RACING in Britain very much played second fiddle to the action at Leopardstown, but there were some significant performances all the same.
Top of the bill was the Grade 1 Betway Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown, which went to Itchy Feet in a highly respectable time worth a figure of 151.
Laurina was a big disappointment in being pulled up, and was not the only one of Itchy Feet’s rivals who underperformed on the day.
The Listed Contenders Hurdle on the same card, taken by Buveur d’Air in the previous three years, was won by Quel Destin (beaten off a mark of 149 just two starts earlier) with a rather underwhelming timefigure of 138.
Similar figures of 135 and 136 for the hurdle winners Palladium and Limited Reserve are much healthier in comparison to what might be expected in their class. Conditions were pretty extreme, on the hurdles course at least.
Newtide was a fortunate winner of the Grade 2 William Hill Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby, likely to have been beaten a few lengths by Boldmere but for that rival falling at the final fence. Their time performances are worth 140 and an estimated 143 respectively. Minella Rocco was 7.0s slower for the same course and distance but that still translates into one of the better hunter figures of the year so far, on 126.
A competitive two-day meeting at Musselburgh featured some decidedly useful winning performances from Greaneteen (150, and still a novice over fences), Sebastopol (141) and Fred (138).
Meydan
The Thursday meeting at Meydan saw a welcome return to form from Barney Roy, who was back to near his 121 best when winning a well-run Group 2 over nine furlongs with a 116-rated effort. Now gelded, having proved infertile at stud, he should do well at eight to 10 furlongs in 2020.
That latter comment could well apply to Bangkok also, the colt a clear-cut winner of the Listed Winter Derby Trial at Lingfield on Saturday in course-record time, which translates to a 112 performance.
The late withdrawal of Kachy due to injury cleared the way for Good Effort to win the Listed Cleves Stakes on the same card comfortably from Soldier’s Minute. The winner gets a personal best 108 figure from me.