Juliette's weekly frolic
Sad to say neither Noble Neptune nor Sea Tale took Ascot by storm last weekend, but at least they turned up which is more than can be said for myself. Deciding at 10 am on Saturday morning that the card had a lot more to offer than dutifully jostling down Oxford Street in search of Christmas presents, is about twenty-four hours too late when your fuel guage is hovering on empty and your 'regular' garage thirty miles intb the country. An hour and a El's worth of petrol later, I could certainly have got there but refilling on Saturday afternoon in that built-up corner of Berkshire was living a bit too dangerously for me. Still, compared with the BBC's Julian Wilson, who retracted his selection of Mocharabuice for the SGB, and was then required to take us step by painful step through the horse's victory, I had nothing to moan about.
Strange things are afoot at Sandown this Saturday when the Jockey Club have taken the unusual step of re-activating the Benson and Hedges meeting recently lost to the frost. It's a move likely to meet with the approval of all but supporters and sponsors at Fakenham, Sedgefield and Uttoxeter who'd beeh hoping to have the stage, and the television coverage, to themselves. One of the new races at the last-named course, the Berni Inns Steeplechase, should see Second Redeemer with her fourth win off the reel. Since Stan Mellor's mare didn't seem bothered by the concession of weight to her novice rivals at Cheltenhan last month, there seems no reason why she should now But back to Sandown where, after his excellent run for two miles of the "Massey Ferguson,' Tingle Creek will be all the rage for the Benson. and Hedges 'Chase. An easy, if unprofitable, solution that one, and as a more stimulating alternative let me offer you Ozandels (10.11) the easy winner of four smallish chases last season who cleared his lungs with a' hurdling spin on Guy Fawkes day.
The steeplechase may draw the crowds, but the big money is more likely to be changing hands over the same sponsor's handicap hurdle half an hour earlier. Here the experience of St Columbus and Moyne Royal will be pitted against the impeccable credentials of the youngsters, Mythical King, Lot and Dark Sultan. I would happily fall in with either of the last two did they not both hail from Yorkshire — by next weekend 400-mile round trips could be socially unacceptable, even if still strictly legal — which leaves young Mythical King. In Haydock's Victor Ludorum he beat Padlocked eight lengths when receiving 51b, at Cheltenham ten days later Moonlight Bay beat the same horse two and a half lengths at level weights. Now I wouldn't like to ram my reading of the formbook down anybody's throat, so why not take it from Tinreform who rate Mythical King only 4Ib inferior to Moonlight Bay "undoubtedly the best juvenile hurdler last season." With 10.11 his chances on Saturday appear outstanding.
Assets: £66.95 outlay: £3 to win Ozandels, Mythical King and Second Redeemer.
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