Ross Millar: Monday tips and weekend observations

Small fields continue to be the theme of the National Hunt season so far, particularly in the novice chases, a division that badly needs an overhaul, though thankfully, we’ve still been blessed with some competitive racing and the rain is at last starting to fall.

At Exeter on Friday we enjoyed a training and riding masterclass by brothers Dan and Harry Skelton as they scooped the two big pots.

Firstly the ‘Future Stars’ novice chase with Doyen Quest, who utilised his race-fitness and greater experience over fences to pressurise the debutant Quebecois from the off before staying on grittily in the closing furlongs.

It was a case of “same again” in the following race, The Haldon Gold Cup. 5lb out of the weights but fit from two wins this autumn, Thistle Ask blitzed from the front and had the entire field in trouble turning for home while under his low weight he was able to maintain the gallop. 

Highly-touted Kalif Du Berlais was disappointing, trailing home in fourth, even when you factor in this was his first start of the season, he now looks like being sent up in trip and down in grade with the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham a possible target.

Saturday continued with some excellent rides. Nico de Boinville smuggled Impose Toi through the Pertemps Qualifier at Aintree before quickening up to win well and might now need to explore Graded contests such is the open nature of this division. 

While Ben Jones, a jockey more at home when applying forceful riding tactics, gave four-year old chase debutant Mambonumberfive a nice introduction to the bigger obstacles when winning the two-mile handicap chase.

This is a horse for the notebook, the four-year old allowance is valuable at this time of the season and this giant horse will improve when getting more of a stamina test.

The feature race at Aintree, the Grand Sefton, saw Gavin Sheehan conjure a great response from Colonel Harry. Seemingly going nowhere on the rail as they turned for home having jumped moderately, he switched his mount wide before storming home for a convincing win, a fine training effort too given this was a first start since falling at Cheltenham in January.

Paul Nicholls enjoyed his customary victorious day at Wincanton’s feature raceday landing three wins. Though Blueking d’Oroux required all of Harry Cobden's brilliance to land the Grade Two ‘Rising Stars’ Novice Chase when confirming the impression from Newton Abbot that he is far from a natural over fences.

The next race saw 1-8 favourite Rubaud run well below his best when narrowly prevailing in the Elite Hurdle, a race he’s now won three times.

A strike rate of 24 per cent suggests the former Champion Trainer has his string in fine form, however I’m treading with caution as a number of his runners seem to be stopping quite quickly, including in Saturday’s feature race where Threeunderthrufive was a well-beaten fourth behind Gustavian.

Anthony Honeyball’s charge was given an exceptional ride by Rex Dingle, who utilised his confirmed stamina to dominate from the front and gallop home a wide-margin winner.

On Monday, Racing TV has jump action from both Carlisle and Kempton. I have three selections across both tracks.

It was apparent to me last season that Joe Tizzard was making a concerted effort to try and pace his horses through the season, so they didn’t just peak before Christmas.

It was a successful endeavour, as his horses ran consistently all season. It does, however, mean that a more patient approach is required, and it was clear this season that his runners through the early part of October were going to step forward for the run. 

With yard form now picking up, I’m keen to chance Bertie Wooster on his second start of the season.

He ran consistently last season without winning and, as a result, is now just 1lb higher than his last winning mark. That win came at Taunton which, like Kempton, is a sharp, flat, right-handed track.

His run three weeks ago at Plumpton should mean he’s spot on for this and the second start after a wind-op is often when a horse finds real improvement.

A Graduation Chase in which the race conditions favour chase debutant Steel Ally who is in receipt of 11lb from his four rivals.

His early-season form last year was strong, finishing runner-up in the Welsh Champion Hurdle when trying to concede 5lb to stablemate Lump Sum (who got his own chase career off to a winning start last month and is now rated 147).

Steel Ally then won a competitive handicap at Haydock off a mark of 137 to rise to a mark of 143. His late-season form tapered off, but he arrives here with his yard in excellent form – trainer Sam Thomas has saddled five winners from his last nine runners.

I also feel that novice chasers from this yard are some of the best prepared in the country. He can keep up the fine form of his stable.

Phillip Hobbs and Johnson White look to have a smart crop of novice hurdlers this season, most notably in facile Chepstow winner Sober Glory. 

Saint Anapolino is not in that class, but he enjoyed a successful first season over hurdles, winning three of his six starts, with his final win of the season coming over this course and distance on good to soft ground.

That was off a mark of 123, but much of the 6lb rise he faces here is negated by Callum Pritchard’s 5lb claim. A recent run at Cheltenham, where he weakened having raced exuberantly should have blown the cobwebs away, while the fitting of a first time hood should help curtail that early exuberance.