Hazy Glen (5/1) worth the wait

The National Hunt season feels as though it has really kicked into gear and I had a couple of enjoyable trips to Wetherby and Carlisle earlier this week. Drying ground meant there were no shortage of absentees at the former including in the feature event the Bobby Renton Memorial Handicap Chase. The Henry Oliver trained Coastguard Station was an eyecatcher in the two miles handicap hurdle. Racing off a mark of 112 over timber, the seven year old is rated 122 over fences and is expected to return to the larger obstacles in due course. Given a sympathetic ride by David Noonan, the ex-Irish gelding stayed on well to fill third position only five lengths behind Whizz Kid. Placed in a decent two miles handicap chase at Ayr's Scottish National meeting last spring, he has only raced a handful of times over fences and is capable of lifting a decent prize this term. Two miles on good ground is ideal.

There was 30mm of rain between midnight and 7am on Thursday morning changing the ground at Carlisle to soft, good to soft on the chase course and heavy on the hurdles track. It was the Cumbrian venue's first meeting of the season and, while the afternoon was tinged with sadness following the deaths of Snake Roll and Mexico, there was some very good action. Subscribers to the Christmas Special last year will be aware that the unraced Hazy Glen was highlighted as a horse to follow. The four year old was due to contest a junior bumper last winter but that never materialised. Trained by Mick and David Easterby, the Lawman gelding made his first public appearance in the concluding bumper and justified strong market support to win by five and a half lengths. Given a patient ride by Billy Garritty, his victory wasn't a surprise. I spoke to Ian Robinson of Imperial Racing beforehand and he had flown back from Singapore especially to see Hazy Glen in action. Ian also passed on news of a similar type who will be running shortly - details of the horse in question will be revealed in the November Update. 

Guetapan Collonges won the staying handicap chase on his reappearance for J.P.McManus and Charlie Longsdon. The seven year old won twice last term and also finished fourth in the Classic Chase at Warwick and Midlands National at Uttoxeter. Racing off a mark of 129, he stayed on well to beat the racefit Wasdell Dundalk who was seeking a four timer. A two lengths scorer, he looks ideal for the Welsh National at Chepstow (27th December). There was plenty of encouragement to be gained from the run of Ned Tanner who filled fifth position. Nick Alexander's runner invariably improves from his seasonal reappearance and the seven year old was still very much in contention jumping the third last. Beaten around eight lengths, he isn't badly handicapped and is one to keep an eye on when returning to Kelso (3 from 6).