N.H. racing at Bangor, Huntingdon and Naas (Ireland)

Some interesting runners over jumps at all 3 meetings today. The most valuable event (but not the best!) is the graduation chase over an extended 2 miles at 14.40 CET at Bangor, with only 4 runners. Calgary Bay (Henrietta Knight/ Hadden Frost) has the top rating here, having run respectably when 6th in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, and 6th again more recently in the Charlie Hall. However this distance looks totally inappropriate, so we prefer Rock Noir (Jonjo O´Neill/ Tony McCoy), who won well at Exeter last week, and Fiendish Flame (Donald McCain/ Jason Maguire), third at Ascot last time.

There are also only 4 runners in the main event at Huntingdon, a 2 miles novice chase at 14.40. Despite much lower prize-money, this looks a stronger race and features Medermit (Alan King/ Wayne Hutchinson), a top hurdler last season and expected to go to the top over fences. He is an early fancy for the Arkle, in which case he should win this easily; Harry Tricker (Gary and Jamie Moore) looks the only conceivable danger. Otherwise it could pay to follow Barney Curley´s runners here. He won the novice hurdle at the start of the card last year, and could follow up with ex-German Agapanthus (Paul Moloney), and the same jockey is on another ex-Schlenderhan runner Sommersturm in the handicap hurdle at 15.20.

However the German-bred with the best chance of winning today is undoubtedly Shot from the Hip (Edward O´Grady/ Andrew McNamara), a Monsun gelding who runs in the maiden hurdle at 14.45 at the Irish N.H. meeting at Naas. He was a top bumper horse last season, actually starting favourite for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham. Although he flopped there, he certainly ought to be good enough for today´s opposition as long as he can jump. The same goes for Staying Alive (same trainer and jockey) who runs in another maiden hurdle half an hour later.