“Mark Droppers” to Track  —  24/10/2023, 31/10/2023, 07/11/2023 & 14/11/2023

@lovestheraces

24/10/2023

Indian Creak 90 Windsor Soft 6F -
89 (-1) Tame ride. Keep tracked for a soft 6F at Windsor next season.

Walking On Clouds 83 Whenever he’s randomly gambled on 6F AW -
82 (-1) Better AW record than turf record, now 1lb below last win mark, which was this season. He hasn't long been with shrewd connections, that are often on the right side of gambles.  No doubt in my mind he will win a race or two this AW season, but he'll definitely be gambled on when he does. Likely to be a big mover in the frail overnight markets, then continue to shorten until race time, you'll know when to back or not.

Kitai 90 Soft 6F - 
88 (-2) Becoming annoying the standard of ride she has been given in her recent runs. Now only 3lb above her impressive win at Pontefract.  Keep tracked for turf runs next season. 

Migration 113 Heavy 1M -
112 (-1) Migration raced away from the dream far side rail at Ascot, and was ridden cold in rear, dropped 1lb which is fair, could still be too high in the weights next season, but should land a heavy mile handicap. 

Awaal 103 Doncaster? Soft 1M -
102 (-1) Awaal another that raced away from the dream rail so had no chance, but he was punted like connections were expecting a very strong performance, and ran a decent race at Redcar the day before on quicker ground. Still fairly unexposed, probably needs soft ground and 7F-1M should be fine distance wise.

Ballygrifincottage 142 Soft Ground Marathon Trip -
140 (-2) Couple of mistakes in a 3 runner race which isn't great viewing, but he had no chance whatsoever on these terms against 2 decent rivals over a distance way short of his best.  He had to give weight to two 2m-2m4 horses, that are rated higher than him. The Welsh National was named as the long-term target, and Dan Skelton's horses can often enter that "has he lost his head, or is he being targeted for a big handicap?" feel to them. He has since pulled up at Wincanton though, so is due another drop in the weights. 

Count D’Orsay 76 Soft 5F -
75 (-1) Met a lot of trouble at Catterick, whether he would've won I'm not sure, but would've finished 2nd. 1lb fair drop, not as good run at Doncaster next time. He is getting on now and by the time next season comes around he may need more pounds off his back, but he's a decent horse over a soft 5F, and should pick up a couple of Cl4/3 handicaps in the North.

31/10/2023

First Street 2m - 2m4 big pot, Betfair? 147 -
144 (-3) 3lb is a decent drop for a comeback run, he probably wants to lose a couple more lb’s, but it’s easy to forget he was 2nd in a strong County off 142, won a handicap off of 146 and finished midfield in last year’s County hurdle off of 152. I’d say they’ll target a big pot between 2 and 2m4, maybe the Betfair hurdle at Newbury, given his win over C&D last season. 

Fools Rush In Soft Ground 7/8F 80 -
79 (-1) Has also since moved to Ruth Carr's yard. Ruth did well with new recruits such as Twelfth Knight (before losing him). Still think we’ll see the best of him on a 7-8F’s with cut.

Undersupervision 135 Grimthorpe -
132 (-3) Since ran a very nice race at Cheltenham in the Amateurs race, but he’s finished 1st and 2nd in the last two renewals of the Grimthorpe off of 132. Only beaten by a superb “training performance” in Moroder last year. I imagine he’ll run a couple more times before Doncaster, but that race might just be his main target…

Ring Of Gold 68 Kempton 7F -
66 (-2) Keeping him tracked for the AW, now below his last win mark on the AW. 2 of his 3 wins have come at Kempton, but any AW surface should see him come back to form (hopefully).

07/11/2023

Cap Du Nord 127 Doncaster SBC/Kempton CT - 
125 (-2) Tracked in the 17/10/2023 edition, usual MO is to lower his mark for the Doncaster SBC and Coral trophy etc.

Datsalrightgino 149 Cheltenham Gold Cup Handicap? -
148 (-1) Still fairly unexposed over fences, not sure on him for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, but he’d take my fancy if turning up to the Cheltenham Gold Cup (handicap). 2nd to Stage Star over the C&D last year, and he wasn’t to be suited by the Old Roan Bumper.

Afterlife 68 7F AW -
67 (-1) Afterlife is another that has since ran again, the run on the 02/11/2023 was a disgusting ride. Handicapper didn’t fall for it, I doubt anyone did. More pounds expected to come off his back next (this) week.

Shakem Up'arry 2m4-3m handicaps 140 -
139 (-1) Wouldn’t like him for the Newbury Gold Cup, but the New Year’s Day handicap at Cheltenham, would be interesting if they could lose a couple of extra pounds!

Perfect Swiss 66 1M Newcastle -
64 (-2) Usually needs his comeback run, and has a very good AW (Newcastle) record, currently below his last win mark. Since ran at Newcastle, where getting no run at all, will be tracked next (this) week too.

Runninwild fast ground 6F/Stiff 5F 70 - 
68 (-2) Ran keen and then a typical non-trying ride, keep tracked. 

Carolus Magnus 82 Firm 10F -
80 (-2) Waiting for Firm 10F handicaps next year now, could very well be targeted at the Cambridgeshire again, but you’d hope they’d win somewhere else first!

14/11/2023

Civil Law 85 Wolves 1m2 (extended 9F) -
83 (-2) Has an incredible record over the extended 9F at Wolves, 1211174 from his 7 runs over that C&D. His last run there (4th in the Racing League) has been franked a couple of times too. He’s never ran over the C&D from a mark as low as he is now, and his 4 wins have come from marks of 84, 87, 84 and 87.

Nelson Gay 5F Wolves 78 -
77 (-1) Typical non-trier ride, handicapper hasn’t fallen for it, keep him tracked. Wolverhampton could be where they’re taking the handbrake off given his record there, maybe to pay for Christmas…

Bridget Breeze 99 -
98 (-1) Bridget ran no sort of a race at Sedgefield, I don’t think she liked been held up, and apparently she didn’t like the track either. But, Bridget is clearly better than what she showed at Sedgefield, as well as her mark of 98. Hopefully she’ll strip fitter for the run and be allowed to bowl along from the front, the next time we see her.

Ballygrifincottage 140 Soft Ground Marathon Trip -
137 (-3) Not given a Welsh National entry, so perhaps he’s had a setback etc, given this was said to be his target. I still think he’s better than he has been showing, but it’s not a great sign that he hasn’t been entered in his ‘target’ race.

Teescomponentstrig 108 Give him time to learn and a fence -
105 (-3) Had his fair share of setbacks/injuries, so I can’t imagine Saturday was anything but hoping he made it round safe and sound. Jumps like a chaser, built like a chaser, I'm guessing they'll probably ease him along, and get some more experience into him. Tame ride, but a schooling/experience ride, which he needs. Looked like he could tuck up plenty, and bar a mistake at the last he could’ve finished a fair bit closer.  Good performance given the circumstances and they've taken 3lb's off his mark already.

Hopefully the 21/11/2023 Edition will be released in a more timely fashion...