The Racing Mind Notebook - (w/c 25/10/21)

CIAO BELLA and SASSY YET CLASSY- 28/10/21 - Clonmel - 3m Handicap Hurdle

A low grade 3 mile handicap at Clonmel won't get pulses racing but I noticed 2 mares caught the eye for upcoming handicaps at the 3 mile trip. Ciao Bella finished like a train into 2nd in heavy ground and a 3lb rise won't stop her winning a handicap at a lower rated track on soft ground. Still only 9 runs under rules, she will bag one soon unless she goes chasing. Sassy Yet Classy is another mare who will surely exploit her mark of 123 soon too. She travelled really well in her first outing before blowing up, and she's been a little unlucky in handicaps throughout her career, running consistently all the time. Both should win a handicap through the winter.

BARBADOS BLUE - 27/10/21 - Fakenham - 2m5 Mares Novice Handicap Chase

Barbados Blue never hit the heights over hurdles that some thought. She was well punted in 4 handicap hurdles without getting her head in front and is highly rated by connections. Connections might not of got her to hit the heights over hurdles but they might of found her niche over fences. A class 4 novice handicap chase may not be exciting for some punters in their forward thinking, but she completely outclassed her opponents with clean, straight jumping. The fact that her jumping was so accurate could set her apart from her opponents in the future and a 6lb rise won't stop her on this evidence. You can never over-estimate a good jumper of a fence.

GERICAULT ROQUE - 30/10/21 - Wetherby - 2m3f Handicap Chase

David Pipe threw Gericault Roque into a decent 0-125 handicap chase without a run under rules over fences. For a horse on his first outing over fences in open handicap company, he ran a cracker. Jumping well enough throughout, he didn't have the finishing kick of the well handicapped winner - a well handicapped horse on his first outing in the UK since a move from France. He might be worth a try in a decent novice handicap chase where this experience will stand him in good stead.

SHALLWEHAVEONEMORE, PEKING ROSE and MEXICO - 30/10/21 - Ascot - 2m Novice Hurdle

Shallwehaveonemore won't be missed by notebook punters after his fine 2nd in a decent novice hurdle at Ascot on Saturday. Keen throughout, it was testament to his ability that he still finished out his race on soft ground, when nailed late on by the Paul Nicholls winner Kandoo Kid. A horse with what seems a huge amount of ability, he may need a bit more experience before fully trusting him as a racehorse as he will need to learn to settle. A possible target for him after 2/3 more runs might be the Betfair Hurdle, as Gary Moore likes to aim a good novice at that race.

In behind the Gary Moore runner were 2 more to note. Peking Rose ran a cracker behind Knappers Hill in the Aintree grade 2 bumper in April, and ran a good opener over hurdles in this Ascot race. He finished well and might be a horse who prefers better ground for his optimum conditions. The 4th Mexico is bred by Sea The Moon and might be better up in trip going forwards, but is another one for the notebook and he handles soft ground well. This race might work out well in the future, as it often does.

PAPA TANGO CHARLEY - 31/10/21 - Carlisle - Novice Handicap Chase

Performance of the week for me. Papa Tango Charley was an expensive purchase for connections at a whopping 440k after winning a P2P in Ireland by 4 lengths. He didn't win a race in his first 18 months for connections, getting beat in a bumper and 5 novice hurdles before winning a 3 runner novice hurdle at Worcester in June 2021. Hurdles was never going to be his cup of tea and it was all about chasing. Starting at 15/2 in a novice handicap chase with some real depth to it, he destroyed his field by 12 lengths. It was a decent race with Karl Phillipe and Dreams of Hope setting a decent tempo, before the winner took it up and lengthened away from the field. The No Risk At All gelding looks to be an above average chaser and one to follow, perhaps even at graded level. I hope Jonjo has found a new star for the stable after an expensive outlay by connections.