Notes for Chepstow

Orders for One Jump Ahead which were received by 10am on Tuesday have been posted and any which have arrived since will be sent out on Wednesday morning.

Provided Royal Mail pull their finger out, those copies will hopefully arrive in time for the start of the three day fixture at Chepstow, which gets underway on Friday and for many heralds the start of the jumps season. One word of warning is the fact the ground at the Welsh track was described as good on Tuesday morning and there isn't any rain forecast between now and the start of next week. Therefore it remains to be seen how many quality horses will be on show.

For those clients who have received their copies of One Jump Ahead, I will reference a few horses via the page numbers in the book. The horses discussed at the bottom of page 168 is entered in the opening two miles novice hurdle on Friday and has reportedly shown all the right signs since joining his current yard. He is most definitely one to keep an eye on. 

The feature event on day one is the Grade 2 Persian War Novices' Hurdle (3.43). The Talking Trainers section is well represented amongst the 14 entries at this stage. The penultimate horse on page 61 will have been trained to the minute for this - this has been the target for some time and he is a youngster who has a breathing issue and his connections are thinking very much the short rather than the long-term. 

The entries for the three miles novice chase (4.17) include the horse at the foot of page 95. A bold showing is anticipated here before having a crack at the Badger Ales Chase at Wincanton (8th November). His trainer feels he is potentially well handicapped and capable of winning a good prize this term. 

The Welsh Champion Hurdle on Sunday - run for the first time at Chepstow since 2002 - has attracted 19 entries. This has been the plan for the sixth horse on page 95 and there is a feeling he has plenty more to offer off his mark before embarking on a chasing career. 

Finally, although he doesn't feature in One Jump Ahead, I suggest keeping an eye on I Ain't Your Mate who is entered in the two and a half miles handicap hurdle on Friday (4.55). Trained by Christian Williams, the lightly raced five year old was placed in both his Irish points for James Doyle including when a close second behind the potentially high-class El Cairos in the spring of last year. The Sea Moon gelding showed promise in three runs over hurdles for his current connections last term and doesn't look overburdened off 101 for his handicap bow. Regardless of how he performs on Friday - if he lines up - he is a youngster to keep an eye on. Chasing will ultimate bring out the best in him. 

If you haven't ordered a copy of One Jump Ahead and Updates, please head to the Publications section of the site.