Evening Jump Racing at Ascot — Let's Get Into It
Right, pull up a stool and listen here, because there's a cracking little evening card to get stuck into over at Ascot this Friday. Six National Hunt races under the summer sky, and while some might turn their noses up at June jumping, I'll tell you this for nothing — there's money to be made when half the punting public aren't paying attention.
The going is Good, Good to Firm in places, and crucially, the whole course has been vertidrained since the last meeting. Now that matters more than people give it credit for. Vertidraining opens up the surface, helps drainage, and can take a bit of the jar out of what might otherwise be a rattling-fast ground. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a flat, sun-baked gallop — there'll be a bit of give in it yet, and horses that want proper decent summer ground will be in their element. Stamina merchants on quick ground, though? They might find it a touch too sharp in places. Keep that in the back of your mind as we go through the card.
You can see the full Ascot racecard for all the details, but here's my take on what matters most tonight.
The Feature Race: Bangor-on-Dee Handicap Hurdle (19:43, Class 3)
Your feature race tonight — at least in terms of prize money and class — is the Bangor-on-Dee Handicap Hurdle over 2m 3f 123y, worth £11,000 to the winner. Only four runners, but by God it's a tasty little puzzle.
Crystal Glance (6yo, rated 112) carries the [C,D] badge — course and distance winner — and has Jack Tudor in the saddle for the Greenall & Guerriero yard. Now, I've been watching Tudor ride all season and the lad is flying. He's stylish, he's strong in a finish, and he picks up horses beautifully. Crystal Glance already knows this track and this trip, and on Good to Good to Firm ground, a horse that's already won here has a serious edge. This is my best bet of the night, and I won't be shy about saying so.
Il Va de Soi (8yo, rated 114) for Donald McCain has the distance form [D] and Theo Gillard takes the ride. Gillard is a young jockey I rate very highly — cool head, good judge of pace — and McCain's yard has been ticking over nicely. Rated 2lb higher than Crystal Glance, this one isn't without a shout, but the course form of the Greenall runner gives me the edge there.
Supreme Yeats (10yo, rated 115) is the top-rated horse in the race and Harry Skelton knows how to deliver a horse on fast ground — he's been doing it for years alongside his brother Dan. But ten-year-olds on quick summer ground in a Class 3 handicap? They need everything to go right. I'll leave him to the each-way merchants.
Key Runners to Watch Across the Card
My Noble Lord — 17:58 Pentraeth Subaru Handicap Chase
We open the evening with a five-runner Class 4 chase over 2m 4f, and My Noble Lord (5yo, rated 122) is the one that jumps off the page. Top-rated, course and distance winner [C,D], and Charlie Maggs gets the leg up for the Greenall & Guerriero team. Five-year-old chasers with a 122 rating don't come around every day, and the fact he's already won here over this trip tells you he handles the track. On Good to Firm ground, a young, well-rated chaser with class should be too good for this field. Lermoos Legend is a non-runner, which only makes the race more straightforward.
Stable companion Le Gentleman (5yo, rated 110) also carries [C,D] and has Jack Tudor aboard — Tudor again, the man's everywhere tonight — but the 12lb gap to My Noble Lord in the ratings is hard to ignore. Could run into a place, mind.
Glenmalure Flyer — 18:33 Wrexham Evening Handicap Chase
Ten runners over 3 miles in this Class 5 handicap, and I'm drawn to Glenmalure Flyer (8yo, rated 92) for Dan Skelton with Harry Skelton riding. The Skelton operation doesn't send horses on long journeys without a plan, and an 8-year-old at 92 in a Class 5 over three miles on decent ground is a horse operating well within his comfort zone. The field is a mixed bag of veterans and improving sorts, and I fancy the Skelton professionalism to shine through here.
Slaney Opera (8yo, rated 98) is top-rated and Kielan Woods is a fine rider, but Nick Scholfield's training numbers haven't set the world alight of late. I'll keep an eye on the market, but Glenmalure Flyer is my preference.
Psychologicaldrama — 19:08 Wrexham Lager Mares' Maiden Hurdle
Now here's a race title that'd make your head spin before you've even had a drink. Seven mares in a maiden hurdle, and most of them are unrated — wide open, as these things tend to be. But Psychologicaldrama (4yo, rated 93) stands out like a lighthouse. She's the only horse in the field with an official rating, and Stan Sheppard is a competent pilot for Clive Boultbee-Brooks. A rating of 93 in a maiden hurdle against unraced or lightly-raced mares is a serious advantage on paper. The ground should suit a four-year-old with a bit of class. Odds permitting, she's worth a look.
Roxboro River — 20:53 Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle
The closer is a conditional jockeys' race over 2m 7f, and I've got a soft spot for Roxboro River (7yo, rated 100) trained by John Joseph Hanlon — now there's a name that warms the Irish heart. Paddy Hanlon takes the ride, and while the Maggs brothers are well represented tonight with Collingham and Golden Glance, the Hanlon yard knows how to prepare a horse for a big day. Roxboro River is joint top-rated and the step up to nearly three miles on this ground could be exactly what he wants.
How the Going Plays Into Things
Good to Firm, vertidrained — this is a surface that rewards fluent jumpers and athletic types over grinders. Horses that want soft, holding ground to grind out a result are going to find tonight tough going. The vertidraining is a leveller, but don't be fooled — this is still quick enough that you want horses with a clean jumping record and the ability to travel smoothly through a race.
My Noble Lord and Crystal Glance both have course form, which means they've already demonstrated they handle this track's undulations and its particular demands. That's worth more than a pound or two in the handicap on a summer evening, I'll tell you that much.
Jonjo O'Neill Jr. takes the ride on Country Park in the opener — a horse without the course and distance form of the top two — and while Junior is a fine jockey with a lovely style, I think he's got his work cut out against My Noble Lord on this occasion.
Best Bets & Ones to Watch — Tom's Summary
- Best Bet: Crystal Glance (19:43) — Course and distance form, Jack Tudor up, and the classiest ride of the night. Back her with confidence.
- Each-Way Shout: Glenmalure Flyer (18:33) — Skelton yard, three miles, Good to Firm. Ticks the boxes at what should be a decent price in a ten-runner field.
- Banker: My Noble Lord (17:58) — Top-rated, course and distance winner, Charlie Maggs. Should open proceedings in style.
- Speculative Punt: Psychologicaldrama (19:08) — Only rated runner in a mares' maiden. If the market agrees, she could be very short, but she's the one with the form.
- Watch: Roxboro River (20:53) — The Hanlon yard travels with purpose. Keep an eye on the market moves before the off.
It's an evening of summer jumping, and while the purists might want Cheltenham in November, there's nothing wrong with a few bob on a Friday night under the Ascot lights. Get the full details on the Ascot racecard and enjoy the racing. Sláinte.
