Gazette Bourgeoise beat So Said I five lengths over two and three-quarter miles at Stratford last month but will Ben Case’s charge be able to confirm placings in a Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle over a similar distance around ‘good’ ground Exeter this afternoon?
Harry Bannister and Brendan Powell are the same jockeys but Gazette Bourgeoise is penalised 7lbs; it should bring them closer but in such circumstances I’ve often found it pays to side with the winner which, in this case, is superior judged on several efforts last season.
Both were making their seasonal debuts, for what it’s worth.
Of particular interest will be the betting but ‘Gazette’ won easily and though Colin Tizzard’s yard is beginning to make an impression, after a long spell in the wilderness, I’m more likely to ‘lay’ So Said I on Betfair if indeed ‘formites’ and their weight of money plump for the Malinas mare.
Ben is the son of former point-to-point rider Bob Case; a lovely genial man I met when walking a rural Midlands course decades ago. He was impressive, looked me straight in the eye, and I was six foot three inches!
Rest of the programme looks too difficult and so I’ve focused on ‘good to soft’ Uttoxeter where another Mares ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle, over the minimum trip, kicks off a six-race session; Harry Skelton rides Gaia Du Gouget for his brother Dan who recorded his 1000th success at Ascot on Friday. Both Are determined to win respective training/jockey championships and I’ll be monitoring this incredible operation seriously during the next few months.
Gaia Du Bouget, an £85000 purchase on the back of a ‘pointing’ victory in Ireland, faces what should be a simple task.
Fine Casting will be odds-on for the eight-runner Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles but similarly-profiled Storm Of Light meets enough criteria median requirements and will not be a surprise if causing one under talented conditional jockey Fergus Gregory.
Storm Of Light was ‘snapped up’ for £12500!
Olly Murphy’s charge flopped somewhat on his ‘bumper’ debut but did enough to encourage his beleaguered owner when second over hurdles at Wetherby. ‘All’ is not lost!
Hope you got plenty out of our fabulous ‘full house’ two days ago; never lose faith in ‘Bostik!’
Selections, Uttoxeter, 12.30 Gaia Du Gouet; 2.10 Storm Of Light (nap-e.w); Exeter, 1.30 Gazette Bourgeoise.
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