Friday Review

The cold snap looks set to bite in the next days and it remains to be seen how much jump racing takes place over the weekend and beyond. National Hunt enthusiasts at least enjoyed a seven race card at Ayr with 80 runners and champion jockey Sean Bowen justified his decision to make the long journey booting home a double. Kings Champion ran out an impressive winner of the opening maiden hurdle and looks a youngster with a bright future. Placed in a bumper when handled by Paul Nicholls last season, the six year old was transferred to Olly Murphy during the summer and he shaped encouragingly on his hurdles bow over two miles at Market Rasen last month. Stepping up in trip and ridden prominently, he pulled away in the homestraight recording a twelve lengths win. Described as raw and still babyish, the Jeu St Eloi will gain more experience over hurdles in the coming months before jumping fences next term. Even though he only finished fifth, I thought Blofeld ran better than his finishing position suggests. Rebecca Menzies' seven year old reportedly needed his seasonal reappearance at Carlisle and, having raced to the fore from the outset, paid for trying to go with the winner, tiring after the third last. He won't always face a rival of the calibre of Kings Champion. 

Milcree defied an absence of 622 days when scoring on his chasing debut in the two and a half miles novices' handicap under Sean Quinlan (Danny McMenamin still sidelined after his crunching fall at Haydock on Tuesday). The lightly raced eight year old hadn't been seen since running at the Scottish National meeting in April 2024 having been held up by niggling problems. However, the Milan gelding got his career firmly back on track jumping superbly and running on strongly to beat Karafon by four and a quarter lengths off a mark of 115. Nicky Richards won't rush the Hemmings Racing owned winner and hopefully his issues are behind him now. If staying sound, he can win a decent pot over fences. 

I have had a few emails during the last couple of weeks regarding one of the featured horses on page 148 in One Jump Ahead. The second one down, he is reportedly in full work and ought to be in action shortly. He is hopefully one to look forward to.