Worcester Form at the Cheltenham Festival

Keep up to date with our blog throughout the Cheltenham Festival...

Day 4 - Gold Cup Day

Not a great showing from the #WorcesterForm runners on Day 3, between the 15 runners, just the one place result. A Good Skin was a good second in the final race of the day at 14/1. Nothing to eclipse the victory of Ballyandy on Day 2, although a few hopefuls, including a Gold Cup contender may come close or surpass that performance.

In the final three races at the Festival there are a combined 13 runners who have had a spin around Pitchcroft. These 13 runners have amassed 11 victories by 8 horses, plus a raft of place performances. High in the betting of these 13 include:

• Paint The Clouds - second favourite in the Foxhunter Chase - won here in May 2011
• Flying Angel - third favourite in the Martin Pipe Hurdle - won here in October 2015
• Eastlake - third favourite in the Grand Annual Chase - racecourse debut winner at Worcester

The remaining runners are; Current Event, Twirling Magnet, Roadie Joe, Croco Bay, Dresden, Next Sensation (currently favourite for the Grand Annual, placed previously at Worcester), Surf & Turf, Germany Calling, Lough Kent and Pearls Legend.

The highlight for the Worcester racegoers and staff though tomorrow to watch out for is most definitely the Gold Cup contender, Irish Cavalier, who back in May 2013 got his maiden victory at Worcester in the hands of the now retired AP McCoy.

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At odds of 100/1, and as the outsider of the race, not much hope is being handed to Irish Cavalier. However, the seven year old has a Class 1 chasing victory at Cheltenham to his name and like previous long shot victors in the race, such as Lord Windermere just two years ago, will be looking to cause an upset!

Day 3

Before we proceed with the day 3 runners, let's revel in the #WorcesterForm performances of day 2! Seven runners with a Worcester run under their belt, two of which WON! The Romford Pele put in a good performance early in the day, setting the scene for a good Worcester Form day. Any Currency took victory in the Cross Country race at odds of 11/1, and also has a second place to his name at Pitchcroft. However the standout #WorcesterForm performer is BALLYANDY (pictured below), after winning on his racecourse debut at the season finale here in 2015, he's gone from strength to strength this season, and this afternoon became the first Worcester winner to do the same at the Cheltenham Festival this year. Four wins from five (a once narrow second), what next for this special bumper performer and product of Pitchcroft? Watch this space...

Onto day 3, and we've got 15 pieces of Worcester form in the fields, with interest in all seven races!

As De Me was an unplaced finisher back in 2014 and isn't a particularly fancied horse in tomorrow's opener, but read on, as there are a few very nice types with Worcester form that are declared for tomorrow's action.

In the Pertemps Network Hurdle, Our Kaempfer & Join The Clan fly the Worcester flag. Our Kaempfer, like Ballyandy, obtained his maiden victory at Pitchcroft in October 2013 and is the current joint second favourite, and on form looks like he's got a battle with three of the JP McManus runners.

The Ryanair Chase looks a difficult prospect now for 14 of the runners, since Vautour opted for this race over the Gold Cup. One of those is former Worcester placed horse, Dynaste, as well as September 2013 Pitchcroft winner, Village Vic.

Cole Harden looks to hold onto his World Hurdle crown, a winner in late 2013 at Worcester, it's going to take something for the seven year old to defend the crown against Thistlecrack, but experience may pay dividends and he certainly won't be rolling over with ease!

As the feature race of the Worcester season winner in 2013, Astracad is once again off to Prestbury Park. After three and a half years without tasting victory, he finally got his head in front again in October last year, 50/1 suggests he's a long way out of his depth but there may be another big Cheltenham performance to come from this ten year old. Favourite for the race, Johns Spirit, also holds Worcester form, placing in September 2011.

Into the final two, and there are 7 runners across the pair of races, a few with very strong chances of snatching a Festival victory. Let's run through them:

• Mares Novices Hurdle
• Smart Talk - won at Worcester on the same day as Ballyandy (21/10/15), clear second favourite behind the odds on Limini
• Awesome Rosie - won at Worcester in May last year, middle of the pack at 25/1
• Girly Girl - won at Worcester in October last year, not far behind Awesome Rosie in the betting
• Kim Muir Cup
• Lost Legend - something of a Worcester favourite with 3 victories and a second (2013 & 2014), 33/1, not out of the reckoning by any means but many others fancied more
• Upswing - won at Worcester on the same day as Ballyandy & Smart Talk (21/10/15), high in the betting, stands a good chance if reproducing the recent Worcester winner form
• The Giant Bolster - won at Worcester in October 2010 and trained locally, good chance at 10/1 and always enjoys a spin around Prestbury Park
• A Good Skin - placed in October 2014 at Worcester, probably a little out of his depth but does have Class 3 Cheltenham winning form to his name

A whole host of #WorcesterForm runners to look out for day 3, and wouldn't it be fantastic to see Smart Talk & Upswing taking home a Festival trophy, following Ballyandy's victory on day 2, what a remarkable day of racing that 2015 season finale will transpire into!

Day 2

As the action concludes at Prestbury Park for day 1, we look at how the Worcester form runners performed before looking through tomorrow's card.

Day 1 yielded a 14/1 place with The Young Master. Tipped up as the most likely of the #WorcesterForm runners to run into a place yesterday. This was the best the Worcester form could conjure up on Day 1 with the other runners un-placing throughout the afternoon, however, day 2 prospects look quite good...

Like the action on day 1, there are four races with Worcester form. We start with the Coral Cup, where The Romford Pele (pictured below) has been declared but is some way down the odds at 28/1, however no strong favourite gives him a chance. A popular punt with Arsenal fans, it looks as though this nine year old will need most things to drop his way, however based on Last Time Out form, could nab a place.

It's the Cross Country, like previous years, that looks to boast the best chances for former Worcester winners. Two Pitchcroft winners and two seconds line-up in the contest tomorrow in what is always a magnificent race. Balthazar King won his chasing debut at Worcester and looks to regain the crown he won in 2014 and is the current second favourite. Valadom sits bottom of the odds and is the other Worcester winner in the pack. However both Pitchcroft seconds hold good chances in the races; Dolatulo & Any Currency, both Class 3 second places at Worcester, but some 4 years apart. At 13 years old Any Currency maybe looking at his last Cross Country appearance, however the classy gelding is shorter than 10/1. A Balthazar King, Any Currency battle may again be on the cards.

Chic Name is the only runner in the Fred Winter with any Worcester form, a second place back in September last year. The 4 year old will have to outrun his 33/1 odds to feature in this very competitive handicap hurdle.

Should any of the Cross Country four not be the first home, all attentions at Worcester turn to the Champion Bumper, where the current favourite, Ballyandy, runs. The Nigel Twiston-Davies trained five year old looks a magnificent prospect, having won a Class 6 bumper here on the final day of racing for the 2015 season, before going on to win two Class 1 bumpers and come second in another. One of those victories was at Cheltenham and with the form it's not hard to see why he's been well backed in to 5's in places.

Is the Worcester double on tomorrow? A Balthazar King victory followed by a Ballyandy victory? We think so!


Day 1

Five former Worcester winners have been declared for day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival 2016, running across four of the day's seven races.

Our first sighting of the Worcester form comes in the Ultima Handicap Chase at 2.50pm, a Grade 3 contest over 3m1f. Not one, but TWO Worcester winners go to post in the race. The Young Master, a general 14/1 chance currently, won at Pitchcroft on 26th September 2014 before going on to famously be disqualified at Wincanton after winning a listed event. According To Trev sits at the bottom of the weights, and at the foot of the betting (100/1), he put in a winning performance at Worcester on the 9th of May 2012. Double Ross is the only other runner in the race to have taken a spin around Worcester, however failed to finish that race.

In the OLBG Mares Hurdle, over nearly 2m4f at 4.10pm, Stephanie Frances makes an appearance, currently a 33/1 shot. She broke her handicap maiden at Worcester Racecourse back in October 2014, before in 2015 winning the Mares Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Following two falls this is a big ask, but former Cheltenham winning experience keeps the 8 year old in with a chance.

Vintage Vinnie & Johnny Og (pictured below, farside) line up in the 4.50pm race, the Amateur Riders Novices Chase, both hovering around the 50/1 mark. Vintage Vinnie won his only Chase affair at Worcester, impressively so, but did not build upon this victory that was gained on 25th September last year. Johnny Og has ran three times at Worcester, but is yet to register a place at Pitchcroft.

On Tour & Jayo Time fly the Worcester flag in the final race of the day, the 5.30pm Close Brothers Novices Handicap Chase. Jayo Time has a win and third place to his name at Worcester, but is the outsider of the field at 33/1. On Tour didn't register a victory at Worcester, instead going down narrowly in August 2014 before putting in a host of winning performances last season, and sits as a 20/1 shot for tomorrow's race.

As the odds imply, The Young Master is the best chance tomorrow for a Worcester winner to get a Worcester victory, and in a race where the field is 7/1, he could be the one to watch on day 1!

It's not every meeting that Worcester Racecourse can boast a 'first' for racing but something was witnessed at last week's meeting that has never been seen before at Worcester or anywhere else.

Barry Geraghty rode in a selling race. The top Irish jockey is now first jockey to JP McManus and included in his book of 3 Jonjo O'Neill trained mounts, the ride aboard Church Field, a 7 year old who on his only previous start at Worcester back in May of this year, came 10th in a field of 16.

Down a grade, the horse who has now amassed £35,089 in prize money during his career to date, won the race by 2¼ lengths.

In the subsequent auction, there was a three way bidding war between trainers Phil Middleton, Neville Ender (trainer of Grey Monk who was bought back in by Ender for 14,500 guineas at Worcester's previous meeting), and Jonjo O'Neill. The horse was sold to Middleton for 7,000 guineas.

To count Wishful Thinking, Menorah and Captain Chris amongst your owned horses must be a great feeling. Local owner Diana Whateley, has a new Alflora 4 year old gelding in training with Philip Hobbs called Wishful Dreaming. The horse is a full brother to Wishful Thinking, a very successful horse who has earned his owners £466,638 to date.

Wishful Dreaming had his third ever start at Worcester last week, following up his listed Cheltenham bumper victory on New Year's Day by winning the 2 mile novice hurdle.  He is certainly an exciting recruit to hurdles and one to keep an eye on.

An ex locally trained horse who has very recently moved to a new trainer is enjoying his change of scenery.  Jayo Time, formerly trained in Claines by Richard Newland to win at Worcester in July, moved to Kerry Lee's yard on the Shropshire and Welsh borders, following a Worcester claiming hurdle in August.

The 6 year old achieved his second win in a month for his new trainer at Ludlow's first meeting of the new season last week.  Jayo Time is now partly owned by senior Channel Four commentator, Simon Holt, who had much pleasure in calling his own horse to victory at Ludlow.

With just 2 meetings still to go at Worcester to the end of the 2015 season, it is looking ever likely that Jonjo O'Neill will scoop the winning trainer prize again this year, and Richard Johnson will claim the top Worcester jockey honours, something he very much hopes he will emulate nationally at the end of the National Hunt season next April.

Next week's column will include a review of the 2015 Worcester season, building up to the final meeting on the 21st October.  The gates open for afternoon racing tomorrow at 12.20 pm.

Purple N Gold Comes Out On Top

Racegoers dug deep into their pockets at the recent Worcester meeting, donating generously to Macmillan Cancer Support, and raising a fantastic £5,335 for the charity.

Throughout the year, racecourses and racegoers together, raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for a wide range of charities.

The feature handicap chase on the day was a very competitive affair. Seven of the 11 horses declared for the race had previously run over the course and distance, and of those seven, five were former Worcester winners including last year’s race victor, the Irish raider, Nearest the Pin.

The David Pipe trained, Purple N Gold (pictured below) came out on top, following up his August Worcester win and seeing off the Sam Twiston-Davies ridden Benefit Cut by 3¼ lengths.

With the unofficial start of the winter jumps season being staged as a two day meeting at Chepstow this weekend, we are all looking forward to seeing how Barry Geraghty’s new position as first jockey to JP McManus progresses. Geraghty, who has only ever had 5 rides at Worcester, the most recent being 2½ years ago, came to Pitchcroft to ride four Jonjo O Neill trained horses at the last meeting.

Unfortunately, he was out of luck with all 4 mounts on that occasion but I am sure he won’t be out of the winner’s enclosure for long.

As a permit trainer, when you travel 347 miles to Worcester from Malton in North Yorkshire, to run one of the few horses you own and train in a selling hurdle, it is extremely unfortunate to have to go up to 14,500 guineas to buy your horse back in the subsequent auction. This is exactly what happened to Neville Ender, trainer of Grey Monk.  The horse beat previous Worcester selling hurdle winner, Marju’s Quest into third place.  The runner up, Wind of Hope, is trained by Lucinda Russell in Scotland.  Russell was the under bidder by telephone, which must underline how she rates her own horse.  The quality of horses running was above the usual selling hurdle standard.

The Worcester staff enjoyed a team building day at Southwell’s jumps meeting last week, but it was a long way to go to watch Worcestershire trainers win 3 of the 6 races on the card!

Youm Jamil, trained by Tony Carroll at Cropthorne ran at Worcester in 2012 and 2013 and won the opening Handicap Chase.

Claines based Richard Newland sent Cut the Corner to the Nottinghamshire course to go one better than the three second places he has achieved at Pitchcroft this summer.

Finally, the Big Dipper, trained at Hanley Swan by David Dennis, also bettered his third place at Worcester by winning the 3 mile handicap hurdle.

We look forward to another afternoon of competitive racing at Worcester on Thursday, when gates open at 12 noon.

American Grand National Prep Run at Pitchcroft

National Hunt racing returned last weekend following the short September break.  The Worcester meeting prior to the break saw the ever-popular Hunt Ball return to the track after his hurdle win here in May (pictured coming into the Winners Enclosure further down the blog).  This was to be his prep run prior to the American Grand National on the 18^th October.  Having enjoyed a short holiday over the summer, the 2012 Cheltenham Festival winner was a picture of calm and confidence with ears pricked as he jumped to perfection and enjoyed his tussle to the line with two time Worcester winner, Mont Choisy, ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies.  Jockey Andrew Tinkler, who will ride Hunt Ball in the big race in next month, commented that he loved the quick ground.  Giving weight away all round, Hunt Ball seems to relish small fields, as all three of his hurdling wins have come in four runner races.

Sarah Henderson, daughter of trainer Nicky Henderson, accompanied the ten year old to Worcester and commented with a tinge of sadness, that Hunt Ball will travel to New York early in October and following the race in which he came 9^th in 2013, he will remain in the US and run over timber under a new trainer.

Hanley Swan trainer, David Dennis enjoyed further success at his local track on the same card when he sent out King’s Song to win the second division of the Hands and Heels handicap hurdle under amateur rider, Zak Baker.  However, there was a sting in the tail for Baker who broke the rules of the race by tapping his mount with the whip on the landing side of the last hurdle, which duly cost him a 7 day riding ban.

There is a new 95 minute documentary film on the horizon which will certainly be a must-see for all National Hunt racing fans.   The film has also been targeted at a much wider audience appeal with its tale of thrills, spills and brutal honesty.

Underlining its star quality, ‘Being AP’ was nominated from 6,000 films to one of only 400 screened at the Toronto International Film Festival last week.  The story follows AP McCoy’s final season in the saddle, although when the filming began, the crew had no idea it was to be the 20 times champion’s farewell season.

The early part of the story focuses on the extensive injuries McCoy sustained throughout his remarkable career and it includes a clip of his serious fall at Worcester last autumn, resulting in the shoulder injury which put paid to his dream of riding 300 winners in a season. The film has its UK premier on the 23^rd November and will be in cinemas from the 27^th.

Worcester Racecourse is pleased to support the national Macmillan coffee morning fundraising at its race meeting tomorrow, when gates will open from 12.20pm

Kennedy Comes Up Trumps

With three quarters of the season’s meetings now under our belt for the season, we are seeing an interesting pattern of Worcester course specialists emerging, and it is particularly pleasing to see a number of horses who have run well in defeat over the summer, finally getting their noses in front.

Kinnersley based John Spearing, who trains Over the Air for owner/breeder Mrs Peter Badger, was delighted that the horse’s Worcester form over the past 13 months which reads 22433 improved last week to record a win in the concluding handicap hurdle under regular rider and Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey, Nico De Boinville.

In-form jockey, Will Kennedy commented that this is the first year he has been in the enviable position of being given the choice of decent horses to ride in races.  Kennedy was faced with a difficult decision for the opening handicap chase between Jonjo O’Neill’s Clubs Are Trumps and Cut the Corner who is trained in Claines by Richard Newland.

Kennedy is the only jockey to have ridden Clubs Are Trumps (pictured below) to his 5 wins to date, including a victory at Worcester in July.  The jockey has also enjoyed success on the Newland trained horses this year.

Swayed towards the proven Clubs Are Trumps, the race turned into a great tussle between the Flemensfirth gelding and the Sam Twiston-Davies ridden Cut the Corner, who has now posted three seconds at Pitchcroft this season.  Clubs Are Trumps held on to his narrow lead over the last fence to win by one and three quarter lengths.

Miss Tenacious proved to be third time lucky at the course on the same day, having run to second place at Pitchcroft twice this year, and most recently behind Worcester specialist, Fairyinthewind. This time the eight year old mare was ridden up with the pace in the feature chase, and managed to reverse the form with Fairyinthewind to win on the line for her owner/breeders, brothers John and Paul Frampton.

Recruits from Irish point to pointing make popular jumpers in this country, as the Evan Williams trained Roadie Joe showed when following up his August Worcester bumper win with success in last week’s maiden hurdle.  He could be a horse to look out for.

With the winter jumping season fast approaching and the ground turning a bit softer, a good number of National Hunt trainers and bloodstock agents flocked to Doncaster last week to the DBS September sales to stock up on new recruits.

Alcester trainer Dan Skelton paid £46,000 for Savello who won the 2014 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and was sold by Gigginstown House Stud. Richard Newland was also in a buying mood, picking up 5 horses to bring his tally for winter jumping up to 16.

Afternoon racing starts at 2.10pm tomorrow.

Rain doesn't dampen the spirits at the racecourse

Having enjoyed a particularly dry spell over the summer months at Pitchcroft, recently it has been more a case of it never rains but it pours.  We had two feature race meetings in 5 days in August and both were run in the rain.

Despite the inclement weather doing its best to spoil the party, interesting stories emerged from both meetings.

Going from strength to strength, Hanley Swan trainer, David Dennis celebrated another winner at the track.  Marju's Quest won a selling hurdle for owners, Favourites Racing.  The horse last won at Worcester under AP McCoy in September 2014.

Dennis defied the interest of a telephone bidder in the subsequent auction but had to go up to 10,500 guineas to take the horse home.

Bromsgrove trainer, Claire Dyson enjoyed another winner at Worcester when Dr Dreamy came from off the pace to record his first win in 22 starts, and beat the course winning favourite, Patricktom Buru by half a length.

Horses for courses is a saying that is often proved to be accurate. Some horses just do perform better on specific tracks.

Two Worcester specialist mares were seen to great effect at the two meetings.  Fairyinthewind, formerly trained by Alan King and now with Brendan Powell, has run at the course 7 times and won on 5 of those occasions, the first was in April 2013.  I therefore find it amazing that even though she carried bottom weight, she was sent off at 25/1 in the recent £20k feature handicap chase, in which she was also the youngest horse in the race.

Fairyinthewind stayed on well and galloped her rivals into the ground to land the spoils.  There are plans to bring her back to the course in September when I very much doubt she will start at such a big price.

At First Light, one of only two horses that David Weston currently trains, boasts a 100% strike rate at Worcester this summer – three wins from three runs.

Up in trip, her latest victory came thanks in part to the final hurdle departure of John Ferguson's Great Fighter.  Following a break, we may well see her next in the new mare's race at Cheltenham.

We have seen a selection of Irish raiders at Worcester in August.  Gordon Elliott, Paul Flynn and John Joseph Hanlon have all sent runners over.

Hanlon's Nearest The Pin, a 2014 course winner, could only manage fourth place in the feature chase, but Baby Jake returned home the winner of the £8,500 handicap hurdle and may well return to the course again in September.

Evening racing starts at 5.10pm tomorrow.

What's Happening At Worcester

Despite the short break in the National Hunt calendar to allow the jockeys time away with their families, it has been anything but quiet at Pitchcroft over the last 3 weeks.

In addition to hosting the annual CAMRA beer festival, the days have been well spent working the racing surface and checking over the chase fences following a quick succession of 12 race meetings in just 3 months.  This brief rest for the track will see it in good stead for the next 8 meetings, two of which fall in this week.

This is an excellent stage in the season to review the Connellys Red Mills trainer’s championship, looking back over the success stories that have led to the current table positions.  Three trainers stand out from the rest.  Last year’s winner, Jonjo O’Neill is again leading the way by some 46 points, followed by Tim Vaughan and John Ferguson who, with just 2 points between them, are running neck and neck as contenders for the runner up position. Flying the flag for Worcestershire trainers is Claines based Richard Newland who is lying in 6^th position.

O’Neill started more slowly this year, as the yard adjusted to the retirement of champion jockey Tony McCoy in April, but with both Richard Johnson and Will Kennedy taking many of the Jackdaws Castle rides now, the winning momentum is gathering pace and the trainer achieved an amazing 1,125 – 1 four-timer on one Worcester card in July, with his only four runners that day.

Unable to be present due to a wedding commitment in Ireland, O’Neill missed watching his son, Jonjo Jnr ride his first winner under rules when he successfully drove yard favourite, Temple Lord, a previous Worcester winner, to victory in the concluding Amateur rider’s handicap hurdle.

As we progress through the second half of the season, it will be fascinating to monitor the tussle for the top honours and to see who is awarded the Connolly’s Red Mills feed prizes.

Royal visitors are rare are the Racecourse, but the recent Pershore Plum Festival racegoers were treated to a glimpse in the paddock of the Duchess of Cornwall who arrived at the course on a private visit to watch her mare, Mollyanna run in the Pickled Plum Pub Pershore national hunt novices hurdle.  This is the Duchess’s first National Hunt runner with trainer, Jamie Snowden and it was the mare’s first outing since coming over from Colin Bowe’s yard in Ireland.   She ran well for a good way but faded into fifth place up the home straight and will undoubtedly come on for the run.

Racing in earnest begins again at Pitchcroft tomorrow evening with vintage style Ladies Evening, featuring James in concert, and for the younger racegoers, Family Fun raceday on Sunday offers plenty of entertainment to enjoy, both on and off the track. Gates open at 3pm for tomorrow’s meeting.