DELAHUNT INSIDE TRACK COLUMN for Thursday November 6
WHITE RHINO has won first time out in each of the past two seasons and the Oli Greenall/Josh Guerriero trained chaser can jump his rivals silly at Aintree on Saturday.
The giant 9 year-old tackles the Grand National fences in the Grand Sefton Chase over nearly two and three quarter miles at 2.40 and an 8lbs rise for his latest win at Haydock 11 months ago should be no problem.
White Rhino has to give 4lbs to last year’s winner King Turgeon but David Pipe‘s grey is 12lbs higher than 2024 and 4lbs higher than his subsequent Becher Chase win and my selection was deemed good enough for a Grade 1 at Kempton last Christmas before falling early behind The Jukebox Man.
King Turgeon has youth on his side and will give this a good go for a Pipe team back amongst the winners this week, but Greenall and Guerriero have form over these National fences with Gaboriot third to King Turgeon here 12 months ago and Iroko 4th in the National itself this year.
Wincanton’s chase fences should prove somewhat less daunting for the Badger Beers Handicap Chase at 3.30 and I’m hoping the drinks will be on LOWRY’S BAR after the track’s big race at 3.30.
Philip Hobbs and Johnson White’s horses have been coming to the boil nicely over the past fortnight and this 7 year-old was 2112 over fences before pulling up with a burst blood vessel in the £150,000 Ladbrokes Trophy at Kempton in February.
Lowry’s Bar returns on the same mark of 148 at Wincanton but he’s a classy chaser around these flat tracks and a Grade 2 second at Windsor to Coral Gold Cup bound Jingko Blue as an excellent effort before that mishap 9 months ago.
LORD MELBOURNE is back to defend his November Handicap title in Doncaster’s seasonal finale at 3.45 on Saturday and the way he hacked up at Epsom points to another success on similar soft ground.
GLORIOUS KITTY was 6th of 16 in the 3 year-old “Dash” at Epsom in June but I’m backing the filly to win over DOUBLE that 5 furlongs trip at Chelmsford on Thursday night.
Billy Garrity’s mount has been showing gradual improvement as she’s moved up in trip to 7 furlongs and a mile on her last 4 starts but she’s seemed to lack a turn of foot and Thursday’s turning 10 furlongs can help offset a 4lbs rise.
The Mick and David Easterby filly was highly tried on her juvenile debut when 4th of 15 in a Listed race at York but she’s yet to win in 10 starts since and the Class 6 can see her off the mark after all-weather form figures of 302.
WILSTAR gets the nap vote in Newbury’s 1.40 and there’s another hurdling debutant worth supporting in the mares’ novices’ hurdle at 2.15 in the shape of STRONG RUN.
Fergal O’Brien‘s 6 year-old ran some mighty races in mares’ bumpers last season including twice bumping into the high-class Irish mare Seo Linn but there’s nothing of that class in against her for Thursday’s first attempt over the sticks.
Nicky Henderson‘s Khrisma will be a short-price after her hurdles second at Punchestown in May but Strong Run chased home a very smart stablemate called Dream Shadow on her debut just over a year ago and O’Brien’s better horses have been well tuned up for their seasonal debuts.
IMPERIAL RULE won the 2.30 on the Sedgefield card on seasonal debut 12 months ago and the former Rebecca Menzies inmate can win first time out for Lizzie and Sean Quinlan in the 1.20.
Delahunt daily for Thursday, November 6
Wilstar to win 1.40 Newbury
Olly Murphy’s charge won a bumper at Perth on his second start in April and this strong-travelling Doctor Dino 5 year-old can strike first time over hurdles under Sean Bowen.
Wilstar was stepping up on his bumper debut third at Warwick when he scored with some authority at Perth and the 40/1 runner-up there has since finished second on hurdling debut to another Murphy inmate back at Perth.
The 4th behind Wilstar has since won a novices’ hurdle at Bangor and this looks a good opportunity to make a winning start over hurdles on route to better things.
The 8 year-old switched yards after the death of owner John Wade and while’s he’s 10lbs higher than his winning mark here last year, he’s since defied a 6lbs rise and should be suited by the longer trip as the husband and wife Quinlans gradually improve the quality of their growing team.
EASY PEELER was a 7/1 winner for this column at Newcastle last month and Jason Hart can get her home again from 4lbs higher at 5.00.
The filly drops back from 6 to 5 furlongs at Newcastle but she made all in a first time visor 5 weeks ago and the headgear is retained in the same Class 4.
DERRYHASSEN PADDY will be a short price to make a winning chasing debut at Aintree on Saturday and the 6 year-old can lay down a Brown Advisory Chase marker at 1.30.
Lucinda Russell has reported the horse fit and ready to go and I doubt last night’s 11/8 will last much past Thusday’s final declarations.
TALKING HORSES with Mr. Ed
By ED WATSON
FROM beer festivals to the Cheltenham Festival.
That’s the dream for Fife owner Eddie Melville after Upon Tweed maintained his unbeaten record with a sparking hurdles debut at Ayr.
The highly-rated five-year-old earned early quotes of 33-1 for the Supreme and Turners Novices’ Hurdle at March’s showpiece bash.
Trainer Nicky Richards plans to keep Upon Tweed – one of the most talked-about horses on the northern circuit – in calmer waters for his next start as he continues to learn his trade.
But Melville, founder and chairman of the Kingdom Taverns pub chain, is already looking forward to a trip to jump racing’s spiritual home with his latest star in the making.
Melville, 80, said: “He’s going to be some horse is Upon Tweed, but you also need some luck.
“Of course the hope is he’ll take us to Cheltenham for the Festival.
“But I’d like to think we’ll also go down and take on the southern boys at either the December Meeting or Trials Day in January.
“We knew from his bumper win at Newcastle in February, when he beat Conman John, that he was a really promising horse.
“Saturday was everything we could have asked for on his hurdles debut.
“There were a couple of little novicey things to work on. Nothing major, just small mistakes he’ll learn from.
“Nicky’s going to look for a similar race next time, just to give him that bit more experience, because you don’t get away with those mistakes when you go up against the best.
“It would be like stepping into the ring against Tyson – and I mean Fury or Mike – without doing enough sparring. They’ll knock you out.”
Scots Corner
With ED WATSON
ALARM clocks are set for an early start at Kelso on Saturday.
Even if it appears half of the Borders will be hitting the snooze button and happily staying in bed.
Course supremo Jonathan Garratt reports pre-booked ticket sales are “even smaller” than 12 months ago, when Kelso was one of the guinea pigs used to trial morning meetings in 2024 as part of the BHA’s Premier Racing shake-up.
Garratt said: “These early start times have been a major negative for Kelso in terms of revenue and crowd size.
“Our pre-event ticket sales are even smaller than they were last year, which further proves people don’t want to go racing for such an early start.
“The proposed upside of increased betting revenue for those course racing between the protected window of 2-4pm hasn’t happened either. The entire concept is flawed.”
Eduard is the best horse Melville has had in more than 50 years as an owner at Greystoke with Richards and his late father, Gordon, before that.
A 20-length winner of Ayr’s Grade 2 Future Champion Novices’ Chase in 2014 and fourth in Cheltenham’s Ryanair Chase the following year, Eduard was still only eight when he suffered a fatal injury at Ascot almost a decade ago.
Melville admits Eduard’s loss hit him hard, but feels as if fate has smiled on him again with his latest ace.
The Kirkcaldy native, who has lived in the town all his life, added: “Eduard was the best I’ve had so far, without a doubt.
“Nicky reckons he would even have won the Gold Cup once we stepped him up to 3m.
“Losing him was terrible. You get so attached to your horses that when you lose one it really hurts.
“I couldn’t look at horses for a while after that. Eventually you come back to it, though, and now hopefully God has given me another good horse.
“Everywhere I go people know about Upon Tweed.
“I was at a reunion at the Trades Hall in Glasgow earlier this week and so many folk were asking me about him.
“Then I went to play poker at a friend’s house with ten of his buddies and they all knew about him too.
“He certainly looks the business. Let’s hope he proves to be.”
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