A Grand Day Out at the Top of the Hill

Right, settle in with me here. It's a Wednesday afternoon in mid-July, the sun is (presumably) doing its best impression of something vaguely warm, and we're heading to Towcester for a seven-race jumps card that has rather more to chew on than you might expect from a summer afternoon's National Hunt fare. The going is Good with a soil moisture reading of 53 — not too lush, not too rattling. That's a perfectly fair surface for horses that can handle a bit of cut-free ground, and it will absolutely sort the genuine stayers from the ones who've been kidding us along. Towcester, as any self-respecting jumps fan knows, is no place for the faint-hearted. That gruelling climb to the finish line separates the men from the boys — and the mares from the fillies — every single time. Check out the full Towcester racecard for all the details.

We've got mares' hurdles, novice chases, handicap hurdles, a bumper to close — and bang in the middle of it all, a Class 3 novice chase worth nearly twelve grand that has a proper top-rated horse at the head of the market. Let's get stuck in.

Feature Race: The Bravo Benefits Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (3m, 15:18)

This is the one that has me rubbing my hands together. Four runners, Class 3, three miles around Towcester — and a horse at the top of the weights who, frankly, looks a cut above this lot. Sony Bill, trained by Faye Bramley and ridden by the excellent Harry Cobden, is rated 135 and heads the market with every right to do so. Five years old, still lightly raced over fences, and with Cobden in the saddle — a man who knows how to ride a waiting race up that punishing Towcester hill — this is a horse who could make mincemeat of his rivals if he jumps with any fluency.

Now, I won't be dismissing the Henderson runner. La Pinsonniere (rated 127, James Bowen up) represents the Seven Barrows operation, and you never take a Nicky Henderson horse lightly over three miles, even in the middle of summer. But the 8lb pull between her and Sony Bill looks about right on these terms, and I'd want to see her prove she handles this sort of track before I'm putting serious money her way. Sunray Shadow for Dan Skelton is interesting — Harry Skelton takes the ride, and the Skelton yard have been flying — but at 125 rated and seven years old, this horse needs to step up significantly on what we've seen. Samuel Spade (Ben Pauling, Beau Morgan) makes up the four and is the one I'd worry about least. Sony Bill is my banker of the day. Back him and don't look back.

Key Runners to Watch Across the Card

14:18 — Mares' Maiden Hurdle: Fine Thing and Lipstick Traces

Nine mares line up for this 2m3f207y maiden hurdle and it's a decent puzzle. The two that catch my eye are Fine Thing and Lipstick Traces. Fine Thing is trained by Dan Skelton and ridden by Harry Skelton — and if you've been paying attention to the Skelton operation this summer, you'll know they don't send horses to Towcester on a Wednesday afternoon just to make up the numbers. She's unrated, which tells us she's relatively green, but the combination of trainer and jockey gives her enormous claims.

Meanwhile, Lipstick Traces (rated 96, Callum Bewley aboard for Justin Landy) is the highest-rated horse in the race and deserves respect on that basis alone. The Good going shouldn't inconvenience her. Ben Poste takes the mount on the 90-rated Jessie Jump Jet for Samuel Drinkwater — another with a live each-way shout if the market fancies her at a price. This race might be closer than it looks on paper.

15:48 — Handicap Hurdle: An Bradan Feasa and Ask A Sainte

Seven runners over 1m7f168y and the course-and-distance winners jump right off the page at me. An Bradan Feasa [C,D] for Jack Jones has already shown he can handle this track and trip — that's worth its weight in gold at Towcester, where the idiosyncrasies of the course catch plenty of horses cold. Tom Bellamy rides and he's a man in form.

But I'll tell you who I'd be keeping a very close eye on — Ask A Sainte [C,D] for Olly Murphy, ridden by Sean Bowen. Course AND distance winner, Sean Bowen in the saddle, Olly Murphy training — that's a holy trinity that makes you sit up straight. Bowen is one of the most complete jump jockeys in the country right now, and Murphy's horses have been in cracking nick. At 107 rated, Ask A Sainte is the second-lowest rated in the field, but those two course-and-distance wins are screaming at me. Don't ignore them.

16:18 — Handicap Chase: Pep Talking

The ARC Summer Chase Series Qualifier over 2m4f features five runners, and Pep Talking [C,D] for Billy Aprahamian, ridden by Gavin Sheehan, has course and distance form to shout about. Rated 114, second in the weights, and a proven performer around here — on Good ground that won't inconvenience him — this is a horse who knows his job. Theonlywayiswessex for Alan King is top-rated at 115 with Tom Bellamy up, and Alan King's summer jumpers are always worth a second look. It's a tight race, but Pep Talking's track record gives him the edge in my book.

Going Conditions: What Good Ground Means at Towcester

A soil moisture reading of 53 on Good ground at Towcester in July is about as fair a surface as you'll get at this track in the summer months. It's not quick enough to worry the stamina-reliant types, but it's not soft enough to flatter the plodders either. What it does do is put a premium on genuine jumping ability and fitness — horses that are sharp over their fences and hurdles will be rewarded, while anything that's been given an easy time of it in the build-up will be found out by that brutal finishing climb.

For the staying races — the 3m novice chase and the 2m7f mares' hurdle in particular — the Good ground is actually a positive. It keeps the race honest throughout and ensures the finish is a true test of stamina rather than a slog. Sony Bill, for all his class, will need to be fit and jumping well. The mares' hurdle over 2m7f70y (16:48) is worth a close look too — Hello Cello for Harry Fry tops the ratings at 100, but Kayla's Friend [C] for Olly Murphy with Sean Bowen again in the irons catches the eye with that course form.

Best Bets and Ones to Watch

  • BANKER: Sony Bill (15:18) — Top-rated, Harry Cobden up, Faye Bramley in form. Three miles at Towcester is made for a horse of his profile. Don't overthink it.
  • EACH-WAY: Ask A Sainte (15:48) — Course AND distance winner with Sean Bowen aboard for Olly Murphy. Second-lowest rated but his track record is the key. Each-way at a likely decent price.
  • INTEREST: Fine Thing (14:18) — Skelton and Skelton in a maiden hurdle. They don't travel for fun. Watch the market.
  • EACH-WAY: Pep Talking (16:18) — Course and distance form in the summer chase qualifier. Gavin Sheehan knows what he's doing and this horse has been around the block here before.
  • WATCH: Kayla's Friend (16:48) — Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen again, with course form. Murphy is having a fine summer and Bowen won't be wasted on her.

It's a solid card for a Wednesday at Towcester, and the Good ground should ensure we get a fair contest in every race. Sony Bill is the one I'd be building my afternoon around — but keep an eye on that Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen combination across the card, because they look like a yard and jockey combination absolutely firing on all cylinders right now. Good luck to one and all. May your each-ways land and your bankers not fall at the first. Sláinte.