A Sunday Well Spent at Colwick Park

Right, settle in with a pint and let's talk through what Nottingham served up on a fine Sunday afternoon in late September. Good to firm in places — that 75:25 split tells you the ground still has a bit of zip in it, and on a track that can catch out the faint-hearted, that matters more than most places. Nottingham isn't the flashiest venue on the National Hunt calendar, I'll grant you that, but it does a solid job as the jumps season begins to find its legs, and today's Nottingham racecard had enough about it to keep this old hack interested from first race to last.

Eight races across the afternoon, a couple of them GBB qualifiers, a feature handicap hurdle worth nearly twenty-four grand, and a bumper full of unknowns to get the imagination going. Not bad for a Sunday in the East Midlands, is it? Let's get into it.

The Feature Race: Class 3 Handicap Hurdle — The One That Matters

The Friends & Family Remembering Norman Sharpe Handicap Hurdle over 1m 7f 195y was the race of the day, and fair play to the sponsors for putting up nearly £24,000 for a Class 3 contest at this stage of the season. Six runners, a tight enough field, but my word — what a top-end to it.

Edelak, ridden by Harry Skelton and rated 132, came in as the one they all had to beat. Course and distance form already in the book — that [D] flag isn't just decoration, and on ground this quick, a horse that knows the track is worth its weight in gold. Skelton doesn't ride many bad ones, and when he's turning up at a track like Nottingham on a Sunday with a 132-rated hurdler, you pay attention. Simple as that.

But here's where it gets interesting — Mojito des Mottes under Harry Cobden at 126 is no mug, and Cobden has been in cracking form. The gap between the top two on ratings is only six pounds, and on this sort of ground, that's a race that could go either way depending on how the pace plays out over the shorter trip. Zillow (Harry Kimber, 122) and Eternal Angel (Stan Sheppard, 120) both had claims, with Eternal Angel carrying course and distance form of his own. Nap Hand under Fern O'Brien at 118 — no relation, I'm sorry to say, though I'd take the prizemoney — and Gower Prince (Benjamin Macey, 100) completed the field, with Gower Prince carrying the big weight concession that makes him intriguing if the others have an off day.

This was a proper little contest, and the form out of it should have legs into the autumn. Watch where these horses go next.

Ones to Follow — The Horses Worth Filing Away

Now this is where I earn my crust. Let me give you the horses from today's card that I'd be keeping a very close eye on as the season builds.

  • Premier Tenor (Harry Skelton, Maiden Hurdle) — Rated 109 coming into a maiden hurdle, which tells you this is a horse with a Flat or point-to-point profile that the handicapper already respects. Skelton on board in a GBB race? That's not an accident. If he wins this tidily, he could be a serious player in novice hurdle company before Christmas.
  • Rhythm of Life (Mr James King, 15:08 Maiden Hurdle) — Rated 104 in the longer maiden over 2m 4f, and that stamina test on decent ground is exactly the sort of conditions that can bring out the best in a horse finding his feet over hurdles. One to watch if he travels well through the race.
  • Mancero (Sean Bowen, Stayers' Handicap Hurdle) — Top-rated at 97 in the 3m 217y handicap, and Bowen doesn't go to Nottingham on a Sunday just for the scenery. If the pace is strong enough to stretch this field, Mancero's rating suggests he's the one with most to give.
  • Aggagio (Caoilin Quinn, 16:38 Handicap Hurdle) — Rated 95 over 2m 4f, and Quinn is a conditional who's been making real strides. This looks like a race within his grasp, and a winner here could see him step up in class sharpish.
  • Edelak — Already mentioned above, but worth repeating. If he wins the feature off a mark of 132, connections will be eyeing up a Graded target before the season's out. Don't let him drift out of your notebook.

The Bumper — Where Dreams Are Born (and Sometimes Crushed)

The Bob George Powered by Mansell McTaggart Open NH Flat Race to close the card is always the one that gets the pulse going for this journalist, because there's nothing quite like a bumper full of unknowns to get the imagination firing. Six runners, none rated, and a field that could contain anything from a future Festival horse to a horse that'll spend its career in Class 5 company — and you won't know which is which until they start jumping.

Kap In Hand with David Bass is the one I'd be most curious about — Bass is selective enough that when he takes a bumper ride, it usually means something. On The Fly under Tom Cannon is another worth a second look; Cannon's a polished operator and he'll give a green horse every chance to show what it's about. Shane's Spirit (James Bowen) rounds out the ones I'd be watching most closely in the early stages — how they travel in the first mile tells you everything in these races.

The GBB qualification adds a commercial dimension too. Owners and trainers are increasingly savvy about these races, and a well-bred bumper winner here could be pointing straight at something like a mares' bumper or a Listed contest before the year is out.

Jockey Watch — Skelton Dominates, Bowen Brothers Busy

You couldn't help but notice Harry Skelton had his boots well and truly on today — riding in the maiden hurdle and the feature handicap, which is the kind of double-header that suggests Dan Skelton's yard is in full swing and ready for the season. When a trainer of Dan Skelton's calibre is sending runners to Nottingham in September with horses rated in three figures, you know the machine is running smoothly.

The Bowen brothers — Sean and James — were both in action across the card, which is always a pleasure to watch. Sean on Mancero in the stayer, James on Golden Garden in the maiden and Shane's Spirit in the bumper. They're a fine pair of jockeys and healthy competition between siblings tends to bring out the best in both. Keep an eye on which of them rides the better horse in the weeks ahead — it's usually a sign of where the good yards are placing their trust.

Harry Cobden on Mojito des Mottes in the feature and Anxious Moments in the later handicap hurdle — two very different assignments, but Cobden is the sort of polished professional who'll give both a proper ride regardless of the price.

Looking Ahead — Where Do These Horses Go Next?

September at Nottingham is very much the appetiser, not the main course. The horses that catch the eye today will be worth tracking into October and November when the better prizes start appearing and the ground softens up properly.

Edelak and Mojito des Mottes from the feature could both be aimed at something like a competitive handicap hurdle at Cheltenham, Haydock, or Ascot once the autumn festivals get going. Horses rated in the 120s and above don't tend to hang around in Class 3 company for long if they're progressive.

Premier Tenor, if he wins the maiden hurdle impressively, could be one for the novice hurdle route — and with Harry Skelton in the plate, the Skelton yard will have a clear plan mapped out. They always do.

The bumper graduates are the real wild cards. Give them a month, let them have a run over hurdles, and by Christmas you might have a very different picture of what today's debutants are actually worth. That's the beauty of this game.

Final Word — A Decent Sunday's Work

Look, Nottingham isn't Cheltenham and it's not Leopardstown, but it does what it says on the tin — competitive racing, a good spread of races, and enough quality in the feature to make the afternoon worthwhile. The ground was fair, the fields were decent, and there are several horses from today's Nottingham racecard that I'll be keeping firmly in the notebook as autumn proper gets underway.

The feature handicap hurdle was the highlight, the bumper is the one for the dreamers among us, and Mancero in the stayer is the each-way dark horse I'd have been most tempted to have a few bob on. As for Edelak — if Skelton's smiling in the winner's enclosure, don't be surprised to see that one lining up somewhere considerably more glamorous before the season's out. Mark it down.