THIS horse already boasts listed winning form ahead of the favourite for this race, Grande Dame. Fonteyn showed honesty in the final two furlongs, fending off the challenge of Grande Dame when they met at York in May. Grande Dame has possibly earned favouritism here by beating Oscula in a listed race at this course over the distance of a mile. This came after she finished a disappointing 11th of 12 in the group one Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Oscula has since gone on to win at group three level twice so it is entirely possible Grande Dame could win here. Fonteyn on the other hand finished fourth in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood last month. This was a promising run in a group one contest over a mile and one furlong. This would suggest she has the stamina to make it up the hill at Sandown over a mile and she coped better at group one level. What didn’t help her in that run is she didn’t settle well in the first furlong but considering the level of the competition fourth was impressive. Being a three-year-old filly, Fonteyn also carries six pounds less than the majority of the field, who arguably have worse form.
15:00 York – Sky Bet City Of York Stakes (Group 2) – Pogo – Each Way
AT the time of writing, Pogo makes for great value each way and if the weather forecast is correct he will get preferred conditions of good or quicker here. He will face the likes of Sandrine and Jumby who have finished ahead of him in his two previous outings, both being group two contests. Sandrine was carrying ten pounds less than Pogo at Goodwood last month and only beat him by just over a neck. With the weight difference eight pounds in her favour this time, Pogo might be able to reverse the form. Jumby’s victory in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury last week was more convincing and it saw Pogo finish out of the places. He has however placed in group two contests four times in his career, twice over the distance of seven furlongs and even placed third in the group one Prix D’ispahan in July 2020. He is a front-runner who fights hard to hold his position in the late stages and has proved he can challenge at this level. He could be in the picture again here and a placing would be enough to see returns.
16:45 York – Julia Graves Roses Stakes (Listed) – Rocket Rodney
ROCKET Rodney steps back down in class to listed level after a special performance by Trillium denied him a group three success at Goodwood in the Molecomb. he led two furlongs from home and was unlucky to face an incredible turn of foot by the eventual winner to overtake him. George Scott’s runner still finished second and he is the only horse in this field who has had success at listed level. That earns Rocket Rodney a three pound penalty he should be able to overturn. He is also straightforward for a sprinter and is normally well behaved before races, which would explain why he has been first in the stalls in his last two races. This is a small detail but very important at York as it is easy for temperamental runners can get too worked up on their way to post. This is a field of two-year-old sprinters and this could be an important factor.
13:50 York – Sky Bet Lowther Stakes (Fillies’ Group 2) – Dramatised
KARL Burke’s unbeaten two-year-old filly shone bright two months ago when she ran out an impressive winner of the group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot. This was a field with 21 runners and quality in depth, with the likes of Love Reigns finishing in behind, and could be considered on par with the field that ran in the Albany Stakes where Mawj finished second. Mawj is the other runner here that receives a 3lb penalty for winning a group two at Newmarket last month but I believe Dramatised has the edge on form and is the rightful favourite here.
15:35 York – Darley Yorkshire Oaks(Fillies’ & Mares’ Group 1)– Alpinista
THIS Frankel filly ran out an impressive winner of the Grand Prix Saint-Cloud last month in France. She travelled brilliantly in a class field featuring multiple winners at group level, including Hurricane Land and Lone Eagle, before accelerating impressively to pass her rivals. This victory lengthened her win streak to an impressive six and now Sir Mark Prescott’s mare returns to British soil in search of another group one win. Her main rivals include French raider Raclette who is fresh from a group two win at ParisLongchamp, Epsom Oaks winner Tuesday and Irish Oaks winner Magical Lagoon. She won’t have preferred conditions here with no rain forecast but providing the ground doesn’t firm up she should be able to show her class again here.
Forecast Pick
1st Alpinista
2nd Magical Lagoon
With both likely to be in the picture, Magical Lagoon and Tuesday appear easily interchangeable for second place and is a decision that boils down to personal preference. Considering that Tuesday’s previous effort in fourth in the Irish Derby was a bold attempt to take on the colts, it can easily be seen as a more competitive race than the Irish Oaks Magical Lagoon won, explaining the worse placing . Tuesday’s Oaks winning form means she finished ahead of Concert Hall, a horse that beat Magical Lagoon in her first run of the season in a close finish. Magical Lagoon gets my pick here however, with my preference for the horse who won in her previous run and appears to be an improving filly who has battling qualities late on. She is yet to have finished outside the top two this season and she might be a bit fresher than Tuesday who has taken on such grand tasks throughout the season already.
I first made contact with Chris Kirwan of the South Wales Argus by email.
I was polite and showed awareness that someone in a full time journalism job wouldn’t necessarily have a lot of time.
He was open to the idea of a placement and gave me free reign to propose my own ideas.
In my first placement at the South Wales Argus, I learnt he basics of how to communicate and respond to the demands of the publication I am writing for.
I was given a set brief for my work on the weekend rugby round-ups, which included a word limit, a deadline and set criteria for the content.
Although it wasn’t very common I did try to offer ideas for different types of content such as a preview for the Welsh National, which I executed poorly and also timed it poorly as my placement providers weren’t available across Christmas.
I have more recently submitted a piece about Welsh National winning trainer Sam Thomas, which took a lot of planning and was a story I sourced myself.
It is uncertain whether it will be posted or not and it is too close to my module deadline to have been posted yet, but it has been sent off to editors as it probably needs to be cut down.
I have not only learnt the importance of following a brief, but have also been given the freedom to source my own content.
The ideas I came up with were either not executed well or struggled to meet a deadline and this is something I will take into consideration for my other placement roles.
Placement Post 2
FOR this placement I contacted Jon Waldron via Twitter regarding a different deadline, when I had to interview someone for a law and ethics presentation.
Thankfully when I asked if he had any work placement opportunities he was approved by his bosses to take me on.
This helped me understand how important a past working relationship is, even if it was for something relatively small or for a small amount of time.
It was also an effective way of using my social media accounts to establish new contacts and I am grateful for anyone who responds when I am in need online.
My time at the Colchester Gazette has yielded the most work in terms of published work.
Here I was able to follow a different brief every day, with most of the content revolving around EFL League Two.
However, the subject of the pieces could be about Colchester United, the league itself, the best players in the league or managers.
It is also the placement I was able to put most of my own ideas into motion and then led to them being published.
This is mainly because my ideas, such as the piece about Colchester United manager Wayne Brown, fit the market that the publication was trying to fill.
It was relevant to the topics previously covered by the paper, which meant it had somewhere to fit.
There was a week gap in between some of my work however, due to juggling other deadlines which I could probably have managed better.
In future I would try to complete more work in better time so that when it came to producing more content in the future there would be less clashes.
This placement also offered regular contact on Twitter, as well as email, and offered a more connected way of working with my employer.
This probably helped me to produce a range of different content because I had a better understanding of what my employer wanted.
My previous placement was excellent because it got me used to working to a brief, so for The Daily Gazette Standard, the process felt very easy because of what I had already done.
Placement Post 3
MY work for YYFM has mainly been interview based and, although I am unable to find the published content yet, again with some being submitted shortly before deadline, I have produced three interviews so far for them.
I achieved the placement through my dissertation officer, Steve Johnson, who had contacts outside the university with the Ysbyty Astrad radio channel.
This placement has been great for networking, having been lucky enough to meet world champion boxing trainer Tony Borg through this placement.
Due to the nature of this placement I have done a lot of travelling to Newport and to different parts of Cardiff.
It has given me experience in planning and preparing meetings, with my interview with former cricket player Paul Crump helping me understand how to build rapport with an interviewee.
The interview almost felt secondary and it just felt like a friendly chat, which I think benefitted the content massively and helped with my future interviews, such as with Sam Thomas.
Paul was also more than happy to have a chat in the future, so it also improved the way I make contacts.
I now understand you can make a lasting impression even if you are focused on work, because the enjoyment we both got from the interview didn’t feel so much like work.
It also gave me great experience in staying calm and looking at the conditions of an interview and making adjustments before filming, to minimise background noise and ask the correct questions.
For my second interview with Tony Borg I had a set brief, to question him about how boxing has changed since he was boxing.
The interview meant I had to plan my questions carefully, thinking about time and making sure my questions covered the subject broadly.
I also had to take into consideration my recording equipment when I was given new content to cover.
I had to consider the use of a tripod or a microphone for the quality of content or whether not to use such equipment for added mobility or lack of room etc.
Placement Post 4
Having finished three placements I took on last year, the last post is dedicated to a placement I first started last year with Bowls Wales.
Although I only completed 10 hours for them this year, it was almost a continuation of last year’s work, where I created a video to promote the safety of bowls during a pandemic.
This is another example of a strong working relationship I have built through placements, this time with Claire from Bowls Wales who provided a crucial placement for me last year.
It is also the only form of content I produced during placement this year that will be published in video format.
It also presented a unique challenge, in that someone else had filmed the content and sent it to me, with my role solely editing.
I had to try and analyse what to take out and how to put the piece together, watching each interview in its entirety and planning ahead for the video before sending it off.
Due to me completing a similar task last year, this was relatively easier than that first experience which perhaps was a lesson in familiarity.
The more I familiarise myself with different types of content it will only benefit me because I will have a similar feeling with more types of content.
It will hopefully make me a more versatile journalist and it is the reason I have ended up with a mixture of different placements, despite the majority of my content being in my favoured medium of writing.
Overall the placement process has benefitted me massively because, although I had work experience before university, it helped teach me what I have to do to achieve my preferred career path in sports journalism.
Towards the end of the course I have finally made contacts in the sports I would like to cover in future.
Although I understand I have to work hard covering anything I can in the meantime, I hope these contacts will help me get a job covering those sports further down the line.
SAM Thomas has had a season to remember, after claiming the Welsh Grand National in December.
The Lisvane based trainer has had 20 winners from 103 starts this season, and he had to pick a success in the iconic grade three at Chepstow as his highlight of the season.
“Obviously the highlight would have to be the Welsh national, it’s a race that I was never very successful as a jockey in.
“To win a Welsh National, being a Welsh trainer it’s very special.
“he’s a horse which we have had from the very start of his career and was bred not far from my family home in Cross Ash by great friends and Stan Brown, who gave me my first ever winner as a jockey under rules.
“The whole story is just pretty epic really from a personal point of view.
“It’s just great to win in such a big high profile Welsh race, being a Welsh team.
“We are down on winners from last season, but we’ve had some really big weekend winners, obviously the Welsh National being a grade three and a grade two at the end of the season with Stolen Silver. So, lots of memorable weekends along the way.”
Iwilldoit took the same route to the big race as the previous winner, Secret Reprieve, only having one run in the build-up by winning the Welsh National trial.
“We obviously had a dream to go and train him for the Welsh National which was the plan from the season before.
“The season before didn’t quite work out.
“I ran him in the Borders National first time out which in hindsight was the wrong thing to do.
“He came back really light and was very difficult to train from there on, so I learned a lot from the season before this season with him.
“I kept the horse at the yard for the summer, instead of going back to Stan the Breeder’s where he always had done.
“It just meant that I had the horse in a lot earlier than I’ve had him in the past.
“Also, for a horse which maybe hasn’t been the easiest train in that he is a bit of a worrier, it just meant that he was already at the yard and didn’t have to be transported anywhere.
“The trial really was the most obvious prep race for him.
“The only negative about that is that it was just three weeks before the actual Welsh National itself, which would be the absolute minimum really for Iwilldoit.
“All credit to the horse to be able to pull them off really.”
February 19th was another successful day for the yard this season, when Good Risk At All and Skytastic picked up a double at Ascot worth £39,000 in prize money for Sam’s yard.
“Good Risk At All, we have always thought very highly of, and I guess we were a bit disappointed at the start of the season, he just never quite got into gear really.
“He was beaten at Chepstow first time out, we took on Jonbon at Newbury on ground that was too quick, he finished second that day which was still a good run, and the time was pretty fast.
“Then he got beaten at a handicap hurdle in his next run by a nose, so it just took a while to get going until Ascot, it was a real relief Be honest.
“Certainly, with him he just got the hang of it, and he just proved that he does love soft ground.
“That was great and unfortunately, we got we missed out on Cheltenham with him, he got balloted out of the Coral Cup.
“That left us with Aintree and for whatever reason he didn’t fire.
“He’s still a very good horse and we’ll put him away now.
“He could go novice chasing, or he could stay and be targeted at a nice handicap hurdle off a mark of 137 he’s still really well handicapped, there’s lots of options.
“Skytastic had a niggle at the start of the season, so that meant we didn’t have him where we wanted him to be, so he started a bit later in the season.
“He was workmanlike at Doncaster and did it really nicely first time out.
“I was absolutely thrilled when he won at Ascot.
“He’s certainly a horse that doesn’t love heavy ground, so he showed his good horse to win the way did, and again at Aintree, unfortunately he didn’t quite fire, he has come back absolutely fine.
“Three miles might just have stretched so he might step back in trip next season.”
(Above) Mot A Mot, a handicap hurdle winner at Newbury in early April.
Sam runs a relatively small yard with just over 30 boxes but has shown his yard can produce those big weekend winners.
“I’m very lucky that the majority of horses that we train are owned by Mr Walters, who has been a huge supporter of national hunt racing for many years.
“He has put a lot of money into the industry.
“We’re very lucky to have the exciting horses we train, and we are in quite a lucky position, that if the horses aren’t good enough to be Saturday horses they generally get moved on.”
“As a result, although we are a small yard and it’s very much quality over quantity.”
The Welshman was very successful as a jockey, having ridden over 500 winners. He was part of Paul Nicholls’ yard during a golden era, where he rode the likes of Denman, Kauto Star and Big Bucks. He told of his story of how the racing journey started.
“As a kid all I ever wanted to do was ride ponies and horses, much like someone who wants to be a tennis player or footballer all their life, that’s what I want to do from a very young age.
“That was down to my parents really, they were big supporters, dad loves his racing, and I was riding ponies at a really young age.
“We did lots of hunting, show jumping and cross country, and I thank my parents for putting all their time, effort and money into providing me and my sisters with our hobbies really.
“I was quite determined from the young age that I was going to be a jockey and thankfully it all worked out.”
After racing, Sam decided training was the next step to take in his career.
“I think after riding I was probably quite lost in terms of where I was going to go afterwards.
“Mentally, all I ever wanted to do was ride so I was a bit stuck at first as to what avenue I was going to go down.
“I just gradually started to pretrain horses and did a bit of breaking in and I really enjoyed that.
“I probably jumped into training and was a bit naive, I thought it would be easy, but looking back I was probably a bit naive.
“I would have done things differently if I was able to do things again.
“I probably would have taken my time to gain some more experience before I committed to getting on with it.”
He recalled what it was like to ride Denman, a legendary horse who Sam rode to a memorable Gold Cup in 2008.
The horse also produced two of the great weight-carrying performances of all time in his two Hennessy Gold Cup victories under a weight of 11 stone 12lb, and the Welsh jockey was also in the saddle for the first of those wins in 2007.
“If anyone has ever driven a car, riding is a bit like getting into a car but not knowing what engine is under the hood.
“He looked like a nice horse, but you still don’t know what they’re going to give you until you get onto the grass or gallops or jump a fence.
“It’s only when you started driving and experience that you think this is a bit special.
“I was blown away by the feel he gave me first time He gave me when we just went down to do some schooling.
“The first time I took him on the grass, and we were going to give him a warmup and he just took off with me and I will never forget that initial feel that he gave me.
“He really blew me away that’s what he was like when he was feeling well, and he was at his best
“you’re riding a big horse, but he had so much speed, power and enthusiasm and that’s what made him so good.”
DUAL Gold Cup champion Al Boum Photo began his usual path to Cheltenham by winning his fourth Savills Chase at Tramore in January. He still showed a great turn of foot for a stayer. He finished a respectable sixth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, but was near the back of a chasing group of horses who were in the picture before A Plus Tard showed devastating speed in the closing stages. Al Boum Photo has twice finished runner-up in this race, finishing just over a length behind Clan Des Obeaux in last year’s renewal and 17 lengths ahead of Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’oudairies. Both run again here and Willie Mullins’ charge will wear cheekpieces again after their first use last time out at Cheltenham.
2. Allaho
Trainer: W P Mullins
Jockey: P Townend
Form: 112-111
8yo BG
Wgt: 11st 10lb t
OR: 176
THE reigning Ryanair Chase champion is stepping up to three miles for the first time since finishing a distant fourth in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown in 2020. Kemboy, who also runs here, finished a close second to A Plus Tard on that occasion. Since then Allaho has five wins in six starts, all over a distance of two and a half miles and he has course form having won the grade one John Durkan in December last year. Mullins has opted for the three mile race at Punchestown as there isn’t the option of a race over two and a half miles and he thinks the stamina test will suit his powerful front runner.
3. Clan Des Obeaux
Trainer: P F Nicholls
Jockey: H Cobden
Form: 211-231
10yo BG
Wgt: 11st 10lb b
OR: 172
PAUL Nicholls’ multiple grade one winner has followed a similar pattern in form to last season. He ran bravely at Kempton, finishing third in the King George VI Chase in testing conditions and finished third at Newbury, before landing his second Betway Bowl success at Aintree earlier this month. Much like last season, the success came after the application of new headgear and he will wear blinkers again this time around. Last year’s renewal means Nicholls’ runner has form ahead of the likes of Al Boum Photo, Fakir D’oudairies and Kemboy who all go again here.
4. Fakir D’oudairies
Trainer: J P O’Brien
Jockey: M P Walsh
Form: 3-14211
7yo BG
Wgt: 11st 10lb
OR: 165
LAST year’s third in this race, Fakir D’oudairies showed impressive stamina and turn of foot when winning the Melling Chase at Aintree earlier this month. He has never beaten Allaho in the three starts he has met the Ryanair champion, so the decision was made to avoid Cheltenham and it paid off. The performance was an impressive one, finishing five-and-a-half lengths ahead of Hitman, a horse who consistently places in graded company. He can win on soft going as he showed when beating Two For Gold in the Ascot Chase, where conditions arguably favoured his rival. In a field deep in quality however, it may help his chances if the rain stays away here. At only seven years old O’Brien’s grade one winner is improving.
5. Galvin
Trainer: G Elliott
Jockey: D N Russell
Form: 11-1214
8yo BG
Wgt: 11st 10lb
OR: 167
CHELTENHAM Gold Cup fourth Galvin is a class staying chaser whose season started with a win at Punchestown. He was then defeated by multiple grade one winner Frodon before beating A Plus Tard by a short head in the grade one Savills Chase at Leopardstown in December. A Plus Tard went on to win the Gold Cup, reversing form over Gordon Elliot’s horse but the race wasn’t ran at a great pace. This horse thrives on a true test of stamina, with a win over three miles six furlongs at last year’s Cheltenham Festival great proof of that. If Allaho leads and forces the field to go at an honest pace it will help Galvin’s cause.
6. Janidil
Trainer: W P Mullins
Jockey: J S McGarvey
Form: 2-2532F
8yo BG
Wgt: 11st 10lb
OR: 164
RUNNER-UP to Allaho at Cheltenham where he finished 14 lengths behind the impressive winner in the Ryanair Chase. Janidil’s last run was just nine days ago in the grade two Devenish Chase at Fairyhouse, where he suffered a heavy fall halfway through the race. He steps back up to three miles here for the first time since finishing third to Conflated in the Irish Gold Cup in February where he finished in third, a neck behind Minella Indo in second and over five lengths ahead of Kemboy in fifth. He often places in top class races but his last win came in April last year in the Gold Cup Novices’ Chase at Fairyhouse.
7. Kemboy
Trainer: W P Mullins
Jockey: S F O’Keeffe
Form: 94-8353
10yo BG
Wgt: 11-10 p1
OR: 165
AT his best Kemboy is an Irish Gold Cup winner, but he hasn’t won since that result last season. His best effort this season was a respectable third just 3/4 of a length behind Galvin and A Plus Tard in the grade one Savills Chase in December. He was last seen finishing third in the Betway Bowl earlier this month, where he finished nine lengths behind the eventual winner Clan Des Obeaux. He matched the winner until Paul Nicholls’ runner started pulling away halfway down the straight. He will wear cheekpieces for the first time.
8. Minella Indo
Trainer: H De Bromhead
Jockey: R M Power
Form: 41-3P22
9yo BG
Wgt: 11st 10lb t1
OR: 170
THE 2021 Gold Cup winner started the season slowly but finished the runner-up in both the Irish Gold Cup and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He took strong hold of the race at Cheltenham going into the straight but stablemate A Plus Tard quickened away impressively. Minella Indo’s jockey, Robbie Power, has said that A Plus Tard was unbeatable, especially once he drew level in the closing stages due to his finishing speed. If he can reproduce that form, Henry De Bromhead’s runner should be in the picture here. He will wear a tongue-tie for the first time.
9. Tornado Flyer
Trainer: W P Mullins
Jockey: D E Mullins
Form: 543-51P
9yo BG
Wgt: 11st 10lb
OR: 165
THIS horse has form ahead of Clan Des Obeaux and Minella Indo after winning the King George VI Chase in December at odds of 28/1. The win came in a race where conditions were extreme on stamina-sapping ground. He was pulled up in his following run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, and multiple runners here have recorded form finishing ahead of this horse. He is unlikely to get a repeat of such tough conditions here.
My Verdict
1st Clan Des Obeaux
2nd Fakir D’oudairies
3rd Allaho
CLAN DES OBEAUX comes into this race as the defending champion with form ahead of many of his most challenging rivals and is hitting all the same trends that led to last year’s success. Paul Nicholls’ runner has yet again flourished late in the season and new headgear could offer some improvement necessary to take on an improved field compared to what he faced last season. FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES has showed great improvement in the second half of the season and his strong finish at Aintree might suggest he will get the three-mile-trip much better this time around. ALLAHO although is a top class horse has achieved his best results exclusively at two-and-a-half miles. His improvement has been staggering, but it might be that he leads for the race, setting an honest gallop, before being picked off by the strong, more established three-milers in the closing stages. His victories have come by running a post-to-post gallop and an extra half a mile is a lot.
14:25 – Betway Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – Walking On Air
This horse was last seen winning a novices’ hurdle at Newbury, pulling away emphatically and was a similar path Nicky Henderson’s star two miler, Shishkin, took in 2020. This horse however, gave Cheltenham a miss so goes into this race fresh and will get good ground which can only benefit his speed. He will face tough competition from multiple graded winners with more form to reference. Nicky Henderson said he missed Cheltenham because he wasn’t ready and is a “big baby” but he could be anything. This horse is fresh and appeared to have excellent finishing speed last time out and could be a lightly raced, quality horse.
Edwardstone is the reigning Arkle winner and has been the star novice two miler this season. Currently on an unbeaten run of five wins, with four at graded level, this horse has shown exceptional consistency all season. His trainer Alan King has said he has no concerns ahead of the race after giving the horse a two month break after Christmas. He already holds form where he finished ahead of For Pleasure and Third Time Lucki who run here. The most threatening rival here is Gentleman De Mee but he doesn’t have the leading form claims of Alan King’s stable star. This is a great chance for him to complete a rare Cheltenham-Aintree double.
15:35 – JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle (Grade 1) – Thyme Hill
Thyme Hill won last year’s renewal of this race and comes into this race as a very respectable runner-up of the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last month. With the likes of Clan Des Obeaux, Ahoy Senor and Fakir D’oudairies all claiming victory so far at the festival, course and festival form is at a premium. If Flooring Porter turns up at his best the reigning Stayers’ Hurdle champion will take some beating, but he can be quirky and Thyme Hill only has about 3 lengths to make up based on the Cheltenham form. He also has form ahead of many of the runners here, from last year’s renewal of this race and the Stayers’ at Cheltenham.
16:15 – Betway Handicap Chase (Grade 3) – Killer Kane
This horse has made five starts this season but has won both starts since the application of a tongue-tie in February. He was last seen achieving a career best by winning a listed success at Sandown last month. He comes into the race carrying the 2nd lowest weight in the race and the jumping test at Aintree will suit this horse if his last run was anything to go by. He faces tough opposition in winner at grade one level Shan Blue, but he will be carrying 1 stone 3lbs more than Colin Tizzard’s runner and is winless since Boxing Day last year. Shan Blue has been competing at a higher level than this horse, but this horse showed a lot of promise at Sandown. He also has a win over the three mile trip which makes this horse less of an unknown quantity.
Randox Health Grand National Handicap Chase (Grade 3)
Longhouse Poet
This horse made a good impression when winning an ungraded event at Gowran Park in January. Escaria Ten, Death Duty, Coko Beach, Brahma Bull and Class Conti all finished in behind and all run here. His best results have come over long distances, having run twice over trips that were three miles one furlong and he won both. He will carry 11lbs more than Death Duty here who is a well fancied runner for Gordon Elliott but the winning margin when they last met was over 20 lengths in this horse’s favour whilst 6lbs worse off in the weights. Longhouse Poet also has form ahead of Run Wild Fred, another fancied runner, in a beginners chase in December 2020. Longhouse Poet has had two months off the racecourse and will be relatively fresh. His last run he finished a disappointing 7th of nine runners in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan. This is a race that Tiger Roll often won in the build up to the Grand National and although he lost, this will have acted as a good prep-run for Martin Brassil’s runner. The return to a longer trip and fences will suit his strengths and he is in with a great chance in the big one.
18:20 – Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open NH Flat Race (Grade 2) – Henri The Second
This horse was last seen winning a listed NH flat race at Ascot in December. The race produced two smart winners in Authorised Speed and Top Dog, with many of the others finishing in the places in their following races. Paul Nicholls has kept this horse fresh with a three month lay off. Paul Nicholls told Betfair that he could be his best chance on the day but has stated that if the ground gets too good it could be a worry. Henri The Second has followed the same path this season as Nicholls’ Knappers Hill, who completed the hattrick last season and this horse has a good chance of emulating that success.
Moved to Ben Case’s yard for £85,000 and won his first start for new connections in September last year. Cobblers Dream has made six starts over hurdles this season, not once finishing outside the top three and, more recently, won the listed Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle at Kempton. He then went on to be runner-up in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham and these two results have shown smart speed in the closing stages in fields with lots of runners. The runner-up in the Lanzarote, Highway One O Two, also runs here and there will be a swing of 11lbs in the weights between these two. However, the speed of this horse proved too much for Highway One O Two late on and the subsequent run at Cheltenham showed this horse has good stamina. He should be able to defy the rise in weight and is still 5lbs below his rating thanks to his jockey Jack Andrews.
14:20 – Betway Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – Jonbon
This horse comes to Aintree after a distant 2nd in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle behind the impressive Constitution Hill. This was a high class renewal and it was run at an incredible pace, with the winner looking to be something special. This horse does boast two graded successes so far this season. His trainer Nicky Henderson has said that he has the stamina to go two and a half miles, but ultimately has the speed to stay over two miles here. He also said better ground would suit, but this horse is a classy traveller and he claimed some impressive scalps in the Supreme despite not winning the race. He should be able to shine again in the absence of his talented stablemate.
Paul Nicholls’ star staying novice gave Cheltenham a miss last month, after some rain saw the going description change to heavy for the Brown Advisory. Having been kept fresh for Aintree, he should be in top shape to face three classy rivals from the division. L’homme Presse ran out the emphatic winner for Venitia Williams at Cheltenham and will run again here. Bravemansgame is undefeated in four runs over fences, including a grade one victory in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton in December. There he beat an exciting prospect in the Lucinda Russell trained Ahoy Senor, who runs again here after finishing 2nd to L’homme Presse at Cheltenham. Paul Nicholls’ runner is an exceptional jumper and travels powerfully and this should see him through in such high company. Nicholls has stated that his runner’s freshness is a bonus here, one that his opponents don’t have after all running at last month’s festival.
15:30 – Marsh Chase (Grade 1) – Funambule Sivola
This horse has impressed this season by winning the grade two Game Spirit Chase at Newbury, before finishing a very credible runner-up in the Champion Chase last month. Despite being more than 8 lengths behind eventual winner Energumene, the remainder of a classy field was well strung out and this horse kept on well to the line. A touch of rain won’t hurt his chances and this horse is a likeable, reliable type. Last season only finished 31/2 lengths behind multiple winner at graded level and Nicky Henderson’s star two miler Shishkin. With the absence of both Shishkin and Energumene, this could be an excellent chance for this horse to shine. He faces Fakir D’oudairies who is fresh of the back of a grade one success at Ascot, but he took his time to see off Two For Gold who runs in the Grand National tomorrow. Joseph O’Brien’s charge isn’t without a chance, but this to me would suggest his turn of foot isn’t unbeatable. Funambule Sivola has the Champion Chase form behind him and his fighting spirit in the finish could prove to be a big problem.
Since the application of a tongue tie in January, this horse has notched up two victories in three starts including a handicap at Kempton 19 days ago. He finished well ahead of smart types in Pistol Whipped and a fading Diego Du Charmil. He progressed through the field during the race ticking off opponents one by one which is a useful trait to have in a field with so many runners over the Aintree fences. Despite being 7th in the weights he will carry nearly a stone less than some of the prominent Irish runners. He also has better form than some of those lower in the weights, thanks to that Kempton success. After that race his trainer, Emma Lavelle stated that good ground is crucial to his chances and there is no rain forecast with the ground currently good-soft.
Horses that complete the Cheltenham – Aintree double are a rarity, but this horse might be able to do it. He won the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle, seeing off winner at listed level Cobblers Dream by a length and a half. He did so while carrying 1lb more than his rival and here he will be on level terms with his rivals, making it a case of who is the best horse. He ran emphatically through the finish line, a positive sign he could step up to three miles with success here. He faces the likes of grade one winner Green Book, who hasn’t reproduced that form in two more recent runs, and one of those was at Cheltenham. Sam Thomas’ Skytastic also looks an exciting prospect, but Banbridge finished ahead of more proven runners than those found in Skytastic’s form.
13:45 – Super Alloys Manifesto Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)– Gin On Lime
The Henry De Bromhead trained Irish raider was last seen in a memorable novices’ chase at Cheltenham in November. Gin On Lime was head to head with winner up to grade one over hurdles, My Drogo, when both effectively fell, clearing the fence but losing their footing on landing. This horse sprawled on landing and Rachael Blackmore sat brilliantly to stay on claiming victory. My Drogo still provided a good standard acid test and this horse was on terms before the incident. Otherwise, this horse has quite a prolific record with five wins from eight starts over fences, including a grade three. In that grade three she reversed form ahead of another winner at graded level, Fan De Blues, and beat the Mullins trained runner by 12 lengths. The absence of undulations at Aintree will lower the chances of another error like we saw at Cheltenham. Opponents include grade two winning Pic D’orhy who has two successes this term. It is arguable that My Drogo’s form over hurdles poses more quality than any horses in Pic D’orhy’s form. War Lord is also an interesting runner, but lacks grade-winning form, with his best effort 16 lengths 2nd to eventual Arkle winner Edwardstone.
The Triumph Hurdle third and impressive juvenile Pied Piper is the heavy favourite here. he only finished 21/2 lengths behind the eventual winner Vauban, which is impressive in itself. However, he also won his maiden hurdle ahead of the Triumph Hurdle winner and had an impressive display at Cheltenham in January, which showed us that this horse can produce something special. The Triumph Hurdle form will surely prove better than the form Boodles Hurdle winner Brazil holds. This horse also has form ahead one of the more dangerous challengers this field has to offer in Knight Salute, who is a multiple winner at graded level this term.
Each-way mention – Knight Salute
Despite running a disappointing 9th at Cheltenham, that was the first blemish on the record of this horse in six starts over hurdles. Given the class of the race it is nothing to be ashamed of and as mentioned before this horse has won multiple graded events this term. Available at 16/1 this is extremely generous considering what this horse has achieved. What runs well at Cheltenham doesn’t necessarily repeat at Aintree, due to only a month separating the two and the differing nature of the courses. Considering this horse didn’t perform last month in a tough race, he could put in a good bid for a place here.
This year’s Gold Cup 5th won the grade two Peter Marsh Handicap Chase at Haydock in January, but that has been his only success this term. He has ran bravely in defeat, twice behind Gold Cup winning A Plus Tard and he couldn’t reach a vastly improved Eldorado Allen in the Denman Chase in February. Here he will get favoured soft conditions on a flat course with big jumps, perhaps recreating the conditions he often thrives in at Haydock. He will face tough competition in Dan Skelton’s runner and Gold Cup 3rd Protektorat who could definitely come out on top here. He picked up the grade two Many Clouds Chase at Aintree in December where conditions were very soft. However, although a class field, the likes of Native River and Tiger Roll were arguably slightly past their best. Royale Pagaille only finished about a neck behind this horse in the Gold Cup, with conditions that suit Royale Pagaille could have a good chance here.
This year’s Champion Hurdle runner-up kept on well behind Honeysuckle last month, only losing by just over 3 lengths. The 2020 Champion Hurdle winner will step up to a trip of 21/2 miles for the first time here and has looked to be near her best form this season. She showed class to fight for a dead-heat in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle last November in tough conditions, and claimed the grade one Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. Her trainer Nicky Henderson said in the build-up to Cheltenham that she was back to her best and her hurdling has been slick, which showed in the result. The likes of Zanahiyr ,who finished a length 3rd behind this horse in the Champion Hurdle, and winner up to grade two Brewin’upastorm appear her biggest threats. However, in terms of graded results this horse is probably the most consistent performer in the field and has looked sharp so will take some beating.
16:05 – Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase – Latenightpass
Latenightpass came 2nd in this race last season to shock 66/1 winner Cousin Pascal. He has won this term on heavy ground at Haydock, but was last seen pulled up at Cheltenham. Tom Ellis decided to skip Cheltenham in order to target this race after a season of point-to-point contests which has seen this horse win two and fall when two at in the other at Alnwick. Ellis has been happy with preparation despite that fall and the horse has had a wind op, leaving the horse in prime condition for his main target of the season.
16:40 – Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase (Grade 3) – Frero Banbou
Venitia Williams’ charge finished 3rd in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham last month, 6 lengths behind the eventual winner Global Citizen who runs here. Frero Banbou was delivered very late after initially struggling with the early pace. The winner carried 5lbs less than Frero Banbou, but here will be 1lb worse off than this horse and carry 10lbs more than he did in last month’s success. He finished a respectable 4th in this race last season but reversed form with the winner Editeur Du Gite last month. He is likely to be delivered from off the pace again, with some rain forecast this should be a test of stamina and it is plausible these tactics will work here. Recent form and adjustments in the handicap see this horse in with a decent chance of making a big improvement here for an in form yard.
17:15 – Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race (Grade 2) – Lady Excalibur
Rachael Blackmore takes the ride on this small and gutsy mare in her 4th contest. She boasts two wins, with one at Aintree, and a brave effort at Uttoxeter in October that saw her finishing the quickest with the line coming too soon. She made her way around most of her rivals, having to come very wide and lost by less than a length, an unlucky finish. Her trainer Alan Jones said that the race didn’t suit her staying ability and turned into a sprint at the end but said his mare was unlucky to have lost her unbeaten tag. He is hopeful Blackmore in the saddle will benefit his mare and it would be a feel good success for a stable that only has 12 horses in training.
Unbeaten in four starts over hurdles this season, Knight Salute has been a star for Wiltshire-based trainer Milton Harris. He has won two races at grade two level so far, with the application of a hood working well from the very first start at the new yard. He won the Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham in November ahead of some promising types, before claiming his 2nd grade one at Doncaster. This win was ahead of subsequent listed winner Impulsive One, who runs again here. This also confirmed form of a previous victory over Impulsive One at Kempton in October, giving this horse winning course form . He also beat Porticello, who recently picked up grade one success at Haydock. If there was an argument against the form, Porticello’s success was for less prize money than any of Knight Salute’s grade two wins, perhaps making for a less competitive field. The heavy conditions also suited him better than when he faced Knight Salute on good-soft. However, this is still form ahead of grade-level winners over hurdles that the rest of the field lacks and he justifies favouritism.
With two wins from four starts this season, Pic D’orhy picked up grade two success over fences at Ascot in December. This came after his first attempt at graded success in this discipline crumbled with a bad fall when leading at Newbury. Millers Bank also unseated his rider in that race, something he would repeat in his most recent outing at Cheltenham. Pic D’orhy was last seen finishing a disappointing 3rd in the grade one Scilly Isles Chase behind impressive winner L’Homme Presse. He kept on getting in close to the fences and in the closing stages wasn’t far off the winner going into the straight when he faded. The constantly changing undulations may have caused the otherwise good jumper issues, and trainer Paul Nicholls suggests the flatter course at Kempton should see improvement from him. The main threat in this race is Minella Drama who is coming off the back of a grade two success at Haydock on soft ground in January. He isn’t without a chance but the going here is going to be good with no rain forecast and that might just work in Pic D’orhy’s favour.
last seen claiming the listed Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase at Ascot, with Phoenix Way finishing four and a half lengths behind in 2nd. On this occasion, the 6lb difference in weights carried by both horses will be the same as their previous meeting, working in Annsam’s favour. After defeat to this horse at Ascot, Phoenix Way went on to beat Venitia Williams trained Fanion D’estruval at Ascot. Williams’ runner was rated 159 by the handicapper, a mark that is higher than anything running in this race, even though the weights worked massively in Phoenix Way’s favour. A runner who isn’t without a chance is Our Power who runs for Welsh trainer Sam Thomas, who claimed an impressive double at Ascot last week. His horse has taken well to fences but would probably prefer softer going.
Finished 4th in last year’s Grand National. Burrows Saint hasn’t won since claiming an ungraded hurdle win at Punchestown in 2019. However, he has rarely been out of the places in the six runs since. He finished 2nd in this race last year, and his latest run was a brave effort in 2nd behind two time Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo. The grade three Savills Chase is Al Boum Photo’s regular destination for a prep run before Cheltenham and it was his 4th victory in the race. Burrows Saint led in the late stages and only finished four lengths behind the winner, the smallest distance any horse has lost to Al Boum Photo at Tramore. This might suggest Burrows Saint is getting near his best form again and he will carry 8lb less than two of his three opponents this time round. One of those horses is Any Second Now who finished 3rd in the same Grand National, but was carrying 4lb less than Burrows Saint. More form of interest was in the 2019 renewal of the Irish Grand National where Any Second Now fell and Burrows Saint was the winner. Although Burrows Saint has declined slightly since this victory, it is still something to note and as mentioned his previous run showed promise.
AMMANFORD AFC and Carmarthen Town were due to hold a match entirely officiated by females on 27December.
With strict new guidelines introduced by the Welsh government that took effect from Boxing Day, the game had to be postponed.
This was arranged in association with the organisation called “Her Game Too”, and would have been the first game in the Cymru leagues to be officiated by an all-female officials team.
They aim to prevent and irradicate sexism in football by raising awareness, developing strong relationships with clubs and communities.
They also aim to make their presence known at matches to make women feel safe and welcomed.
Ammanford AFC junior secretary Anika Lloyd, commented on why a team of women officiating a men’s league match would benefit women in the sport.
“By having a team of all female officials, it certainly attracts more women to the game as spectators.
“It also acts as a catalyst for us to promote the girls’ side of the game and encourage involvement through training, playing, and spectating.
“It will also attract female coaches at grassroots level.
Lloyd suggested that the game needed more female coaches overall.
“We are slightly top-heavy when it comes to male coaches, but hopefully this will change with more recognition to women within the sport.”
In 2021, research by Danny Mcloughlin, representative of Run Repeat, it was found that 72.06% of the head coaches in Europe’s top women’s leagues were male.
On top of that, in 2021 the only league amongst England, Germany, France and Spain to have a majority of female managers in their top leagues was England.
Similarly for referees, as recently as June 2019, Wales only had 30 registered referees, with only three making the FAW’s current FIFA International Referees List.
However, the FAW have released very encouraging figures in the last year regarding female participation in playing the game and have put programmes in place to encourage female participation.
The total of registered female players in Wales is over 10,000 and this is a number the FAW are aiming to double by the year 2026.
With an increase in the amount of women playing the game, the work of organisations like Her Game Too are sure to level out other areas of football, with there clearly being a need for more female coaches.
Hawkinsport 