Monday racing tips: Andy Ayres picks out his best bet for today’s racing while updating us on all the latest gossip from the tracks
Don't miss out on all the latest talk from the tracks as Andy Ayres looks back on a weekend to remember for Paul Nicholls and Colin Tizzard
FIVE was the magic number last weekend.
West Country wizards Paul Nicholls and Colin Tizzard both racked-up five-timers, proving they were only waiting for a drop of rain before moving into top gear.
Tizzard’s haul came courtesy of a Sandown double and Ffos Las treble on Sunday, Elegant Escape (5-1 to 100-30) proving the best bet and highest profile of the bunch when seeing off three smart rivals in a cracking intermediate chase.
He’s a big boy and wouldn’t have been wound up for this, which must put him in pole position for the £250,000 Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury on December 1.
There was a strong word for his stablemate Eldorado Alan before the 2m maiden hurdle and the gelding jumped like a bunny before winning with head tucked firmly in chest.
A return to Sandown for the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle is on the cards and this slick grey could just be a star in the making.
RACECARDS Get all the form and the latest odds with our new racecards
I’ve watched treacle run faster than the field for the conditionals handicap hurdle, but the race did at least showcase the talents of Gary Moore’s young claimer Niall Houlihan, who rode a peach on the winner Eragon De Chanay.
This rookie has seen less action than a cub scout but was smart enough to kick-on at half-way, pinching an advantage that he never look like relinquishing.
Moore knows a thing or two about producing jockeys – he’s sired three smart ones – and this kid definitely looks decent value for his claim.
It goes without saying that the same is true of Bryony Frost, who was brilliant on two of Paul Nicholls five winners at Wincanton on Saturday.
LATEST IN HORSE RACING
Aristotle is still trying to work out how Bryony managed to coax Capeland home in the conditionals race and it’s surely only a matter of time before she’s a top ten pilot.
The flip-side of this was Philip Donovan’s ridiculously soft unseat from Mortems Leam in the 3m2f handicap chase at Fontwell on Friday. Rocking horses do more wrong than this fella did and I doubt Donovan’s nickname is super-glue.
Somerset-based Johnny Farrelly knows the time of day and landed a massive touch with Love The Leader (14-1 to 4-1) in a 3m2f handicap hurdle here.
The gelding had looked about as useful as a chocolate teapot since winning a bad race in 2015, but he was properly teed-up for this and connections copped in style.
Monday Magic
KUPATANA (1.15 Kempton) developed into a fair hurdler last season and should prove even more effective over fences.
This was the first leg of a double for the yard and Farrelly is undoubtedly a man to have on your side round the gaff tracks this winter.
Nicky Henderson is the guvnor at Kempton Park and sends a strong team to this afternoon’s meeting at the track. He’ll have a winner or two and must be hopeful that KUPATANA (1.15) can defy top weight in a run-of-the-mill novice handicap chase.
She improved with racing over hurdles last season, has already won a point-to-point in Ireland and has a touch more class than most of these.