Noble Order will be difficult to beat a twelve-runner Maiden Stakes over a mile of Kempton polytrack today, how many serious ‘triers’ will attempt a herculean task even though the forecast Charlie Appleby-trained favourite is drawn widest?
It’s not such an outlandish question; as a one-time extremely serious racehorse owner and advisor/handicapper for Hamdan Al Maktoum trainers Robert Armstrong and Barry Hills, I’m aware the future is at stake and getting close to Godolphon-owned ‘super-bred’ two-year-olds doesn’t make commercial sense; mine was very much about backing horses at good prices without bringing attention to them before subsequent plunges. I’d need a book to relate my experiences in the betting ring.
A famous trainer once said to his jockey before a major Newmarket betting coup, ‘this is not an instruction, it’s an order!
I’m reminded of the story with twice-raced Noble Order, a colt which could aspire considerably given his brave three-quarters of a length second to our 10/1 nap Spirit Of Nguru over seven furlongs of this right-handed track nine weeks ago, with Zameti, a facile winner last week, a short-head third.
Noble Order, 8/15, on the back of an eye-catching Newmarket debut, was drawn right on the outside and yet William Buick took the bull by the horns and made the running but you can’t beat the draw, and do it at both ends, as they say; when ‘Spirit’ challenged in the closing stages the Dubawi colt, not surprisingly, had no reserves to call on. He was a late May foal!
Where the draw is concerned I’m convinced it’s just under a pound a length; you do the maths, eh?
In opposition are several high-priced yearlings; one of them, Richard Hannon-trained Claze Azul Ultra, cost 305000 guineas and has undergone wind surgery!
More Than Welcome made 60000USD and so we’re in for a fascinating scenario but I’ve already made my Order!
David Probert is on our side and will also be aboard Mr Dib Dab in a thirteen-runner Classified Stakes over the same distance but, a 20-runner maiden, disadvantaged by being drawn very wide, is definitely worth swerving.
Earlier in a five-runner Novice Median Auction Stakes, over a mile of Lingfield ‘poly’, it will not be a surprise if Kissinthebackrow causes one by overturning penalised odds-on chance, Far Away Thoughts; my time-handicap suggests it will be marginal.
At Uttoxeter don’t oppose Charlie’s Glance division one of the two miles Maiden Hurdle and, wait for it, I’ll be laying Alan King’s Ocean Line, for obvious reasons!
Do you know anything better and more exciting than horse-racing?
Selections, Uttoxeter, 12.38 Charlies Glance (e.w); Lingfield, 1.27 Kissinthebackrow (e.w); Kempton, 5.00 Noble Order.
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