WELCOME to our Eyecatchers column! Every week, form expert James Flaherty pinpoints horses primed to strike in the next few weeks, if not days. Remember, you can add James's weekly updates to your ATR Tracker.
LOVELY HURLING WITH MURPHY RUNNER AFTER NAVAN SECOND
AJ’S DIAMOND
Aj’s Diamond was a huge eyecatcher in this maiden hurdle, having her third start over obstacles. She was five horses wide for most of the race, held up well off the pace, and rounding the home turn she had a huge amount of work to do to get involved.
She never threatened to win the race, but she did make up a lot of ground in the closing stages, despite making a hash of the penultimate hurdle. She wasn’t really asked for maximum effort either, and I think she still has untapped potential.
It will be interesting to see what mark she gets (the winner here was only rated 114, so I’m guessing around 100), but I think there is a lot more to come from her at a modest level. I wouldn’t mind seeing connections step her up in trip either, though I wouldn’t say she needs it definitively.
THAT’S NICE
That’s Nice produced easily her best effort over fences thus far in this novice chase. Even though she was getting 13lb from the winner, he is rated 23lb superior to her. Furthermore, she comfortably beat Wyenot, who is rated 16lb higher but only had to give her 6lb in this contest.
It was the way she went through the race as much as the bare result, too. She travelled well through the race before not seeing it out on this galloping track. This was her first start at three miles, and while she might get it in time, I think slightly less of a test would suit her better for now.
I thought she had the favourite in trouble early in the straight, but she was well beaten at the line as her stride really shortened on the approach to the final fence. Hopefully the distance beaten will ensure her mark is left alone, but I think she’s definitely better than her current mark of 119.
QUAVISTE
Quaviste appeared in this column after his latest effort at Kempton, and I’m including him again as I’ve now convinced myself that a handicap at Aintree may be the target. I think a flat track and two miles with a strong pace could be perfect for him.
He wasn’t that strong in the betting here close to the off, so perhaps the yard is still trying to gauge his ability. I thought he travelled beautifully though, and he shaped like he was going to go very close before fading in the closing stages.
He had to do a lot of running to get involved though, and so I’m willing to forgive his finishing effort on this occasion. I believe he simply has to be better than a mark of 113.
LOVELY HURLING
I’ve had my eye on Lovely Hurling for a while, but I think most eyes were drawn to him after this latest effort. Whether he could have won or not is hard to say for sure, but he certainly would have gone very close under a more aggressive ride, and my gut tells me he might have won.
Lovely Hurling travelled nicely through the contest, and when he was eventually given a little encouragement to close, he did so rather easily. In the end, he was just over a length adrift of Jacob’s Ladder (rated 151) at the line in this Grade 3 contest.
It is unlikely that the handicapper will have missed this, even if his previous efforts behind Kopek Des Bordes and Kargese were hard to quantify. I think this horse has real high-class ability though, and he potentially looks like a top prospect - I actually think he’s much better than a handicapper.
TEDDY BLUE
Teddy Blue’s career record suggests he is better over shorter than this two-and-a-half-mile trip. Furthermore, his wins came off marks below his current 133, but he might be working his way towards his last winning mark of 131. Any help from the handicapper would be appreciated in that regard.
He was a touch keen here, which clearly doesn’t help him in the closing stages. After hitting the front at the fourth last he looked like a threat, but the eye was drawn to the eventual winner Heltenham. Teddy Blue was joined at the penultimate fence and had little left to offer following his earlier exertions.
He eventually finished a well beaten third, with Blow Your Wad easily passing him. He showed he is fairly treated though, and if dropped back in trip he certainly looks capable of winning again soon.
FAIRY PARK
I’d say this was a decent bumper at Newbury on Saturday, and while the winner is clearly smart, I loved the effort from Fairy Park in defeat. This was her rules debut, with Joe Tizzard's former point-to-point winner having travelled powerfully for much of the race.
She lacked the speed and professionalism of the winner in the closing stages, but I think she will be better over further in time and when she gets obstacles in front of her. In the short term though, she looks more than capable of winning an ordinary bumper.
I think she’s a nice hurdling prospect for the Tizzard team next season, realistically over two and a half miles and upwards.
