EXT 2.05
BWIN HALDON GOLD CUP (A LIMITED HANDICAP CHASE) (GRADE 2) (Class 1) (4yo+) Winner £39,522 5 runners 2m1f109yGood RUK
No. |
Form |
Horse |
Stats |
Days |
Age |
Weight |
Trainer |
Jockey |
OR |
TS |
MON
(173) |
Notes |
RPR |
2 |
/6333- |
God's Own |
CD |
192 |
10 |
11-9 |
Tom George |
Paddy Brennan |
156 |
138 |
182 |
? |
171 |
3 |
542-36 |
San Benedeto |
tp D |
16 |
7 |
11-8 |
Paul Nicholls |
Bryony Frost |
155 |
136 |
175 |
p? |
171 |
4 |
321-13 |
Ozzie The Oscar |
|
17 |
7 |
11-4 |
Philip Hobbs |
Richard Johnson |
151 |
143 |
172 |
p |
167 |
5 |
43-115 |
Theo |
h D |
9 |
8 |
10-8 |
Dr Richard Newland |
Sam Twiston-Davies |
141 |
114 |
166 |
p |
164 |
1 |
32F15- |
Diego Du Charmil |
t |
192 |
6 |
11-10 |
Paul Nicholls |
Harry Cobden |
157 |
145 |
161 |
+p |
168 |
This is a smashing little race again this year and the fast ground should ensure a true pace and fair result but I do think the betting is all wrong. Mind you, I’ve thought that before and ended up with egg on my coupon.
Overnight favourite is Ozzie The Oscar. This is the one I backed at 50/1 in the County the season before last only for him to lose out on the run to the line after making most of the running. He’s now a second season chaser and his recent pipe-opener (the win before that was back in May at the very start of the new season) over hurdles suggests he’s finding the concomitant improvement I mention so often for such types. However, he will need to improve again to justify his market position and I wouldn’t back him to beat one or two others.
Second favourite is Diego Du Charmil and I can only guess it’s his trainer-jockey combo that have him there. Others will point to his defeat of Petit Mouchoir at Aintree as top class form worthy of making him favourite here but I went low with that race in the belief that the odds-on Petit Mouchoir underperformed. Diego Du Charmil was, after all, only rated 143 at that point and was well beaten off his new mark at Sandown, albeit it against seasoned stars. But he was 10/1 that day. Yes, he’s entitled to improve the notional 10lbs this season but he really will have to to have any chance. Black Corton improved at least 7lbs on Saturday and still couldn’t win although that wasn’t a handicap.
Theo is the outsider of the field and ran a fair fifth last week to suggest he’s still on a curve but this is a big step up again.
I’m happy to oppose these three, which leaves two on which to focus and, to be honest, I’m struggling to split them despite the gap in the ratings. God’s Own won this in 2014 but for me he is no back number. My high rating for him is based on his big run behind Altior in the Champion Chase. I think that showed he was as good as ever although I have gone higher than all the commercial firms for it, hence my question mark over my rating. He was given a strange ride next time at Sandown when Altior beat San Benedeto, being held up in a detached last, which is unusual for him. I suspect he was there to pick up any scraps that were going without having a hard race and he’s 2lbs better off with San Benedeto here and would have been at least a lot closer but for a serious blunder two out after which he still ralled. San Benedeto was raised just 3lbs for that excellent effort but the handicapper took it back off following his disappointing subsequent run behind Ozzie The Oscar.
I think God’s Own will get the fast pace he needs on decent ground and this might be his main target before another attempt at the Champion Chase in March.
Bet
1 pt win God’s Own 9/2