Setting the Scene at Towcester
There's something I've always liked about Towcester in midsummer. The stiff uphill finish sorts out the stayers from the strollers, and on Good ground — the Sticks reading 51 — you're looking for horses with a proper cruising gear and the lungs to match. This isn't a track for flat-track bullies. Eight races on the Towcester racecard today, mixing novice hurdles, handicap chases and a mares' bumper to close the afternoon. There's plenty to get stuck into.
The going is as fair as you'll get in July — Good, sitting comfortably in the middle of the range. No excuses on that front. Horses that handle a genuine surface will be at a premium, and anything that needs cut in the ground can be crossed off early. Keep that in mind as we work through the card.
Feature Race: The Eaton Hall Shooting Ground Handicap Hurdle (15:50)
With sixteen runners and £7,700 in prize money over two miles and seven furlongs, the Class 4 handicap hurdle at 15:50 is the race I'd call the day's feature. It's a proper staying test up the Towcester hill, and the quality is solid throughout the field.
Colegram (rated 107, Harry Skelton / Dan Skelton) catches the eye immediately. The Skelton operation rarely saddles horses at tracks like this without purpose, and Harry Skelton is the kind of jockey who makes every yard count over a staying trip. On Good ground, he's particularly effective — he doesn't over-bury his horses and knows exactly when to ask the question.
Orange Diamond (rated 107) carries the course and distance form flag — those [C,D] markers are never to be ignored at a quirky track like Towcester. Tom Ellis has him in good shape, and Jack Andrews takes the ride. A horse that's already proven it can handle this hill and this trip is a serious player in a field this big.
Torrent (rated 109, David Noonan / Nigel Hawke) has course form [C] and is one of the higher-rated runners in the field. Five-year-olds can be progressive at this time of year, and if Noonan gets a good position from the front half of the draw, he could prove hard to peg back up the straight.
Key Runners to Watch Across the Card
13:40 — Novices' Hurdle: Trouville and Likewhatyousee
The opening novice hurdle looks a two-horse race on ratings. Trouville (rated 117) is the class act in the field — a mark of 117 in a novice hurdle at this level is well above the average, and Sean Bowen takes the ride for Olly Murphy. Bowen is the sort of jockey who can win on a horse carrying a bit of weight, and Trouville's distance form [D] seals the deal. I'd be surprised if he doesn't go off a short price.
The danger is Likewhatyousee (rated 110), trained by Jonjo O'Neill Sr. and ridden by Jonjo O'Neill Jr. The O'Neill partnership know how to place a horse, and a 4-year-old rated 110 in a novice event has every chance of improving on that mark. If Trouville is odds-on, the each-way value might sit with Likewhatyousee.
Worth a mention: Stan Sheppard takes the ride on the unrated Biggles for Tom Lacey. A 9-year-old without an official mark is likely well held here, but Sheppard is a capable pilot and Lacey doesn't run horses without a plan. Probably one for later in the season.
15:15 — Handicap Chase: Jongleur d'Etoiles and Betty's Tiara
The three-mile chase is a cracking ARC Summer Chase Series qualifier. Jongleur d'Etoiles (rated 100, Harry Cobden / Neil Mulholland) is the one I keep coming back to. Cobden is an outstanding judge of pace over a staying trip, and Mulholland's horses tend to arrive at the track in good order. Three miles around Towcester on Good ground is a proper stamina examination — this horse has the profile to handle it.
Betty's Tiara (rated 100) has course form [C] and that's a meaningful advantage at Towcester. Ben Pauling is a trainer who targets these summer chase series qualifiers astutely, and Ben Jones is a reliable partner. Respect the course form here.
17:00 — Handicap Chase: Schmilsson the One to Beat
The Class 4 chase over an extended mile and seven furlongs has the feel of a race built around Schmilsson (rated 120). Sean Bowen again — he's having a busy afternoon — and Olly Murphy sends him out with distance form [D] to his name. A rating of 120 in a field where nothing else exceeds 122 means he's right in the mix on the figures, and Bowen will know exactly how to ride him on this ground.
Duke of Luckley (rated 122, Freddie Keighley / Martin Keighley) is the top-rated runner and has course and distance form [D]. The father-son training partnership is a tight unit and Keighley knows this track well. He's the one Schmilsson needs to beat.
16:25 — Handicap Hurdle: Dream Diamond Leads the Way
The Louise Hall Hen Party Handicap Hurdle at 16:25 has Dream Diamond (rated 116) as the standout on figures. Jonathan Burke takes the ride for James Owen — Burke is a jockey in fine form and he's well capable of making a 116-rated horse look comfortable in Class 4 company. The trip of two miles and three furlongs should suit.
Dream's Ka (rated 112, Harry Skelton / Dan Skelton) has course and distance form [C,D] — the Skeltons are double-handed in this race and you always take that seriously. A 4-year-old with that sort of course knowledge is dangerous, particularly if Dream Diamond gets into a battle up the hill.
Going Conditions and Their Impact
Good ground with a Sticks reading of 51 is about as neutral as it gets in summer jumping. It rewards horses with a clean action and doesn't unduly favour those who want either extreme. For the staying races — the three-mile chase and the two-mile-seven hurdle — you need genuine stamina rather than relying on soft ground to slow the pace down. Horses like Torrent and Jongleur d'Etoiles, who move efficiently on a sound surface, get a significant tick in that box today.
In the novice hurdle, the Good ground actually helps Trouville. A horse rated 117 on a flat surface is unlikely to be inconvenienced, and it removes any excuse for the unrated, unexposed types in the field. The ground is honest — the form should be too.
One to watch for ground suitability: Auntie Maggie in the 14:40 handicap hurdle carries course and distance form [C,D] and a rating of 91. On Good ground, she might find conditions just quick enough to be competitive, and Ben Poste — who rides Bailey's Luck in the opener — is the kind of jockey who maximises every opportunity on a card like this.
Best Bets and Ones to Watch
- Best Bet: Trouville (13:40) — Top-rated, course and distance form, Sean Bowen in the saddle. Hard to oppose.
- Each-Way Play: Orange Diamond (15:50) — Course and distance winner in a wide-open 16-runner handicap. The [C,D] form at Towcester is gold dust.
- Each-Way Play: Schmilsson (17:00) — Sean Bowen, Olly Murphy, distance form, strong rating. The package adds up.
- One to Watch: Dream's Ka (16:25) — Dan Skelton's 4-year-old with course and distance form could outrun her odds in a competitive Class 4 hurdle.
- Dark Horse: Jongleur d'Etoiles (15:15) — Harry Cobden over three miles at Towcester. If the pace is honest, he could be finishing best of all.
It's a full, varied afternoon of summer jumping at one of jump racing's most distinctive tracks. Get the Towcester racecard pulled up, check the market moves closer to post time, and enjoy the racing. Good luck.
