Whiteandblue and Coast look set to dominate a ten-runner Median Auction Maiden Stakes over five furlongs of Southwell tapeta today when their owners/trainers will definitely be viewing a ‘last chance saloon’ for these vexing three-year-old fillies which raced and failed twelve times last year as two-year-olds.
Yes all juveniles are now in their second season and not until March, when the ‘Brocklesby’ is run at Doncaster, will this columnist have any time-handicap data for them but ‘aged’ form is available and I’ll bet in the next three months of the Winter all-weather season readers will continue to profit; as ever I’ll do my best to make it happen with fastidious scrutiny.
2021 represented consistency with profit in every month, bar July; it’s not possible to win every day and to achieve plus monthly has long been my objective and purpose.
For what it’s worth I’m convinced Whiteandblue is best over the minimum trip based on her close fifth (of ten!) at Catterick back in October; two efforts over the stiff six furlongs of Newcastle tapeta have left Brian smart’s charge wanting in the closing stages. For the fourth time in succession Gianluca Sanna will partner this Fountain Of Youth filly and he claims the full 7lbs apprentice allowance, just!
On stamina sapping AWR surfaces weight is vital and with a free ‘two lengths’ (7lbs!) Whiteandblue is napped yet again to make it eighth time lucky at expense of Coast, now with Scott Dixon, at Southwell. With such a situation he should do much better.
Rest of an eight-race programme consists of six handicaps and so attention is focused on five National Hunt meetings which include ‘good to soft’ Musselburgh, where recent course and distance runner-up Collingham comes into the ‘cert’ category for the opening Juvenile Hurdle over two miles.
Collingham was beaten only two lengths by Skycutter last month, with the rest a distance behind; on actual time-figures, this Donald McCain-trained Samum gelding is indeed unopposable under Brian Hughes, determined to wrest back the jockeys’ championship from Harry Skelton, who hasn’t given up the chase.
Their ‘head-to-head’ in the next few months should prove wonderful for readers/punters and I’ll be on the case, repeatedly.Always good to know you’re on dead-set triers, eh?
‘Heavy’ ground shouldn’t be a problem for Judicial Law in nine-runner Novices’ Hurdle over two miles around Exeter and Jonjo O’Neill’s charge has only ‘bumper’ winner Gamaret to beat.
Solid each-way and I’ll be playing a place ‘trixie.’
Selections, Musselburgh, 12.30 Collingham; Exeter, 1.50 Judicial Law (e.w); Southwell, 2.53 Whiteandblue (nap-e.w).
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