Pattern Race Focus: Let Bygones Be Bygones

/ Rory Delargy / 06 March 2010 / Leave a Comment

All eyes are now fully trained on the Cheltenham Festival only ten days hence, and justifiably so, but there are still a number of graded contests away from the Cotswolds venue and Rory Delargy looks to Newbury and Kelso today to analyse a brace of races.

Karen McLintock may not exactly be a household name in southern racing circles, but she's had some very smart horses through her hands over the years, particularly when Don Eddy held the licence at their Byerley Stud. Those horses include Champion Chase winner Call Equiname and she saddles Bygones Of Brid in Kelso's sole graded contest, the totepool Premier Kelso Hurdle at 16:10, looking to train a graded winner in her own right. The son of Alderbrook has been running with great credit all season and can gain the reward his efforts deserve today. He meets Washington Irving, one time Derby favourite when with Aidan O'Brien, on three pounds worse terms than when they were first and second at Newcastle in late January, and Howard Johnson's charge is likely to be backed to turn that form around; he looked less than hearty that day however while the winner is a notably game performer and is certainly the more likeable of the two. Of the other runners, George Charlton's Melange has improved of late and is capable of making the frame at a big price.

In terms of Cheltenham clues, Bygones Of Brid would pay a handsome compliment to Albert Bartlett favourite Tell Massini should he win while Melange has run behind Triumph Hurdle fancy Carlito Brigante on two occasions and holds a Fred Winter Hurdle entry himself.

At Newbury, there is a decent prize of £50,000 up for grabs in the Grade 3 Raymond Mould Supporting Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase and the assembled field could be described as slightly disappointing, even with Cheltenham around the corner. Pasco finds this two and a half mile trip a maximum, but he has an excellent record at Newbury and can improve that with a win today. Below par when last seen at Exeter, Paul Nicholls' Swiss-bred gelding has been freshened up by a break of eleven weeks and that will hopefully enable him to return to his best form. Before that run, he had been an excellent second to Mount Oscar over course and distance and that piece of form is certainly good enough to make the frame here, while his win chances probably hinge on not getting involved in a war for the lead with veteran Our Vic. That horse has been rejuvenated this term but has had a couple of hard races and isn't nearly so effective on this ground.

Can't Buy Time is a big danger and a horse I have a soft spot for, but this trip may be just on the short side for him these days. I've always maintained that he will prove a good horse on spring ground and the drying conditions will play to his strengths - he remains a horse to follow for the reast of the season.