Glentaneous, easy five three and three-quarter lengths winner of an ‘aged’ handicap over ten furlongs ‘good to soft’ Nottingham, Wednesday, must represent one of best and most assured naps from this column which originated back in 1974 when I created record £72 points and scored unchallenged in the now-defunct Sporting Chronicle competition!
Think back to last month when I napped Glentaneous for the thirty-plus ‘Cambridgeshire’ at Newmarket only to agree, reluctantly, to have this Gleneagles gelding scratched from the annual ‘cavalry charge’ because of a surface which was too fast; prior to that date Ryan Moore ‘looked after’ Glentaneous on ‘firm’ at Doncaster which formed the build up to this latest success. You can’t beat experience and the ex-champion jockey treats every ride seriously, a hallmark of his staggering International success. Hundreds of you must have won thousands from the Colwick Park romp.
Moore rode Gleneagles when won over a mile at 2/5 on Lingfield poltrack; subsequently a penalty proved too much of an anchor when he failed by a neck to beat Anmaat at a difference of 7lbs.
Anmaat finished second in the ‘Cambridgeshire’ and now you know why I backed Gleneagles to win a fortune at odds of more than 100/!!
We’ll never know whether Glentaneous would have prevailed down the famous Rowley Mile course; to be fair Anmaat has improved considerably but so has Brian Meahan’s charge which is scheduled to go through the Newmarket Horses-in-training Sales ring next month. Ironically I didn’t back Glentaneous for his first victory on turf which suited him ideally, as we suspected.
Prodigious Blue is a long-time winning but off the back of a ‘career-best’ course and distance one and a half lengths second to heavily-backed Gnat Alley three weeks ago this Bated Breath gelding will have to fall over not to be placed in division one of the Novice Stakes over six furlongs of ‘good’ ground Redcat this afternoon.
Faye McManoman’s mount would have but for hanging badly right across this popular seaside venue; she’ll be ready for such behaviour.
In the second division Baileys Accolade, advantaged by a 5lbs fillies’ allowance, should increase the staggering Mark Johnston total under Joe Fanning; don’t oppose and that also applies to Oheka later.
Selections, Redcar, 1.00 Prodigious Blue (e.w); 2.05 Baileys Accolade (e.w); 3.15 Oheka.
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