KNAPPERS HILL (8/1 and better!), struck and was napped by Jeffrey Ross in the final (bumper) race at Aintree, Saturday to follow up heavily-backed Promtissimo at the end of a dramatic week. Now it’s all systems go for Newmarket’s ‘Craven’ meeting.
Military Mission is strongly-fancied to retrieve last time out losses, nigh on six months ago, and land a nine-runner Novice Stakes over ten furlongs of ‘good to firm’ Redcar this afternoon, when Andrea Atzeni becomes the fourth different jockey in as many outings to partner this 85-rated Mastercraftsman gelding; it’s a gilt-edged opportunity for Hugo Palmer’s charge which has been journeyed two hundred miles from his Newmarket base.
Realistically Military Mission needs only to replicate a most encouraging Sandown Park effort over a mile last September when Richard Kingscote got a real tune from the 33/1 chance, which made up considerable ground after a tardy start to finish just over two lengths behind heavily-backed favourite, Just Fine, trained by Sir Michael Stoute for Her Majesty, The Queen.
Just Fine went on to be runner-up in a prestigious York conditions race, beaten less than a length. The form is solid.
Pointless trolling through rivals, there isn’t one on my time-handicap which achieved an impressive strike rate last week with two ‘beauts’ and at least six seconds; consistency usually brings reward eventually and patience is the supreme virtue, until you run out of time!
There are racetracks much fairer than others and this North-Eastern venue has always been a ‘cash cow’ for my selections with a straight mile which places tremendous emphasis on jockeyship; front-running often pays off and I’ll bet Atzeni will be prominent on his urgent ‘Mission!’
‘The harder you work, the luckier you become’ is a favourite saying; I’ve never applied myself more so than last Friday morning when assembling my daily patent for ‘Super-Saturday’ and Knappers Hill, well-supported at 10/1 and more (on Betfair!), was the result of my dedication to readers.
Even at this ‘late hour’ so to speak nothing gives me more pleasure than producing the goods in a column which I’m proud to say has shown glorious profit consistently over several decades armed with my devastating, unique method of time-handicapping; there will never be another and so enjoy my final years by hitting those bookmakers where it hurts, in their pockets!
@Chepstow_Racing)
Windsor is another ‘favourite’ with its twists and turns which, hopefully, twice-raced Roger Charlton-trained Pleasant Man will negotiate successfully and beat ten rivals on another ‘good to firm’ surface under stable jockey Jason Watson.
At Huntingdon it will be no surprise if Grisbi De Berce causes one in a cracking Novices’ Hurdle over two miles of ‘good’ ground; smashing NH course.
Selections, Huntingdon, 2.30 Grisbi De Berce (e.w); Windsor, 2.40 Pleasant Man; Redcar, 3.50 Military Mission.
Jeffrey Ross, horse-racing correspondent for WMN since 1983 when winning the most prestigious racing journalist award, Sporting Life Naps Table, before winning it a record number of six times collectively in the Racing Post, the current ‘trade’ paper, including 2019