A Decent Day's Work at Towcester

Right, pull up a stool and let me tell you about the afternoon's craic at Towcester. Seven races, good ground — Slow Meter 53, so not lightning but fair enough for July — and a card that had more substance to it than your average summer Tuesday. The Northamptonshire track doesn't always get the credit it deserves for its summer jumps programme, but today's Towcester racecard was a genuinely interesting afternoon's work for anyone who pays attention to the National Hunt game year-round.

The going was Good — and that SM reading of 53 tells you the ground was riding on the quicker side of good, which matters enormously over fences and hurdles. Horses with a touch of class and a clean jumping action were always going to be at a premium today. Keep that in mind when we talk about the ones to follow.

The Feature Race: The Peter Smith Birthday Celebration Handicap Chase (3m)

The race of the day, and it's not particularly close, was the 3m handicap chase at 14:30 — the Peter Smith Birthday Celebration, which is also an ARC Summer Chase Series Qualifier. Happy birthday to Peter, whoever he is, because he got a fine race named after him.

Six runners over three miles on good ground — that's a proper stamina examination at any track, and Towcester's undulations make it even more of an honest test. Karnaval Point (Rian Corcoran, rated 119) was the top weight and the one to beat on ratings, but it's a mark of 119 that suggests there's a ceiling approaching. Ivane (Jonathan Burke, rated 117) is the one I'd have been watching with real interest — Burke has been in terrific nick and Ivane's profile over three miles on a track like this screams progressive.

Eaton Anne (Sean Bowen, rated 110) was the interesting runner at the bottom of the weights — course-and-distance form is marked with a [C] flag, and Bowen doesn't take rides lightly. If that one ran a big race today, I wouldn't be surprised to see connections aim at something more valuable before the summer's out. Paper Mill (Charlie Hammond, rated 113) carries a course form flag too, and three miles around here suits a thorough stayer. One to keep onside.

Ones to Follow: The Horses That Caught the Eye

Let's get to the meat of it — the horses worth scribbling in the back of your notebook for the weeks ahead.

  • Mystic Wind (Harry Skelton, 13:30 Novices' Hurdle) — Unrated, which means unexposed, and Harry Skelton doesn't travel to Towcester on a Tuesday for the craic. Dan Skelton's operation runs horses to win, full stop. If Mystic Wind showed anything today, file the name away. Skelton on an unraced hurdler is always worth a second look.
  • Ice Jet (Harry Skelton, 14:00 Novices' Handicap Chase, rated 113) — Here's Skelton again, and this time on a horse with a rating and course-and-distance form. Ice Jet is the class act in that novice handicap chase field. A mark of 113 over 2m4f on good ground — if this one jumped well today, connections will have bigger targets in mind before the season turns.
  • Lipa K (Jack Tudor, 15:00 Class 3 Handicap Hurdle, rated 124) — Tudor is one of the most exciting young jockeys in the game right now, and a Class 3 hurdle over 2m7f with a rating of 124 puts this horse right in the mix. Course form flagged [D], which tells you the horse has already shown it handles Towcester. If Lipa K ran well here, a step up in class is entirely possible.
  • Sunray Shadow (Harry Skelton, 15:00, rated 125) — Three Skelton rides in one afternoon is not a coincidence. Sunray Shadow is the joint-top rated in the Class 3 hurdle and has course form. This is the kind of horse that could be aimed at something like the Galway Festival or an autumn target if summer form holds up.
  • Alshadhian (Jack Tudor, 16:00 Class 5 Chase, rated 99) — Tudor again, course form flagged, and a mark of 99 in a Class 5 chase suggests this horse could be well ahead of its mark if jumping is its strong suit. Summer chasers with course form at this level often pop up at bigger prices when connections go handicap hunting in the autumn.

Jockey and Trainer Combinations Worth Noting

You can't look at this card without talking about Harry Skelton. Three rides — Mystic Wind, Ice Jet, and Sunray Shadow — across three different race types. That's a man who's been sent to do a job, not fill a book. The Skelton yard has been operating at a high level all season and their summer jumps form is often a reliable pointer to autumn targets. If any of those three won today, mark them down as horses with a future.

Jonathan Burke had four rides on the card — Amalfina (13:30), Back In The Bay (14:00), Ivane (14:30), and Feet On The Ground (16:00). That's a serious book of rides for a Tuesday afternoon. Burke is a jockey who's been quietly building his profile and when a pilot picks up that volume of rides at a single meeting, it usually means connections trust him. Ivane in the feature chase was his most interesting booking by some distance.

Sean Bowen was another with a full book — Dancingondiamonds, Eaton Anne, Stumps Or Slips, Network Rgb, and Cavo Tagoo. Bowen is one of the best in the business and he doesn't waste energy on no-hopers. Stumps Or Slips in the Class 3 hurdle (rated 120, course-and-distance form) is the one I'd have been watching most carefully from his rides.

The Bumper and the Novice Hurdle: Future Stars in the Making?

The closing bumper — the 16:30 National Hunt Flat Race — featured Iwanttobreakfree (Harry Skelton) and Naiad (Gavin Sheehan) as the names that jump off the page. Unrated horses in bumpers are always a gamble to assess, but Skelton on an unraced bumper horse is a recurring theme of this card, and there's clearly a plan in place. Sheehan, meanwhile, is a jockey of serious quality and Naiad is worth following if showing any ability today.

Back in the opener, the novice hurdle had Ride Like A Girl (Gavin Sheehan, rated 108) as the only runner with a rating alongside the top-rated Eternal Angel (Stan Sheppard, rated 115). Eternal Angel carries course form and the higher mark, but it's Dancingondiamonds (Sean Bowen, unrated) that I'd be watching with fresh eyes. An unrated horse with Bowen in the plate in a novice hurdle is a horse connections fancy — simple as that.

Looking Ahead: Where Do These Horses Go Next?

Summer jumps form is a funny beast — it can look ordinary and turn out to be the foundation of something special. Here's where I'd expect to see the best of today's runners pop up next:

  • Ice Jet and Sunray Shadow — both have the profiles for a step up to Class 2 or 3 before the season ends. Watch for entries at Ffos Las, Worcester, or even a track like Perth if connections fancy a trip.
  • Ivane — if this one ran well in the feature chase, a Summer Chase Series final or a Listed chase in the autumn is not out of the question. Three miles on good ground is his game.
  • Lipa K — Tudor's mount in the Class 3 hurdle could be one for the Galway Hurdle or a valuable autumn handicap if the rating holds. A mark of 124 is workable at the right track.
  • Mystic Wind and Iwanttobreakfree — the unrated Skelton horses are the dark horses. If either showed anything today, expect to see them in better novice company sharpish.

All in all, a fine Tuesday afternoon at Towcester. Good ground, honest races, and enough progressive horses to keep the notebook busy. That's all you can ask for in July. Get the full Towcester racecard pulled up and do your own homework — but if you're looking for a place to start, the Skelton and Burke runners are the ones I'd be circling in red ink. Sláinte.