WELCOME to our Eyecatchers column! Every week, form expert James Flaherty pinpoints horses primed to strike in the next few weeks, if not days. Remember, you can add James's weekly updates to your ATR Tracker.
D’ORANGE GOING TO PAINT THE TOWN RED SOON
CITY OF CORK
Clonmel, 22 October
This was admittedly an ordinary maiden hurdle at Clonmel on Thursday, but I liked this performance from City Of Cork. Running in the colors of Home By The Lee, he is also closely related to the Stayers’ Hurdle winner (his dam is a full sister), suggesting this trip would not see him to best effect.
I don’t normally include winners in this column, unless they are horses that blow me away or I feel they have gone under the radar. City Of Cork falls into the latter category, and I think he could have a nice race in him this season, possibly even at Graded level.
I just loved what he did after the final flight here, without being asked for much effort. Considering how well he travelled, there is possibly no immediate need to step him up in trip, but surely when he does there will be further improvement to come.
CALL ME LEGEND
Ffos Las, 22 October
For readers who like to pick out their own future winners, I think looking back at Ffos Las’s card on Thursday could be beneficial. There were a few nice novice hurdlers on show, while I think this novice handicap chase will throw up a few winners this season.
Call Me Legend is the one I have chosen, in the hope that he will improve for this run fitness wise. The former point winner jumped excellently (as did many of these to be fair) and travelled well to a point before appearing to get tired in the home straight.
He was returning from a 201-day absence and looking at his form last season, he seemed to improve with racing. I will be disappointed if he can’t prove better than a mark of 122 in time, especially given how well he jumped his fences here.
TRAPRAIN LAW
Cheltenham, 23 October
This looked like a strong race on paper in advance with Calico bidding for a third successive victory in the race and JPR One, a Grade 1 calibre animal for the red-hot Tizzard team. Traprain Law is the one I will be taking out if it though, especially considering he would have preferred softer ground.
Five of his six career wins came on ground that was primarily soft, with two of his three successes over fences coming on heavy ground. Despite all the recent rain, this contest was run on ground that was officially good to soft and certainly no worse than that.
Furthermore, he was ridden off the pace and that can be notoriously difficult over this course and distance. The winner, JPR One, was prominent throughout and Traprain Law simply had too much ground to make up in the home straight but stayed on eye-catchingly in the closing stages.
LUCKY BERE
Cheltenham, 24 October
Lucky Bere may have been beaten over a dozen lengths in this Pertemps Qualifier, but I thought he ran well for a long way. His finishing effort can probably be explained by doing a little too much in his rider’s hands early on, especially considering it was his first attempt at three miles.
Lucky Bere travelled and jumped well to a point but just didn’t quite see this out. Having looked a threat to all coming down the hill on the final circuit he weakened from the home turn to eventually finish a well beaten seventh.
It was still a creditable effort from 3lb out of the handicap. He doesn’t jump like a three-mile hurdler to my eyes, and he doesn’t relax like one either. I’d love to see him drop back in trip again and he looks better than his current mark potentially.
MOON D’ORANGE
Cheltenham, 24 October
Moon D’Orange had a winless campaign last season and is now 4lb below his last winning mark as a result. With further assistance from the ratings assessor likely after this latest fourth, he is starting to look dangerously well handicapped.
He travelled well through this contest, better than he often does, but found less than expected in the closing stages. He wasn’t given anything like a hard time though and I’m not sure he really stays this trip either, but he certainly shaped better than the result.
His best form has come with the assistance of headgear, and I think he will be particularly interesting when connections reach for that again. It is possible that may coincide with dropping back in trip, which would be another positive for him in my opinion.
BONA FORTUNA
Southwell, 24 October
Rhythm N Hooves was the best horse in this contest by some distance, but Bona Fortuna was clear of the remainder. He might have made a race of it with the winner if he had enjoyed a better run through as things didn’t fully go to plan.
Bona Fortuna was slowly away from the stalls and found himself behind the initial front wave of horses for the first half of the contest. As a result, he had to wait for a gap as the race developed and by the time he saw daylight the winner had already gone for home and had the race in the bag.
He stayed on well in the closing stages though, quicker than the winner for the final split. This was his second start on the all-weather, his first at Southwell and having won his previous one at Wolverhampton, I feel like there is more to come from him on an artificial surface.
