Alpinista can pick up where she left off last term by taking another leap forward in the British Stallion Studs EBF Daisy Warwick Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood.
The four-year-old was on a rapid upward curve in 2020, progressing from an initial fourth place in a Listed event at Vichy to winning at the same level at Salisbury in August.
Sent off a 12-1 shot that day, Alpinista appeared to enjoy setting her own pace as she coasted home by three and a quarter lengths – before making a swift reappearance just seven days later in the Yorkshire Oaks.
The presence of dual Classic winner Love ensured a small field for the Group One event – and while proving no match for the winner, Alpinista defied her odds of 33-1 to claim a deserved second and an incredibly valuable enhancement for her future paddock value.
It was a touch disappointing Alpinista could not triumph on her final start back down at Group Three level – but the winner Antonia De Vega just got first run on her, and it was a decent enough effort.
Sir Mark Prescott’s charge ended the year on a mark of 113, which puts her well ahead of her rivals here.
Nelson Gay is a sprinter on a rapid upward curve and he can bag a four-timer in the Gusbourne Handicap.
In the care of Richard Hughes, he ended last year with a victory at Southwell off a mark of 75 and has returned in great heart this year – winning twice, most recently at Sandown, where he powered in by six and a half lengths.
He is 20lb higher now than when winning at Southwell, but the way he is going that is not going to stop him.
John Leeper is the potential star on show at Newcastle, where he goes in the QuinnBet Novice Stakes.
Bred in the purple by Frankel out of Snow Fairy, the Ed Dunlop-trained colt – who carries the name of the trainer’s late, great father – holds all the right sort of entries, and his one run last year was encouraging.
Showing his inexperience early on at Doncaster, he got the hang of things late in the day and definitely went into plenty of notebooks.
That was over seven furlongs, and he should really come into his own now he tries a mile and a quarter. Some very good horses have run here over the last few years, and hopefully he can show himself to be one of them.
In Ireland, Punchestown stages the penultimate day of five at the big festival meeting which concludes the Irish National Hunt season.
Few will understandably be minded to oppose the all-conquering Henry de Bromhead’s two star performers Honeysuckle and Bob Olinger as they seek to add more Grade One gloss to their brilliant victories at the Cheltenham Festival.
De Bromhead’s Champion Hurdle heroine and Ballymore Novices’ winner were prominent in the near wall-to-wall Irish success story which dashed home hopes last month – and if they are in anything like the same form, they will simply win again.
A ‘British Bob’ could just provide a travelling success, however, in the Irish Daily Star Champion Hunters Chase.
Paul Nicholls’ Bob And Co was very competitive at graded level in France, before moving to Ditcheat last season after being bought by corinthian amateur rider David Maxwell.
He is since unbeaten when completing, and was still in touch and going well enough when unseating Sean Bowen in the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase at Cheltenham.
Bob And Co then landed very short odds by more than 40 lengths, with Maxwell back on board, proving he can handle quicker ground at Hexham.
The 10-year-old will be fresher than many of his rivals here, and could just strike a blow for the beleaguered Brits on Irish soil.
Cheltenham stages its ever popular evening hunter-chase meeting, marking the start of the ‘new’ British jumps season and signing itself off for the summer until October.
The suspension of point-to-point racing and amateur riders through much of the winter has very much muddied the waters when it comes to this year’s form – so do not rule out a surprise winner or two.
Of those at likely shorter prices, I’m Wiser Now has obvious credentials as he bids for a hat-trick in the Ktda Open Hunters’ Chase following back-to-back Stratford successes.
SELECTIONS
CHELTENHAM: 5.00 Rafferty, 5.35 Definite Dilemma, 6.10 I’m Wiser Now, 6.45 Garde Ville, 7.15 Highway Jewel, 7.45 Optimised, 8.15 Risk A Fine.
CHEPSTOW: 1.15 Ocean Reach, 1.50 Stormy Night, 2.20 Selsey Sizzler, 2.55 Coul Kat, 3.30 Holbache, 4.00 Rainbow Mirage, 4.30 Rhubarb, 5.05 Woodcock.
GOODWOOD: 1.00 Bimble, 1.35 Rosa Mystica, 2.10 Qaader, 2.45 ALPINISTA (NAP), 3.20 Nelson Gay, 3.50 Tasfeeq, 4.25 Solar Screen.
MUSSELBURGH: 2.00 Nabeela, 2.30 Well Planted, 3.05 Tricorn, 3.35 Afandem, 4.05 Dubai Souq, 4.40 Kodiac Brown Bear, 5.10 Donnelly’s Rainbow.
NEWCASTLE: 5.15 Oliver’s Betty, 5.50 John Leeper, 6.20 Chichester, 6.50 Great King, 7.25 Molls Memory, 7.55 Lady Celia, 8.25 Quanah.
PUNCHESTOWN: 3.40 Beyond Redemption, 4.15 Antey, 4.50 Agusta Gold, 5.25 Honeysuckle, 6.00 Bob Olinger, 6.35 Bob And Co, 7.05 Keskonrisk, 7.35 Gortmillish.
DOUBLE: Alpinista and John Leeper.
