Racing on Wednesday takes place at Southwell, Folkestone and Bangor over National Hunt rules and a twilight card at Kempton Park, where the class is quite a far cry from the sort of racing that is giving me sleepless, excitement-filled days in the run up to ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’. However, a winner’s a winner, as Derek Thompson would say, and the show must go on.
In the racing news this week, Lucy Alexander became the winning-most female national hunt jockey in a season, winning on her beloved Red Tanber on Musselburgh, the duo teaming up for their fourth win of the season and her own twenty fourth. She seems to particularly thrive when riding chasers and rides for her boss Ferdy Murphy on SEIGNEUR DES BOIS (Southwell 2.00). Gradually coming along with all three runs this year, the gelding has crept into the bottom of the handicap. His sole win came over the same course, and a chance can be taken off a 7lb lower mark than his rating at the start of the season.
The Tom Tate yard is in good order and jockey James Reveley rode Cheltenham bound Eagle Rock for the yard last week. They team up again with KUDO COUNTRY in the 3.05 at Southwell – a novice chase. He looks to have good claims. He beat Bold Sir Brian, who has won his three subsequent chases, in his first start of the season in a novice chase. He fell next time out when clear and lost by a short head to the Nicky Henderson trained Eradicate. That form makes him the best in this field on public evidence to date.
The same jockey rides BARDOLET in the three mile handicap chase (Southwell 4.05) and has solid claims based on his distance victory last time out at Catterick. He has shown gradual improvement, running closer to his truer mark with every run. A stamina test seems to really suit and James Reveley rides the track particularly well.
2.00 Southwell – Seigneur Des Bois
3.05 Southwell – Kudo Country (Nap)
4.05 Southwell – Bardolet
The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner / @JJMSports