now, and he is two for two over hurdles at Cheltenham.
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The Brimming Water - Newbury, 12th February 2022
The Brimming Water did well to win the three-mile handicap hurdle at Newbury on Saturday. Always travelling well for Sam Twiston-Davies just behind the leaders, he made a mistake at the final flight in the back straight, but he was quickly back on the bridle and travelling well across the top of the track. He travelled best of all at the top of the home straight, and he jumped the third last flight well. He had to engineer racing room for himself on the run to the second last flight, which wasn't ideal, but he jumped that flight well, and he moved on with Coeur De Lion. Coeur De Lion went about a half a length in front at the final flight, but Sam Twiston-Davies didn't really go for his horse until half way up the run-in and, when he did, The Brimming Water responded well, and he stayed on all the way to the line to get home by three parts of a length from Coeur De Lion, with Risk And Roll and The Big Breakaway closing them both down close home.
Winner of his maiden hurdle for Eric McNamara at Fairyhouse last March, when he sprang an 80/1 shock, the Yeats gelding has continued his progression since he joined Samuel Drinkwater at the start of this season. He beat a talented horse in Unexpected Party in a handicap hurdle over Christmas - Unexpected Party won at Ascot next time and is now rated 18lb higher than he was then - and he put up a good performance in finishing third behind Small Present and Tokyo Getaway on his first attempt at three miles next time at Haydock. It appeared that he was caught for stamina that day, but that was on soft ground at Haydock, and he saw out the three-mile trip well here on better ground at Newbury in his first-time tongue-tie. A 3lb hike is not harsh, and will be of interest in another three-mile handicap hurdle now as we move into the spring. He has raced just eight times over hurdles and he is still progressive.
Jacamar - Warwick, 12th February 2022
Jacamar ran better in the two-and-a-half-mile chase at Warwick last Saturday than his finishing position in fifth place suggests. Held up by Harry Reed through the early stages of the race, he made a mistake at the fifth last fence, just as the pace was increasing, when he needed to get close to the leaders. He was always playing catch-up after that, but he stayed on well from the top of the home straight to take fifth place. He was in third place 10 strides after the winning line.
The winner Celebre D'Allen raced in rear early on, but he was really well-backed and he won in the style of a horse who was well ahead of the handicapper - he is clear favourite now for the Paddy Power Plate at Cheltenham even after a 6lb hike - and this was a race in which it was probably an advantage to race close to the pace, as it usually is at Warwick. Jacamar did well to get as close as he did. He should do better now in a race in which, and at a track at which, his hold-up style of racing is not a disadvantage, and he races like he could improve for a step up in trip now to three miles. He would be interesting in a three-mile handicap chase now on goodish ground. He won a Pertemps qualifier at Wincanton in December 2020 on soft ground over two miles and five and a half furlongs, the longest trip over which he has ever raced. He has plenty of potential for progression anyway, a seven-year-old who has raced just six times over fences, and he looks interestingly handicapped on a mark of 131 now, dropped 1lb for Saturday's run and just 1lb higher than the mark off which he won at Kempton on St Stephen's Day under a fine ride from Danny Mullins.
Champagne Platinum - Punchestown, 13th February 2022
Champagne Platinum put up a good performance to finish second in the Grand National Trial at Punchestown on Sunday. Weak in the market beforehand, he was settled towards the rear of the field early on by Mark Walsh. Still second last as they left the back straight final time and raced across the top of the track, he wasn't great at the third last fence, and he wasn't helped when Doctor Duffy fell beside him at the second last, but he stayed on well from there. Only fifth as they raced to the home turn, he picked up well around the home turn, and he stayed on well over the last fence and up the run-in to take second place, three lengths behind the winner and nicely clear of Floueur in third.
JP McManus' horse showed plenty of ability when he was with Nicky Henderson until the end of last season. He only won twice, but he finished third behind Itchy Feet in the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Chase as a novice chaser, and he finished fifth behind Mrs Milner in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival last March. Moved to Enda Bolger's for the start of this season, he was well beaten in his first two runs, but he stayed on well to win his beginners' chase over three miles at Navan on his last run before Sunday, just getting up on the line to deny Ain't That A Shame in the dying strides. Sunday's performance was another step forward from that, he saw out the marathon trip well, and that opens up more options for him. This was just his eighth chase, and he has the potential to progress again now for his new trainer, over staying trips. It may be that we will see him in cross-country chases at some point soon, but in the meantime, he will be of interest in good, staying handicap chases, with the Irish National an obvious potential target.
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Slip Of The Tongue
Slip Of The Tongue battled on well to win the listed two-mile novices' hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday, and there is every reason to believe that he can step forward again from this. Settled back in the field early on by Mark Walsh, fifth of the six runners, Padraig Roche's horse made ground up on the outside of Largy Debut when Deploy The Getaway moved on in front, up on the outside of Au Fleuron. He was a little slow over the third last flight but, when his rider gave him a squeeze after that, he made his ground quite quickly to move in behind the front two. He moved up on the outside of Au Fleuron and into second place behind Deploy The Getaway, and he challenged on the far side of the leader on the run to the final flight, where he led. But he got in tight to the obstacle and jumped to his left, with his rider doing well to remain on board and to get Slip Of The Tongue going again. Deploy The Getaway rallied too, and it looked like he might go past, but Slip Of The Tongue picked up again when his rival got close, and he was always holding him on the run to the line.
A 33/1 winner of his maiden hurdle on his racecourse debut at Tipperary last May, JP McManus' horse finished a close-up second behind the well-regarded Saint Felicien at Gowran Park in November, and he only finished six lengths behind Teahupoo and Quilixios in the Grade 2 four-year-olds' hurdle at Limerick over Christmas. This was a nice step forward from that, and it is a performance on which he should be able to build now. He is out of a half-sister to top two-mile chaser Direct Route, Tingle Creek Chase winner and Champion Chase runner-up and dual Melling Chase winner, and to top two-mile novice hurdler Joe Mac, and he should improve as he introduces more sharpness to his jumping, or he could go up in trip. Either way, he is only five and he has raced just four times over hurdles so far, so he will be of interest wherever he goes next.
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