Monday tips: weekend reflections plus best bets from Ross Millar

Yet another dry week has meant small field sizes continue to be the theme of the moment, mmost notably when Captain Teague was awarded a walkover in the £40k Novices' Chase at Exeter on Friday. 

Of course it’s frustrating when this happens, both for fans of the sport and connections of the non-runners, and indeed the sole declared runner (Paul Nicholls was clearly keen to get Captain Teague started over fences). 

However, the comments aimed at trainers for not running horses is simply deplorable. Every horse is an individual and a myriad of factors such as; limb conformation, percentage of full fitness, history of injury and future targets will all be factored in to any decision to run or not run, and a trainers judgement must be respected. 

JPR One was the standout performer on Friday as he ran out a stylish winner of the BetMGM Haldon Gold Cup. He travelled and jumped with real class and caught the eye at every stage of the race. He jumped to the lead at the second last and only needed minimal urgings from Brendan Powell to hold the fast-finishing Djelo.

This was by far the most mature and polished performance of his career and he remains capable of better yet. In a division that lacks a clear hierarchy, he might well be capable of shaking up the established performers, with the Betfair Tingle Creek at Sandown the most logical next target. 

The Saturday action was centred on Aintree and Wincanton, with both feature races (Grand Sefton and Badger Beers Chase) being won in dominant style. At Aintree, Jack Tudor gave a masterclass of patient, rhythmical riding as he cruised over the big fences on King Turgeon to land the BoyleSports Grand Sefton for trainer David Pipe. 

A summer wind-op has improved him significantly and this win followed up a romp at Chepstow on his seasonal return. The handicapper will deliver another hefty rise, but he’s only a six-year old and already has proven stamina, so it would be no surprise to see him return to Aintree for the Boylesports Becher Chase. 

At Wincanton, their feature race was won by a horse and jockey at opposite ends of their career. Al Dancer, at 11 years of age, is into the twilight years of his career, while his jockey, Callum Pritchard, is at the very start of his.

The pair combined to deliver a devastating front-running performance, barely seeing another rival and keeping enough in reserve to keep the rejuvenated Lord Accord at bay by a comfortable ten lengths. 

Fast early fractions had the field spread-eagled very early on, while the falls of favourite The Changing Man and veteran Remastered changed the complexion of the race plus did no favours to those trying to close from behind.

It might well be that this isn’t a form line to be trusted, but weights and measures really can’t matter when you get to witness such a bold front-running performance.  

The Racing TV camera’s are at and Kempton on Monday, and I have selections from both cards. Be lucky.

Ben Pauling has a smart team of novice chasers for this season and there is every reason to think that this son of Mount Nelson switches to fences as a well-handicapped horse. 

He only managed a solitary win over hurdles yet ran with credit on each of his five starts. His final two efforts, both at Sandown, look strong pieces of form. He finished just a length behind stablemate Champagne Twist in March when the soft ground probably stretched his stamina over the stiff 2m4f.  

He then returned over the same course and distance in April, again finishing runner-up behind what, in hindsight, was an exceptionally well-handicapped rival. That form certainly reads well given the winner is now rated 135. 

Providing he takes to fences, the selection has plenty of scope to progress off a rating of 132. 

A half-brother to star chaser Altior, this son of Camelot was, on the face of it, a touch disappointing last season when managing just one win at Hereford from four hurdle outings. 

However, as is often the way with progeny of Camelot, he habitually compromised his chance by racing too freely in the early stages. Nevertheless, the form of his two efforts at Doncaster does read well.

He had no answer for his strong-finishing stable-mate Bhaloo over 2m4f, eventually going down by just over three lengths, but Bhaloo was a winner on his chasing debut at Ascot off a mark of 130, and is now rated 135, so that was probably a solid effort. 

Montecam again over-raced when third over the same course and distance in January but again, the form reads well, with the winner, Champagne Twist, going on to land the valuable EBF final at Sandown.

Good ground clearly suits him well and I’m confident that the fitting of a first-time hood, and a switch to fences, will see this promising five-year old race in a more efficient manner. If it does, he looks nicely handicapped off just 121. 

Alan King has dropped this daughter of Intello significantly in grade for the start of this season given she contested a class one juvenile handicap at Cheltenham on her final start last season. 

She was in the process of running a big race there when staying on into fourth before falling at the last. It’s often foolish to make assumptions as to the value of form before a horse has run (or not) up the hill at Cheltenham, but I do think her effort was one that suggested she has more ability than her current mark of 97.  

It’s true that her seasonal return at Stratford was only moderate, but I fancy the soft ground and the relative quiet form of her yard can go a long way to explaining that effort. 

She now drops back in trip on a sound surface and should be capable of landing his weak looking contest under conditional jockey Philip Armson.