Dandy Nichols Ate my hamster

Click to enlarge this screen shot of the Visual Form book

Dandy Nichols Ate my hamster

Don’t know if anyone put up any comment after the Stewards cup but here are mine -- Dandy(now David) Nichols put me away on the Morning Line with his comment that Sonny Red was his best chance in the stewards--. I don't mind a trainer being superstitious about not putting up his sons ride - but this was national Television and he put up a 50/1 shot as his winner (even being a bit coy and hesitant about it.).I had blogged his horse Evens and Odds as a possible winner (had run in the Wokingham - blogged - Evens And Odds, runner-up to Genki in the Stewards´ Cup last season, showed up early on the outside of the stands´ side group before fading.- I was half way through my thoughts and as he had not mentioned it – put a line through it when I got back to the machine.

Here are the notes after the race

As usual a fiercely competitive handicap. They initially split into four groups before merging to form a far-side and stands´ side group, although in the closing stages they fanned out again and were spread right across the track. Apart from those racingnearest the stands´ side, the draw didn´t seem to greatly inconvenience any of the rest of the field.

EVENS AND ODDS hadn´t been in the best of form since running well behind Equiano in a Listed race in the spring, but as a result he´d slipped in the handicap to the mark he ran off in this race last year. On that occasion he was second, doing best on his side, so from a handicapping point of view he had to be of interest here, especially with the ground more in his favour than last season. His stable, which had the first two in the consolation race the previous day and took the 5f handicap on Thursday, has been in terrific form at the meeting, and with a strong staying-on performance, reminiscent of last year, he eventually overhauled long-time leader Jonny Mudball well inside the last. He was fourth in the Ayr Gold Cup after this race last year and one would imagine that race will be his target again this time.

Jonny Mudball looked to have been flattered by the bare form of his success at Newcastle last time but still had the look of a progressive sprinter, and it looked significant that he´d been kept for this race rather than taking up a Group-race entry at Sandown earlier in the month. He ran a blinder in defeat, making the running in the far-side group and holding off his stablemate to æwin´ comfortably on his side. It is easy to see him developing into a Pattern-class sprinter.

Prohibit, who had run quite well on his last two starts over 5f, is more effective over this trip. Hetravelled strongly but, although he stayed on well while carrying his head a little high, the winner was always holding him.

Rileyskeepingfaith finished his race off strongly, having been held up in the centre of the track, and is another for whom the Ayr Gold Cup looks a suitable target. That race often suits a horse who stays 7f, and he handles easier ground, too.

Noverre To Go came out second-best on the far side, running a fine race considering the morning rain and watering over the previous days would not have been in his favour. There´s still a decent handicap to be won with him when he gets his favoured fast ground.

So the trends held up - 2 animals finished in the frame Odds and Evens and Prohibit from the Wokingham form

1 Evens And Odds 20/1

2 Jonny Mudball 14/1
3 Prohibit 33/1
4 Rileyskeepingfaith 12/1

28 ran Distances: nk, 1¼l, nk
TIME 1m 11.55s (slow by 1.25s)

Jockey: Billy Cray
Trainer: D Nicholls

So lesson to this old boy blogger – don’t watch Morning Line don’t go away and blame Dandy Nichols for eating your hamster --- Stick to the facts and the form and the trends.

Bob