Come on you connoisseurs of the National Hunt game admit it, how many of you have had a sneaky bet on the all-weather in the last week as it has come to the rescue of racing? A sly wager on Georgebernardshaw, on the off chance that he bounced back to the form of his youth, or perhaps a flutter upon Vitznau, once accredited with a handicap mark of 104 but now running off 55?
The creators of all-weather racing may have shot themselves in the foot somewhat when naming the surface with such lustre as there were bound to be some weather conditions in which racing simply wasn't possible. Maybe it ought to be renamed "some-weather racing" or "when there is no snow or ice crystals-weather racing". It's an idea.
Considering the amount of synthetic action there has been of late it comes as something of a surprise to hear that all has been quiet on the Sandstormers front. Many were entered, including Jack My Boy, O'Gorman and Chookie Royale, but their anticipated appearances and wins (!) were foiled in the coldest of ways. Harrow on we must though (as I'm sure the Lingfield ground staff are fed up of hearing by now) and we begin by putting forward several horses that have caught the eye against the snowy background.
Kempton's meeting last Wednesday threw up a couple of intriguing performers, namely Compton Crofter and Fire In Babylon. Now I admit already that I may be completely wrong about the first mentioned, a four-year-old trained by Hans Adielsson, but it is possible to forgive his last two runs, on account of being poorly placed and failing to stay a mile and a half last time, and he is worth accrediting as still being in form. He may not be outstandingly treated on his new mark of 45 but he did manage to win at Brighton last year off 49 and he could be overlooked in the market on his next start due to his recent poor form figures.
Fire In Babylon finished third in the same race, five places ahead of Compton Crofter, and he was a more obvious eyecatcher as he made up significant ground in the home straight. The five-year-old has become well handicapped, some 3 lb lower than when scoring at Kempton at this sort of time last year, and it would come as no surprise were he to add to that tally in the near future, particularly with him having not been with his current yard, who have been in decent form of late, all that long.
Another one to have taken the eye, again at Kempton, was Lascaux, who finished second in a maiden on Saturday. Normally a horse that had left John Gosden to go to a comparatively small trainer would not be of interest but Lascaux showed more than enough, amid understandable rustiness after nine months off, on debut for her new connections to suggest that she would be of interest in handicaps; she became of definite interest upon discovering that her opening mark was 65. She may be no world beater but she won't have to be to land a race around one of the all-weather tracks, and the evidence to date suggests she could well do that.
Alaskan Bullet and Lady Mango both ran at Lingfield on Tuesday and they are of note for differing reasons. The first mentioned didn't look the easiest of rides but, in truth, did about as well as he could have done racing from out of the handicap, shaping with plenty of encouragement when bearing that fact in mind. His style of racing dictates that a strong pace is a requirement and, if granted that, he looks up to defying his current mark.
Prior to her most recent start the suspicion was that Lady Mango was simply going through the motions nowadays but, with her mark slipping all the time, she showed that there was life in her yet by finishing fourth to Dixie Gwalia in first-time cheekpieces. She wasn't seen to best effect there either, racing close up but being forced wide, and if the addition of headgear continues to work the oracle she is certainly one to bear in mind from her current mark, which is some 9 lb lower than when at her peak.
Of those to be already on our radar, four hold a smattering of entries between them in the coming days. Chookie Royale figures prominently on the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings for the 14:00 at Lingfield on Saturday, although he does have to contend with a couple of last-time-out winners, Hurricane Spirit and Atlantis Crossing, and a current Timeform Horse In Focus in the shape of Prince Of Burma. Jack My Boy and Stormbound could also be in action at Lingfield on the same day, although the latter would be of more interest were he to be engaged in a handicap rather than a maiden.
Of more immediate attention is the 15:05 at Lingfield tomorrow (Friday) in which Gung Ho Jack looks to lock horns with his conqueror last time, Polar Venture. Gung Ho Jack is 2 lb better off at the weights having being beaten just over half a length earlier this month, which makes him of definite interest as he raced closer to the decent pace than the winner. It is worth noting, however, that Polar Venture could prove capable of improving further and another fly in the ointment may be Khawatim, who won at Wolverhampton on his most recent start.
TIMEFORM GLOBAL RANKINGS 2012 - OUT NOW! Ratings for the top horses around the world, essays on Frankel & Black Caviar, plus much, much more.
