Press Sport
‘Bumper for jumpers’ race meeting brings welcome tonic
10:50am Friday 10th February 2012
Jumpers, starved of recent action because of the mounting number of abandoned fixtures, have been given an opportunity to go through their paces at Kempton this afternoon.
Okay, there are no jumps, but the ‘Bumpers for Jumpers’ initiative by the BHA has given the go-ahead for seven Flat races which will at least provide National Hunt horses with some competitive action. A similar meeting is set to go ahead at Southwell on Sunday.
The star turn this afternoon is the top-class Oscar Whisky, who, having been denied a run in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at abandoned Ffos Las last Saturday, turns out for the final race on today’s card, which is a real must-see for racegoers.
Trainer Nicky Henderson is obviously keen to get another run into Oscar Whisky in advance of the gelding taking on the mighty Big Buck’s in next month’s World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
A strong galloper and a classy hurdler, Oscar Whisky should take the world of beating in a two-miles Flat test.
Henderson promises to enjoy a useful afternoon. He can also score with Tetlami (2.40), unbeaten in two novice hurdles this season, and Secret World (4.25), a 125-rated hurdler, who was formerly a decent performer on the Flat with Jeremy Noseda.
Alan King is another trainer looking likely to figure among the winners.
He can score with Valdez (2.05), an eight-lengths winner on his one and only start in a bumper and marginally preferred to Henderson’s Trozulon, another horse with winning bumper form, but off the track for more than a year.
King can also hit the target with Sweet Irony (3.15), narrowly beaten at Taunton on his latest outing, and Call Me A Star (3.50), a winner by six lengths on his debut in a Wetherby bumper in November.
While hopes remain high that we will get some jumping action tomorrow at Newbury and the re-arranged Musselburgh meeting, it’s safest at this stage for preview purposes to stick with the all-weather action.
At Lingfield, the aptly-named Mister Frosty is napped to score for Kieren Fallon in the concluding handicap.
Trainer George Prodromou placed this gelding to gain a well-backed win in an amateur riders’ race at Southwell earlier in the week and no sooner was he back in the winners’ circle than he declared the horse would win again at Lingfield with Fallon on board. A 6lb penalty may not spoil those hopes for Mister Frosty, who won with plenty in hand at Southwell.
Palace Moon looks sure to go well in the featured Play Da Vinci Diamonds At bluesq.com/games Handicap.
The William Knight-trained sprinter won well at Kempton three weeks ago. A bold bid is anticipated as the seven-year-old aims to follow up.
Sulis Minerva (1.40) is another to note. The Jeremy Gask-trained mare has been successful on her last two visits to this course. She is steadily climbing up the handicap, but she has been in such excellent heart of late that she is not easy to dismiss.
Bordoni (12.35), an interesting newcomer from the power-packed Mark Johnston stable, and the consistent Tornado Force (3.55) are two others worth considering.
Racing selections
Kempton (Today)
2.05 Valdez, 2.40 Tetlami, 3.15 Sweet Irony, 3.50 Call Me A Star, 4.25 Secret World, 4.55 Harry Hunt, 5.25 Oscar Whisky.
Today’s other meetings
Southwell and Wolverhampton.
Lingfield (Tomorrow)
12.35 Bordoni, 1.05 Saint Boniface, 1.40 Sulis Minerva, 2.15 Roman Strait, 2.45 Palace Moon, 3.20 Picansort, 3.55 Tornado Force, 4.30 Mister Frosty (NAP).
Tomorrow’s other meetings
Newbury and Wolverhampton.
Both Uttoxeter and Warwick have been abandoned.