Spring sunshine it may have been, but it was actually proper Winter cold at Huntingdon's first March meeting, which drew a fair crowd considering that the meeting had been in some doubt. There were a few non-runners announced before and during racing, the going having been officially soft on the Friday when declarations were made, but I'd find it difficult to believe that the later withdrawals were because of frost still in the ground. In the chases, the open ditch in front of the stands was omitted.

An ordinary card, in terms of quality, got underway with a 2m110y maiden hurdle. Haarth Sovereign (workmanlike, looked well), supported from 11/8 to Evens, was the clear pick on form following his second to Whistlejacquet at Taunton; racing prominently and taken wide by Christian Williams, he went well throughout, jumped soundly (a bit too big at the second), disputed the lead three out and went for home before the next for a comfortable success, and I'll be looking for this one in a Class 3 or 4 handicap this season or next.

The Michael Scudamore yard's Ten Pole Tudor, only a neat gelding to look at, belied his 33/1 odds on his hurdling debut and might be interesting if continuing over timber this Summer, always prominent but beginning to look held when steadied into the last, and it was a fair reappearance by You Never Said (medium-height, 3/1 to 4/1), looking well after his 434-day absence, given a bit to do and pushed along after the fifth, not fluent three out and keeping on after the last, seeing out this race better than he had done previously.

Red Rouble (tallish and a bit unfurnished), a five-year-old by Moscow Society, might not possess much ability but will be better suited by going left-handed, jumping left throughout, hanging left on the bend into the back straight and niggled along from halfway.

Another maiden hurdle next, this one over 2m4f110y; there were some chasing types on show here - Don't Tell Nina (not a factor), Front Of House and Silver Token (9/1 to 6/1, pushed along from halfway but held a prominent place for most of the race) - also the unplaced Mister Hyde also has a bit of scope.

Talenti, an Emma Lavelle cast-off who cost just £1,000 at the Doncaster Bloodstck Sales in January, gave new trainer Lawney Hill a first- and second-race double (her first ever); a workmanlike Sadler's Wells gelding who looked fit enough and was available at 20/1 (SP 16/1), like Haarth Sovereign he also took the wide route in a prominent position, but needed pushing along from four out, but he held his place and led two out, winning ridden out.

Ackertac, a tallish, angular Anshan gelding who was one of several second favourites on this card to shorten in the betting (7/2 to 11/4), looked a tricky ride, disputing the lead till coming off the bridle going down the back straight, to be fair holding his place until unable to do anything about the winner from two out, while Wizard Of Odds (workmanlike, angular) - on his best behaviour in the preliminaries, which he isn't always - probably did a bit too much, close up and leading at the sixth till fading approaching two out, not seeing out the race as well as the first two.

Nothing much from the Nicky Henderson pair; Front Of House (lengthy, deep-chested, tallish), who looked well after 479 days off, ridden and weakening after three out - he's not bred to stay as far as 2m4f - and the mare River Beauty (workmanlike), who would also be better over 2m on pedigree, checking out after a mistake at the same hurdle, and the only other in the field who might be interesting is Barney Curley's Sommersturm (workmanlike), who ran past a few from the rear from four out.

The best race of the day was the 3m 0-120 handicap chase, and it saw another second favourite, this time Noakarad De Verzee, shorten in the betting. If you fancied Ackertac, Noakarad De Verzee, I've Been Framed in the following race and either the first- or second-favourite in the bumper, then you had to move very early to get anything like 7/2 (which was never available on either of the bumper horses). Bookmakers are entitled to trade as they see fit, but I don't believe that all those mentioned would have been backed by the same punters with the same sums of money and I suspect that much of this price-shortening was the bookies limiting any damage before any bets came in on a day when trading will have been light, in keeping with most Sundays, especially this one with its proximity to the Cheltenham Festival.

Noakarad De Verzee, a well made gelding, confirmed his improved-in-all-departments performance when winning at the last Huntingdon meeting with more of the same, sent on by Mr David Maxwell, only this time not getting the lead to himself as Our Armageddon took him on for the first circuit, but as last time getting some good jumps. He needed two more from the home turn, with Rapid Increase and Himalayan Trail bearing down on him, and he got them for a deserved success. His mark will go up again from the 122 he ran off here, but it might not be relevant on his next outing, should he take up his engagement in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham; he'll need more than good jumping to take a hand in that, though.

Rapid Increase (drifted to 7/4, SP 13/8) looked to be going in condition but gave his running, although several mistakes saw him on the back foot on the last circuit, and he was driven going down the back straight, and the winner's better jumps made the difference. The same for Himalayan Trail, who looks a shadow of the horse who won the Midlands National in 2008 and was fancied for the Grand National last year, but despite a string of mistakes he got into contention after three out. His 113-mark might see him scrape in at the bottom of the weights for this year's Uttoxeter mudfest, and the Spring is his time of year.

In fourth was Misty Dancer, who needs to go back in trip, a comment that also applies to the fifth Kilkenny All Star (the paddock pick - actually I thought all of Sue Smith's runners on this card looked the part), whose only win so far was over 2m.

Two significant non-runners, Bobble Hat Bob and Casual Garcia, weakened the 2m5f110y handicap hurdle. A win for an Alison Thorpe-trained horse at this time of year - indeed a victory for any Welsh handler in March and April, it isn't just Peter Bowen any more - is a sign that Summer's coming, and Pearl (first time tongue-strap, 4/1), who looked high in the weights with 95, made a mockery of that with a ready win, pushed along between the last two and finding loads, in the process going in for the first time at a right-handed track.

Chaim (tallish, workmanlike, 8/1 to an SP of 5/1), ran better than he often does, in the leading group from four out till readily left behind by the winner, but remains one I'd rather oppose - he takes a keen hold and is often a poor jumper, over both sets of obstacles - and Final Veto (medium, well made) is also difficult to predict, but held his place once ridden for a change, and if he doesn't go up from the favourable 104 he ran off here, he might be interesting back on a left-handed track next time if you can get a good price. The disappointment of the race was Pingaro De La Vire (leggy, carrying a healthy amount of condition and an ungainly walker with a lot of knee lift), who was ridden and lost his place on the back straight, failing to confirm his recent Market Rasen third behind Stick Together and the then-progressive Vivarini.

In the 2m110y handicap hurdle, weakened with the withdrawal of American Cricket, one down over a mile in trip - I've Been Framed (medium, workmanlike, 7/2 to 9/4) - was made a lot of use of, always the closest pursuer to habitual front-runner Alfloramoor, and went for home after the fifth, pushed along on the home turn, closed down on by the rallying runner-up before the last but holding on well.

Alfloramoor (about medium), going back over hurdles after falling in a chase last time, made a good fist of it, and as Pearl had done in the previous race, posted his best-ever form on a right-handed track; the game looked up when he was ridden along on the back straight, but he rallied, and actually looked like he might go past for a moment between the last two. The Gloves Are Off (workmanlike, 6/1 to 8/1 - rare for a horse to move that way in the market during the day), also came off the bit going down the back straight and was on the back foot after getting close to the fifth, but responded when ridden along although he didn't have a chance with the first two. Viscount Rossini ran his best race for a while in fourth.

On to the worst race on the card, the 2m4f110y 0-105 handicap chase. Porta Vogie (well made), out of it after a bad mistake on his chasing debut here on February 11th behind King Jack, was well supported - or merely shortened in the betting, we don't know - and did the best round of jumping, making most and safe at the last.

Massini Sunset (medium, well made) had disappointed on his only previous try in blinkers, but, with the headgear reapplied, did better this time, following up his third at Leicester with a runner-up finish, already held when making a mistake two out. Rileyev (only workmanlike, not a chasing type), taken wide, lost his chance with a mistake five out - he also tended to go left - and Phar Again, who kept closest tabs on the winner throughout, showed typically little resolve when push came to shove, while Play The Rock (tallish, leggy, looked well) completely failed to confirm his Sedgefield third over 2m, about the first still in contention to be ridden and checking out readily after three out. Before that stage of the race Silly Wupple had already dropped everything and didn't want to set out on the last circuit.

The closing 2m NH Flat Race wasn't the strongest of its type seen at Huntingdon, the big stables absent and only the two chasing types present, Mister Teddy and The Banana Man.

Milgen Bay (workmanlike, close-coupled), a half-brother to his trainer Oliver Sherwood's dual bumper winner Rosita Bay, looked as if he'd come on for the run but made a winning debut, pushed along five furlongs out but responding and going best on the home turn, winning ridden out from Amirico (leggy), who looked strong himself turning in, but tried to hang behind the winner inside the last furlong.

Promise from The Banana Man, a well made Classic Cliche gelding who looked burly, outpaced in the straight but shaping well, and Mister Teddy (another horse allegedly backed on this card, 5/1 to as short as 7/2, SP 4/1), also well made, who'd had two previous runs - including a point win - and was struggling on the back straight before doing some late work. Not a lot, though, from the Alan Swinbank debutant The Giggler (workmanlike, looked well, went well to post), who was ridden and going nowhere five furlongs out, losing his place on the home turn.

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© Roy Waterhouse
2010

'The Meal Deal'