Race Meeting Review:
MARKET RASEN, 22nd January 2012
Going: GOOD TO SOFT (Soft in places on chase course)

The home of Summer jumping is a quiet place in Winter (presumably apart from Boxing Day), and it was a sparse, windswept crowd that enjoyed a six-race card.

Up first a 2m3f novices' hurdle which, with the withdrawal of paper favourite Trozulon, looked likely to be dominated by two beforehand, and they duly pulled clear after three out, resolution making the difference in the finish.

Bar De Ligne, a compact, stocky gelding, backed up his Uttoxeter second to Harry Topper with a solid performance, up there throughout, having a bit to do at the second last but staying on as the runner-up hung and idled. He would be better off in handicaps going forward, this race an ordinary contest on the day, but he seems to have a good attitude.

Cross Of Honour wasn't strong at the finish when he finished third to Open Hearted at Doncaster and, after making the running and going a length and a half up two out, hung left after the last and didn't go on. He's one to be wary of for the time being, particularly at a short price.

The only others to note are the third to fifth. Leader Of The Gang (workmanlike, a bit backward and bandaged in front), probably still learning, was pushed along a circuit out but held his place until the first two went clear from the third last and kept on, while Granville Island (two handlers, threatened to boil over in the paddock but didn't) ran his best to date over hurdles despite not getting home after again racing keenly and coming from the rear, and could have a chance in a 2m novices' handicap at a strong pace, and the only chasing type in the field Hawk Run (well made) was outpaced on the final circuit but kept on a bit in the straight, shaping well, and could be one to go with in a staying novices' handicap, hurdles or fences.

The first of three competitive handicap hurdles followed, this one a 0-115 contest for conditional jockeys over 2m5f, and the form looks solid with King Mak running third for the, er, third start in a row.

Improvement from Wise Move for a switch to handicaps was predicted by his 11/2 starting price, and he raced prominently throughout, was sent on at the third last, pushed along going to two out and was always finding enough despite hanging right into the rail under pressure.

Powerful Ambition is stamina-bred and showed improved form on this handicap debut for the step up in trip, making his only mistake at the sixth, pushed along from three out and going second soon after, no more from the last.

King Mak looked very well and deserves a win some time soon, but won't be going down in the weights after another good show, up there throughout as usual, while River Dragon (rugged up) confirmed the form of his Boxing Day win at this track over 2m3f, wandering when driven and fading from the second last - he might be better granted a stiffer test of stamina.

The fifth Belmore Baron (well made chasing type) was burly for his first run for 377 days and shaped well, though racing lazily, always in rear and keeping on through beaten ones at the end. Less hope with Tsarinova (lengthy, leggy mare) and Heavenstown, the former weakening after holding a share of the lead three out and the latter, who might need to dominate as he did in a Ffos Las bumper in October 2011 when last viewed by me, checking out from the home turn having gone well to three out.

The feature on the card was a 2m5f 0-140 handicap hurdle: it was a good contest, but with the exception of the runner-up I'm not sure anyone from this will be winning in the near future, as the form of the handicap hurdle at Kempton on the King George undercard which Knight Pass won was turned on its head.

Hildisvini (two handlers) looked well and, in a first-time tongue tie, showed improved form to get a victory, which connections attributed to the mouthpiece in the stewards' room: he led going to the last and stayed on well, leaving well behind his 12th-placing at Kempton.

Jukebox Melody, a tallish, leggy gelding and a likely chaser of the future, was held up and given a bit to do, still having up to 12 lengths to make up after the sixth and gradually getting there after two out, nearest at the finish - his turn will come and, settling better than he used to, he's proved his effectiveness at this trip.

Thanks For Coming (medium, workmanlike) had seemed to have shown improved form for racing over the minimum trip at Sandown on his reappearance and faded out of this in the closing stages stepped up in trip, going well three out, carrying his head high when shaken up with two to jump (mistake), and losing second after the last.

You never know what you're going to get with the 2011 Coral Cup-third Orsippus (smallish), and his was a straightforward performance this time, going well up with the pace and sent on two out, only to fade after the last. Swansbrook's response to pressure was disappointing, off the bridle pretty well throughout the final circuit and carrying his head to one side going to the second last, and Frontier Dancer-backers were entitled to ask themselves 'what the hell was that' after he followed up his second to Knight Pass at Kempton with a lazy, never-going indolent run, towards the rear and off the bridle a circuit out and plodding on into sixth (he was behind Hildisvini in the betting).

Book'em Danno looked an interesting handicap debutant beforehand and, despite causing a false start by near-bolting and going about 175 yards before turning back, was probably fine as once the race started, the fizz had gone and he settled by the first hurdle; therefore the conclusion is that he failed to stay pure and simple, looking sure to go close after three out then ridden and headed by first Orsippus, then six others, between approaching two out and the post, while one who fared worse was Global Power, who's failed to back up his Silver Trophy-second on three subsequent starts now and seems gone at the game right now.

After two withdrawals only three lined up for the 2m6f110y beginners' chase and it was very steadily run, coming down to a test of speed in the straight. Mic's Delight, who's not very big - about medium in height - proved the best-equipped to cope, and this one, second in the EBF Final at Sandown in March 2011, is entitled to consideration for something at the Spring festivals, most likely Punchestown as he has a right-handed bias in his jumping (only error here when hitting the fifth); Denis O'Regan didn't panic when Flaming Charlie went on three out, Mic's Delight still moving the strongest, and he readily pulled clear on the run-in. Flaming Charlie, a tall, leggy one, led on sufferance three out, readily pulled back at the last, and his Warwick second to Mush Mir (several errors that time) is a fairer reflection of his merit, while modest pointer Romper Stomper (rangy gelding) was fit enough and, because of the steady pace, lasted in touch to four out, but heads back to the point field in good physical shape.

Much more of a proper test was the 2m6f110y 0-115 handicap chase, in which the pace that the winner O Crotaigh helped set found out all bar the first two by four out, the third closing up late and flattered to be as close as she was to the irresolute French Ties at the end.

O Crotaigh is a very strange shape, a strong, stocky gelding with a very deep girth and a rounded appearance - the type to look unfit whether or not he's first time out or had ten runs in a season. Always in the first two, the game looked up when French Ties went on, but after he idled it away, O Crotaigh picked up the pieces for an all-out win. This could be it from him for now, another rise in the handicap for beating one who blew it big time (himself too steep in the weights) likely to do for him.

French Ties (medium height, leggy) travelled very strongly and went on after four out, and looked to be finding enough once pushed along approaching three out, but idled and hung away a four-length lead at the last to end up five lengths behind O Crotaigh at the line, and it goes without saying that he isn't one to back in future.

Be My Light, has no size about her and, kept over fences, was never at the races; Daldini looked old and after trying to match strides with O Crotaigh, gave up the ghost on the final circuit; Seigneur Des Bois, never out of the rear, made two mistakes and was off the bridle the whole way, and Alora Money, backed from 13/2 into favouritism, looked on the burly side for her chasing debut and first start for 782 days and, taken off her feet (mistake second), was pulled up after the sixth.

Lastly a 2m1f 0-115 handicap hurdle, and, at the end of another well-run race, the 'right' ones were in the shake-up; further back Molko Jack shaped well.

Justazippy (leggy, light bodied mare) backed up her second to Tempest River at Hereford, prominent at the fourth, going better than most, but had to get a bit tough to force a gap between horses to lead two out, joined by Amtired going to the last, wandering and bumping that one, then staying on the best from the last. She's not well built and wouldn't want turning out quickly.

Amtired, who won at Wetherby since chasing home Book'em Danno in September on my last Market Rasen visit, had run out at the Yorkshire venue over Christmas, but not I'd suggest through temperament - he jumped right when winning there, and went too far that way when he exited the race on December 27th. It was a good call to come back here therefore and, in cheekpieces for the first time, went close, ridden on the second circuit but staying on, getting a good jump two out and emerging as Justazippy's closest challenger, just unable to stay on so well from the last.

Castlerock, a tallish, well made chasing type, was burly and shaped well, held up, not fluent four out, making a move when having no room on the inside rail on the bend out of the back straight, keeping on from two out and nearest at the finish. Memorabilia (well made) was hard work, getting there three out but no more, and could be better over further, Chicklemix (well made, unseated her rider on the walkway leaving the paddock), came from the back but hung fire after the second last and Fairynuff didn't cope as well as expected with the drop in trip after winning here over 2m3f in December, never going well and only making a bit of late ground.

Molko Jack has been disappointing since coming over from Ireland, but ran well up to a point here and, going the right way in the handicap, could be one to go with next time: he chased the leaders from the fourth, made further ground going well enough to dispute the lead three out, was pushed along and held every chance coming off the turn, and only faded approaching two out, at which he blundered, and he dropped away after that. He shouldn't be written off.

Horses to take out of the meeting:
Granville Island
Hawk Run
Jukebox Melody
Book'em Danno (over around 2m not further)
Mic's Delight (on right-handed tracks)
Castlerock
Molko Jack

Trainer to keep an eye on in the short term:
Brian Ellison - two runners-up on this card,
Powerful Ambition and Amtired