By Tony Calvin - 20 March 2025
Now, no-one is saying watering isn’t necessary on occasions, and a fact of punting life.
However, four courses already this week have failed to follow the BHA’s clear directive about declaring the amount of watering in the lead-up to a meeting – Chepstow on Thursday, and Newbury, Ffos Las and Musselburgh (watering this morning) on Friday – and Newbury are still doubling-down on the “none of your business” line going into the weekend, it seems.
Their going stick readings have gone from 5.5 on chase course, and 4.8 on hurdles, on Monday to 4.2 on both on Friday morning (as at 6am)
They have watered on Thursday and Friday mornings.
And again on Saturday morning.
“When irrigation has taken place within the previous 72 hrs, the description should be given as, for example, Good to Firm (irrigating), or Good to Firm (irrigated) (when the irrigation process has been completed).
“The amount of water applied should be specified.
“Should a racecourse provide information which does not meet the requirements then this will be raised with the racecourse and via the RCA, and could lead to follow up action if viewed as necessary.
“Should there be a complaint around an incorrect Going Description, the inspectorate will review by requesting all the records leading up to the fixture to determine if the Going description was accurate. Again, if it’s found to not have been, then this could be found to be a breach of the BHAGIs and further action may, in certain circumstances, be taken.”
It is up to the relevant TV channels, including ITV, covering those meetings to get answers for their viewers.
As well as the BHA and RCA to ask questions.
Well done to ITV tracks Kelso and Bangor tomorrow, who had no problem in being open about their irrigation this week.
Knowing this detail and information is important – if it had rained at any of the above tracks, they wouldn’t have just said “it rained”, would they? – especially when there is rain due.
The levels of rain expected at Newbury and Bangor have fluctuated somewhat but Kelso’s forecast has pretty much been a constant – in that plenty is incoming.
Or maybe was, now.
It is due to start there late on Friday, with the wet weather set in for the duration of Saturday.
However, the main site I use had 23mm incoming from Friday night to Saturday night, but this in fact has just been downgraded to around 11mm (some of which comes after racing) so perhaps it won’t be too bad.
I don’t know what the ground will be at Newbury today or tomorrow – the going stick readings there (see below) have changed markedly in the face of unspecified watering this week – but it shouldn’t be too bad, hopefully.
And likewise Bangor.
I am just doing the re-write now, and it is a lengthy one, as a lot of prices have changed since Thursday morning/early afternoon. Some strangely, so.
Coming shortly below.
Now, in fact.
It’s an incredibly low-key betting weekend, though.
The obvious line into this race is Cadell – his stable name must be Simon, surely? – who looks the sole pace angle (see below).
I was watching the decs for this race unfold – his stablemate Your Own Story was only put in well after Cadell, suggesting the small field tempted that one in – and I bet Lucinda Russell was delighted another front-runner didn’t appear. I’ve backed him.
Cadell can be easily forgiven his run in the Edinburgh National last time (marathon trip was an unknown) and he is a course winner who is best in small fields, but the big problem for him is the possibility of soft ground (see the forecast above and below).
He has not excelled in soft ground to date, though I suppose you could argue his last of five to Handstands in a Grade 2 at Sandown in December wasn’t far off a career best.
The 4s is probably fair enough, even with the ground a doubt.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE (6.47am): Cadell has been clipped into 3s.
It is a tricky 2m3f+ handicap hurdle, and you can make a case for pretty much all of them.
Stable-switcher Nusret and class-dropped Thunder Rock head the top of an open market, but I thought West To The Bridge looked a solid each-way proposition at the generally available [8/1].
Sure, he is a 12yo now (double the age of Nusret and Mr Freedom) and the record of 7lb claimer Harry Arkins so far isn’t particularly great – though I have no idea how competent, or otherwise, he is – but he has won here, he is the only last-time-out winner in the field (the cheekpieces were back on for that Wetherby win and they are retained here), his revised mark of 131 is still 9lb below his peak and the watering/forecast rain is a plus to his chances.
I’ve had a little on him each way, though I see he has now drifted to 10s.
He is now a non-runner, though.
Check out the form of the Jamie Snowden stable form. That wouldn’t put you off Milldam at 20s, especially if the ground worsens appreciable, as he is essentially a mudlark and these are far shallower waters than his run in the Morebattle last time.
The trip is the question mark for him, though.
He is a NR, too.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE (7.26am): Milldam is a NR because of the going – he had been cut from 20s and 16s into best at 10s in just one place, so could have been a Rule 4 job….. – and Thunder Rock and Gentleman Bill are available at a shortened [10/3] and 4s respectively.
There are six going-related NRs on the card.
Wyenot has 5lb and more in hand of this field, but she doesn’t make much appeal at a best-priced evens,
The reason is the pace map.
She may well win the battle for the lead but My Lady Elektra, Ottizzini and Sacre Coeur could serve it up to her.
Something to consider at least if you are going in short on her.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE (6.47am): Wyenot has been clipped into [5/6]. She is as short as [8/13], though.
As of 9.45am though, she is edging towards [6/4] on Betfair.
I’m not in the least bit surprised that all the opening (and generally available) 16s about Jackpot Des Bordes has been hoovered up.
And the lingering 14s in two places was taken early on Friday morning.
He is just 10s now, with the final 12s and 11s also disappearing thereafter.
The main angle into him is Paul Nicholls’ excellent, and profitable, record with first-time cheekpieces – see below – and the horse is already well enough handicapped on 118 on his length defeat of the now 130-rated Saint Anapolino off levels at Taunton in November.
We haven’t seen him since an odds-on defeat at the same track in December, but I think we could see a career-best over hurdles from him here.
His bumper second to Celtic Dino (132 over hurdles) last year reads very well when you consider that handicap mark of 118.
The 10s is still okay for an investment, but not as good as 16s, 14s, 12s and 11s obviously….
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE (6.47am): Serious Challenge and Calimystic have been the most popular here – the [11/2] about the former will go soon, you early birds – and Jackpot Des Bordes is into [17/2].
Two of the movers, Calimystic, and Serious Challenge, are now NRs (going). One of seven going-related NRs on card (underlining the need for watering – as long as punters are told how much)
With nine races on ITV, I was not going to waste your time when I didn’t have a strong betting opinion. The first thing to say here is that 13 horses were balloted out of this 30k pot (see below), so make sure you get your money back on those if you punted them ante-post.
I thought this was impossible, though I suppose the 20s about Singapore Trip (available in two places) was the best bet on offer for those that wanted an interest.
And the more I looked the more I warmed to his chances a fair bit.
There are signs the stable are coming back to a bit of form – recent 25-1 winner, and close-up fourth at 100s – and Singapore Trip showed a bit more at Carlisle last time, having run atrociously in his three previous outings this season.
He is now down to a mark of 109 (1lb lower than when winning at Perth last May) and he is on the same level as when a good third of 16 here last April (think it may have been this rescheduled race).
Actually, if I can get a bit of that 20s – unlikely, (and I duly failed)– or the 16s, I may have a nibble (managed just a small bit unfortunately).
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE (6.47am): Singapore Trip is now best at 12s, and as short as 9s. There have been nibbles for a few but nothing major caught my eye. I am Max is the general 4s fav (9/2 in a place).
You do get some outlandish prices when the prices reform after the final fields are known on Thursday morning, and none so more than the 33s about Riskintheground.
Just odd.
He is now best at 11s and that will be coming under pressure, too (now best at 9s).
His form has clearly gone backwards since a good third at Cheltenham in October, but he is 5lb lower now and he is a big runner on that performance.
Imagine in first-time tongue-tie and cheekpieces is of some interest, as he is another obviously well handicapped on his Irish form – he went off 6s for the Paddy Power and is available at 11s here – but I thought the best (ish) bet at the current prices was presumably the Dan Skelton second-string Real Stone, a general 25s poke.
He has a good course run to his name and he has been running well coming into this. He is 25s, four places, so that is a fair trade if you can access it.
It’s a token interest in truth, though.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE (6.47am): Saint Segal is strong at a general 3s (7/2 in a place, which may go) and Riskintheground – he of that 33s quote – is best at 9s, though a general 7s.
Real Stone is now a NR, along with Numitor.
Yet another tricky Kelso puzzle, though Barrabool has plenty of obvious upside after just three hurdle starts.
The problem is she was 10s on Tuesday, 9s on Thursday morning after decs, and she is now 7s in two places and a general 6s.
That 7s also comes with four places attached if you can get on with those two firms.
It is well worth it if you can.
You can see why the money has come – hands up I did get some 8s on Thursday afternoon – given her profile and the fact that the Harry Derham stable is purring along very nicely (and we have noted before in this column that 3lb claimer Alice Stevens has a decent record for him – nudging towards 30 per cent, in fact).
An opening mark of 105 looks very fair for this lightly-raced 5yo, who showed her most solid form yet when second to Tour Ovalie at Taunton last month, with the winner running well at a big prices in the mares’ novices’ hurdle at Cheltenham and who re-opposes here (on 11lb worse terms). Barrabool probably wasn’t ridden optimally from the front there, either.
The scope for progress on her handicap debut for a 100k pot is obvious. It is pointless saying she has been targeted at this (which she has), as several others have obviously also has been.
I’ve backed her anyway.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE (6.47am): Northern Air and Surrey Belle vie for favouritism at 4s. No big movers.
Talking of strange prices, we have another one here with Scarlet O’Tara.
She was tipped and backed at 14s earlier in the week, yet 10 firms opened up at 16s about her after the final fields were known on Thursday morning.
Cue a mad Thursday morning rush to back her, and I think the last of the 16s disappeared just after midday on Thursday (actually it was 12.07pm, as I looked at the time), so the would-be weekend tipsters were thwarted.
She is now as low as [11/2] and 6s with three of the firms that offered the 16s, so I found this whole pricing rigmarole here very curious indeed.
They all knew what would have been coming.
No doubt she will drift back out, though one firm still offer her at 11s (next price down is [17/2].
This is clearly a hugely competitive race but I have backed La Pinsonniere each way at 9s, five places and that is still available in seven places, with a win-only saver on Siog Geal at 5a (now only 4s, unfortunately).
The former is now actually 11s in two places, and that looks good each-way business to me.
Siog Geal is the right favourite as this winning pointer looks a sure-fire improver up to 2m4f for the first time over hurdles, and I suspect she will take a lot of beating off a mark of just 116.
In fact, I reckon she is actually a fair each way bet at the current 4s, five places here (that’s been taken and she is now a general [11/4], with bits and pieces bigger elsewhere).
But La Pinsonniere is the price I backed her at on Thursday (bigger in fact) and the angle into her is the first-time cheekpieces.
Like Nicholls, Nicky Henderson is very good with this headgear, as we have seen recently with Doddiethegreat and Aston Martini, and that may enable her to turnaround recent Southwell form with Jasmine Bliss, in addition to the weight swing, too.
And 9-1 poke Fierce Warrior was another first-time cheekpieces winner for the stable on Friday.
The handicapper actually dropped her 7lb after that Southwell run, so a mark of 118 is hopefully exploitable.
One niggling doubt, though.
When decs-tracking this race, Henderson initially put in Crazierthansdaisy and Either Way, only slotting in La Pinsonniere afterwards.
That could suggest this was an afterthought for her maybe.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE (6.47am): Siog Geal is best at [10/3], with Crazierthandaisy and the controversial Scarlet O’Tara, she is the Thursday morning shorten, into 8s.
No interest in this 0-120 six-runner 2m1f handicap chase.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE (6.47am): Flash Du Pistolet is the [15/8] favourite.
Barrabool each way, four places, at [7/1] in 3pm at Kelso. Available in two places
*I’ve also backed West To The Bridge (NR), La Pinsonniere, Siog Geal, Cadell, Singapore Trip and Jackpot Des Bordes, all relatively small (added 6.42am)
GOING: Good, good to soft in places
Ratio: (60:40)
GOING STICK – Chase: 4.4; Hurdles: 4.3 (Saturday 6am)
Saturday morning update: Only 1mm rain overnight (less than we expected) & 17C breezy yesterday. Forecast: Cloudy, max 15C, small risk of a light shower late afternoon
Weather: 2.1mm Saturday
Watering – NO AMOUNTS GIVEN
On Sat, 22 Mar 7:17am the watering status was Watering (In Progress) – Selective watering final 2f & pull up + 7f bend this morning.
On Fri, 21 Mar 7:29am the watering status was Watered –
On Thu, 20 Mar 7:47am the watering status was Watering (In Progress) – Started on Thursday 13th. Selective watering today to maintain.
On Mon, 17 Mar 8:18am the watering status was Watering (In Progress) – Started on Thursday 13th. Watering to maintain.
On Thu, 13 Mar 4:16pm the watering status was Watering (In Progress) – Started Thursday 13th.
Rails: Hurdle: Centre (minimum 2 panels of fresher ground for day 2). Chase: Outside. Pull up bend: Common Bend (fresher ground for day 2). 7f & 5f bend: Split bends in place (fresher ground for day 2).
GOING: Good to soft
GOING STICK: 5.9 (Saturday 7.45am)
Saturday morning update: Partly Cloudy. 3mm overnight Sat 22nd: 13c rain/showers clearing. O’cast with sunny spells later
Weather: 5mm today but now set to come after racing.
Watering: Watering to maintain. 6mm applied Tuesday all round & similar to be applied on Thursday
GOING: Good, good to soft in places
GOING STICK – Chase: 6.3; Hurdle 7.0 (Sat 7am)
Saturday morning update: 1mm rain overnight Saturday: Largely dry morning, with showers developing thro’ the afternoon. 15 °C
Weather: 8mm on Saturday, starting at 2pm
Watering: 4mm applied to the hurdle course on Wednesday, in all areas except the two furlongs after the two and a half mile start.
Rails: Hurdle bends moved out 3yrds from last meeting, chase bends moved in 8yrs from last meeting.
2.25pm Kelso: The Navigator, Heritier, Forever Charlie, Aquitaine Boy, Romeo Brown, Maillot Blanc, Evenwood Sonofagun, Wearelongterm, Pure Sirloin, Quian, Coral Blue, Marty McFly, Luminaries
Lucinda Russell visor 4-38 (since 2009) – Your Own Story, 1.15pm Kelso
Paul Nicholls cheekpieces 22-86 (2016) – Jackpot Des Bordes, 2.05pm Newbury – well in profit to level stakes (+33pts lifetime to SP, as per Proform stats)
Harry Derham cheekpieces 2-9 (2023) – Imagine, 2.40pm Newbury
Fergal O’Brien cheekpieces 10-69 (2016) – Jakana, 3.15pm Newbury
Nicky Henderson cheekpieces 19-92 (2016) – La Pinsonniere, 3.15pm Newbury
1.15pm Kelso: Cadell
1.35pm Bangor : West To The Bridge?, The Four Sixes
1.50pm Kelso : Wyenot, My Lady Elektra, Ottizzini, Sacre Coeur
2.05pm Newbury : Glynn Brae, Oh My Johnny (prom), Old Cowboy (prom), Kalium, Beau Quali (prom), Jackpot Des Bordes (prom), Six And Out (prom)
2.25pm Kelso : Sayva, I Am Max, Raffertys Return, Ridin Solo, The Jeweller’s Pet
2.40pm Newbury : Matterhorn, Saint Segal, Imagine?, Theatre Man
3pm Kelso : Surrey Belle, Rula Bula, Walkadina, Game Colours, Green Sky?, Leloopa, Barrabool
3.15pm Newbury: Jasmine Bliss, Scarlet O Tara, Sunset Marquesa, Jakana, Betty’s Tiara, I Am The Moon, Clotilda, The Secret Pearl
3.35pm Kelso: Escapeandevade, Bollingerandkrug?, Flash Du Pistolet
Excellent: Jamie Snowden (seven of his last eight runners have won, the other was a 2-5 runner-up beaten 1 3/4 lengths)
Good: Gary and Josh Moore (very good), Paul Nicholls, Harry Derham (very good), Heather Main (small sample), Newland and Insole, Neil Mulholland, Nick Alexander, Ewan Whillans, James Ewart (very good), Olly Murphy, Hobbs and White (double on Friday), Lucinda Russell (three winners on Friday)
Fair: Joe Tizzard, Fergal O’Brien (double on Friday), Nicky Henderson (9-1 winner on Friday), Ben Pauling, Stuart Edmunds, Richard Bandey (very few runners), Anthony McCann (7-1 winner on Thursday), Ann Hamilton (three seconds from five runners), S Crawford (10-1 winner on Friday night), Henry Daly, Brian Ellison, Rebecca Menzies (borderline moderate), Mark Walford, Chris Grant, Donald McCain, R Mike Smith, Evan Williams (double on Friday), David Pipe, Ben Clarke, Philip Kirby, Greenall and Guerriero, Tim Vaughan, Jane Williams (winner on Thursday and Friday), Micky Hammond (had a recent 25-1 winner)
Moderate: Nigel Twiston Davies (10-1 winner on Friday, though not a great strike rate), Dan Skelton (for him), Alex Hales, Sandy Thomson, Jonjo and AJ O’Neill (form of this stable would be a fair worry)
Don’t know: David Weston, Andrew Martin, Ruth Jefferson, Ian Duncan, Dianne Sayer, Paula Smith (two runners, one 9-1 winner), DJ Jeffreys, Sandy Forster (three runners, one 9-1 winner), Sheena West, Adrian Keatley, Susan Corbett
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