£20,000 Handicap Success For Shavansky

Ten-year-old veteran Shavansky has been in cracking form in 2014 but luck had eluded him from adding to his ten career victories. In a £45,000 handicap he was too keen and a slipping saddle meant he hit the front at halfway but was only collared inside the final furlong. He then hit trouble in the home straight when coming from behind to be placed in two competitive handicaps at Lingfield before the tight nature of the inner track at Kempton meant he never got involved last time out. However, everything went right at Lingfield on Friday and he bagged the valuable winter handicap he deserved. Settled nicely in fifth place on the inside, a massive gap opened up the inside entering the home straight and he showed an impressive turn of foot to put the race away inside the final furlong. That takes his career earnings to over £120,000 and he heads for the Rosebery Handicap at Kempton next.

We nearly doubled up at Wolverhampton as Ice Tres finished second back over twelve furlongs. She may have hit the front too soon but was beaten by a well handicapped winner. Hopefully the handicapper won't go overboard as she is certainly capable of winning a race.

Three-year-olds Cotton Club and Graphene needed the experience at Lingfield but were not disgraced in what looked a competitive maiden for this time of year.

Four Seconds In 2014 Already

The horses have generally started 2014 in good form but we have not had much luck so far with four seconds from nine runners! Hopefully it will not be long before we are off the mark.

Ice Tres has resumed from a summer break in good form and has been second on two occasions at Wolverhampton, both times she has probably hit the front too soon and been nabbed near the line. She was slightly disappointing at Lingfield on Friday but the drop back to ten furlongs may not have suited and the race could have come too soon.

Although she did not like Southwell, Ivor's Princess showed that her 20/1 Kempton success in December was no fluke when runner-up returned to the Sunbury venue under a strong ride from Luke Morris.

It looked as if we had found an ideal opportunity for Icebuster in a five runner two mile handicap at Kempton on Wednesday, but a concern over two miles was whether he would settle if there was no pace on. Sadly he was far too keen and took off with Pat with a circuit to go. Despite having a clear lead entering the home straight, he tired in the final two furlongs as his stamina gave out but he still did enough to hold on for second. He is certainly capable of winning off his current mark granted a strong pace, which is rare on the polytrack.

After unseating early on her hurdling debut and with the ground so soft we decided to return Dance to the AW. She struggled in some strong flat maidens in the summer but was placed in three bumpers and she ran a nice race to stay on for second, having been left short of room when the pace quickened. She is certainly capable of winning a race, whether she can emulate her half-sister Money Money Money and rack up five in one year we're not so sure but she has just as good an attitude!

Ivor's Secures Win Number 20 In 2013

It wasn't a bad evening at Kempton with all three representatives running solid races and bringing some prize money back to Devon. Ivors Princess finally showed some sparkle down to Class 6 company and despite making Sean Levey, riding a treble on the card, work very hard in the early stages, she ran out a cosy winner. She went up 21lbs for winning two races last year and struggled with the handicapper as she was forced to run out of her grade and completley lost her confidence. She missed the first half of this season but showed promise when third at Salisbury but two disappointing efforts meant she was on her last Flat chance on Wednesday evening. Hopefully with confidence boosted, she can exploit what is now a lenient handicap mark.

There was no pace on for Icebuster in the London Middle Distance qualifier and he was very keen under Shelly Birkett. There was nothing Shelly could do but sit and suffer from an inside draw and she did well to extricate him wide when the sprint started for home entering the home straight. Third was still a good effort in the circumstances and he will get into next week's £70,000 Final. With a field of sixteen, there should be some pace and both he and Shavansky have a good chance of earning some decent prize money.

Ice Tres made a promising return to the track, breaking on terms and wasn't keen in the early stages under David Probert. The lack of a recent run told as she weakened into fourth in the final furlong but it was a solid effort and she should remain competitive in that grade this winter.

Another Qualifier For Buster

With Icebuster dropping to 84, he isn't certain to get in the £70,000 London Middle Distance Final so he goes for the final qualifier at Kempton on Wednesday evening. He has been extremely consistent this season, posting RPR's of 87-92 on ten of his twelve starts this season. However, he is probably struggling with the handicapper, remains four pounds higher than his Haydock success and the fact that he is best off a strong pace doesn't make things easy. However, he has useful five pound claimer Shelly Birket (won on Shavansky) on board and with only seven runners, he won't be too far off the pace even if sitting last, a scenario which has seen numerous good efforts this year. Hopefully he will go pretty close tomorrow and it will be great if we can have two horses in the final.

Despite the fact we are very quiet at the minute, we also have two other runners at Kempton on Wednesday. Ice Tres returns from a 157 day absence in the first division of the twelve furlong handicap. She blew her chance with slow starts on her most recent outings so we gave her the summer off. If she returns in a better frame of mind, she is very well handicapped off 50, having placed off a five pound higher mark on hndicap debut at Wolverhampton.

Ivors Princess has been disappointing over the last eighteen months, although there were signs of a rivival when third at Salisbury and fifth at Chepstow this autumn. She is incredibly well handicapped, off a mark 13lb lower than her last win and eight pound lower than the Salisbury third. She had little chance held up off a steady pace last time and dropped into Class 6 Company, it would be no surprise if she bounced back.

Dreamer Shows Homework On The Track

It was a busy Thursday evening at Chepstow with three runners and we nearly had another two-year-old winner as Urban Dreamer was narrowly denied by a neck. He was extremely disappointing when last on his debut at Bath, especially as his homework had been pretty promising beforehand. He was much better behaved last night and looked like winning before he was collared by the Hannon trained Hedge End in the final furlong. He was still a bit green and he should have no trouble in winning a maiden in the next few weeks. Ice Tres was a bit too keen in the early stages when fourth in the twelve furlong handicap and her run petered out inside the final furlong but wasn't disgraced. Wyndham Wave was disappointing on his return and will probably drop back to a mile next time.

Sharper Two Year Olds Make The Track

We already have one decent two-year-old in Master Carpenter and we have two more two-year-olds making their debuts today. Both Seaham and Urban Dreamer would be among our sharper sorts and have showed enough speed and potential at home for us to target them at the £10,000 Racing Post Bonus maidens. However, these races tend to be much more competitive than non-bonus versions and with few of these races so far in 2013, both races are strong on paper.

Seaham is a half-brother to two winners over five and six furlongs

and is Myboycharlie's, a very useful Group 1 sprinting two-year-old, first UK runner (has had winners in Southern Hemisphere and only Irish runner third). This Newbury maiden is traditionally very strong and this year's event has representatives from all the top yards and some expensive purchases so looks no exception. The only runner with experience is Paul Cole's Meritocracy and he finished third in a very competitive maiden at Kempton on Saturday (fourth Vodka Time won at Newmarket Wednesday) so sets a high standard. It certainly won't be an easy task and a mid-division performance is normally good enough to win an ordinary maiden but we're hopeful Seaham will put up a positive performance.

Urban Dreamer faces a field of fifteen rivals at Bath but his race doesn't look quite as strong. Obviously Beau Nash showed a useful level of form on his debut when second to Master Carpenter on his debut and with that form working out so well, he will be hard to beat with the benefit of experience. Urban Dreamer is also by a first season sire in Intense Focus and he is already off the mark with two winners from seven runners, while his dam was a very useful sprint handicapper in Ireland.

 

He shows plenty of speed at home and we're slightly concerned he might not stay a stiff five furlong on soft ground so might prefer it to dry out, although drawn out in stall fifteen, he might be better off if the ground is soft as they will come stands side, giving him a good draw. All in all, it will be very interesting to see how both two-year-olds get on and hopefully they put up a good show and show promise for the future.

 We also have Burnt Fingers in the sprint maiden at Bath and she made a very promising return when third at Leicester two weeks ago. That was over seven furlongs and we're not sure if dropping back in trip is the right thing to do, as there is a mix of speed and stamina in her pedigree. However, the form she showed at Leicester gives her each-way claims in a big field and this filly is likely to progress throughout the season and sure to be winning at some point.

At Wolverhampton last night, Ice Tres ran well on her handicap debut, finishing third in a 56-70 Fillies Handicap. She seemed to prefer a return to more patient tactics, although the slow pace meant it wasn't easy to come from behind. She's handicapped to win if things go her way this summer.

Ice Tres Makes Handicap Debut At Wolverhampton

Ice Tres has shown promise in some of her bumpers and maidens, although hasn't progressed quite as expected and was disappointing on her last two starts so has had a short break. She starts her handicap career off a mark of 56 which is fair and we will revert to more patient tactics which saw better efforts in her bumper at Lingfield and first two Flat maidens. With only seven runners, she won't be too far away even if sat in last place and hopefully she puts up a good show.