/ Editor / 09 June 2007 /

2m 4f Novices' Chase, Stratford, Sunday, 16.30

Five recent winners make the novices' chase (16.30) at Stratford one of the more interesting races on Sunday's domestic programme especially as the race was won last season by the high-class Yes Sir.

Armariver and Tessanoora, from the Nicholls and Henderson camps respectively, are the obvious choices and both have strong claims.

There is little between them on hurdles ratings and they both won their novice chases last time with the minimum of fuss.

Armariver was given a good sight of his fences on the outside by Sam Thomas at Newton Abbot last Thursday and never appeared to come out of third gear.

Tessanoora's race at Kelso looked more competitive, however, as she brushed aside previous winner Bestofthebrownies. She made light of the finishing hill that day, coming home with her ears pricked and clearly loving the fast ground and looks a worthy, short-priced favourite.

Manners is definitely one for in-play punters only. His five-from-11 record belies the fact that he is unreliable - he has been pulled up on three of his last four starts.
On the other hand, his hurdles rating of 118 puts him in the mix against the front two in the market and his Huntingdon win against two 107-rated rivals was as good as they have achieved.

Vaughan has proved thoroughly consistent (placed in 9 of his 13 races over jumps) and earned his penalty by winning a virtual match at Huntingdon but layers feel confident about taking him on because he lacks finishing speed.

Gone Missing and Nailed On are better known in the point-to-point field. Gone Missing looked sure to be involved in a hunter chase at this track until brought down and gained compensation in a point three days later. Winning pointer Nailed On has recently joined a very underrated professional yard, though both would appear to have a lot to find.

Fabre duo can upset favourite

1m 2f 110yd Prix de Diane (Group 1). Chantilly, Sunday, 15.35

Coquerelle puts her unbeaten record on the line in the French Oaks (15.35) at Chantilly and there will be plenty of layers happy to take her on given that her four wins have come by an aggregate of less than two lengths.

Frankie Dettori won the French Derby last weekend with a canny front-running ride and Christophe Lemaire may try something similar on Coquerelle have succeeded with similar tactics in the Prix Saint-Alary.

He set a false pace that day, quickened three lengths clear, but had only half a length to spare over Sunday's rival Believe Me at the line.

Olivier Peslier gave Coquerelle too much start in that race and in-play punters will be monitoring his tactics before speculating this time.

Darryll Holland was another jockey who didn't shine when giving the Mick Channon-trained Majestic Roi too much to do in a Group 2 event at Chantilly last Sunday. The often falsely-run nature of French races does at least open up more in-play options because fancied horses are often set impossible tasks.

Holland's mount, the Channon-trained tail-swisher Sweet Lilly, climbed the nursery ranks rapidly last season and proved that her 1,000 Guineas flop was all wrong in the Musidora when she gave the hot favourite Passage of Time a scare. Though the winner and third (Sues Surprise) both disappointed subsequently in the Oaks, sweet Lilly has place prospects at a big price.

She's also a back-to-lay possible as she is likely to travel well through the race and has a nice turn of foot, though she doesn't always sustain it.

Andre Fabre's pair Cinnamon Bay and Vadapolina are unbeaten in a total of four races this season and look very serious win alternatives to Coquerelle.

Cinnamon Bay was beaten just half a length by Coquerelle as a two-year-old when apprentice-ridden and her easy win in a Chantilly Listed race last time suggests she has improved from two to three. At Chantilly, she beat Green Lyons as convincingly as subsequent French 1,000 Guineas winner Darjina had done in the Prix de la Grotte.

Vadapolina also won her trial - the usually informative Group 3 Prix Cleopatre - with ease.

West World is another with close links to Coquerelle on form. She was beaten just three-parts of a length by the favourite in the spring and Sheikh Mohammed is so convinced she has improved since then, he has supplemented her for this race.

She inflicted the only defeat in three runs on a Fabre-trained filly called Concentric and Frankie Dettori, whose confidence is sky high at the moment, gets the call to ride her for the first time.

Anabaa's Creation has been quickly forgotten after being readily dismissed by Coquerelle last time, though she remains tempting in the place market at least on the body of her form.

Unbeaten as a two-year-old and beaten less than three lengths by her Classic-winning stable companion Darjina in the Prix de la Grotte, she was joint favourite with Coquerelle when they met recently but will be a vastly bigger price this time and her trainer has an excellent record in the race.

Lord Henry on recovery mission

2m 1f 110yd Handicap Chase. Stratford, Sunday, 15.00

The market for the 2m handicap chase (15.00) is sure to be dominated by Lord Henry and Fier Normand, two representatives from top stables.

Both are lightly raced, in Lord Henry's case because of a series of injury problems, and both still have the potential to race in much better class.

However, the handicapper has quickly cranked them up to their hurdles ratings on the back of limited evidence over fences in slowly-run races and both could prove lays at very short odds.

Lord Henry is a keen-going sort and jumping is not usually a worry, but he did fall on his latest visit to Stratford at the fence in front of the stands, which is so close to the previous obstacle that it is as close as racing gets to a show-jumping-style 'double'.

In contrast, Fier Normand is usually held up in his races, and he was able to jump around in his own time on his Ludlow debut. Having looked like winning easily, Tony McCoy had to get very serious with him to get past the brave Keepthedreamalive on the run-in. His supporters would maintain that a switch down in trip on Sunday will see him in a better light but layers may choose to disagree.

The one most likely to upset the front two in the market is Hilltime. His unfashionable trainer and inexperienced rider ensure he will go off at a bigger price than is warranted but Tierney is his regular jockey and Wainwright, with four winners in the last 10 days, is on fire. Backing pre-race to offload at shorter odds in play is definitely an option.

Hilltime was classy enough to finish a close fifth to Kings Quay in a big Aintree handicap hurdle and he jumps fences well enough at pace not to be fazed by Lord Henry's fast pace. After winning on his chase debut, Hilltime then failed honourably in his attempt to give Spinaround 20lb at Southwell.

The hardy Salinas is another who could run better than his odds indicate. In the race in which Lord Henry was an early casualty last time, he battled on bravely to be second to Forest Green.

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