NEWCASTLE

25 November 2006

Good To Soft

3:00 wbx.com Rehearsal Chase (A Handicap) (Listed Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) 18 fences 3m

[off 3:00] £33,804.00, £12,732.00, £6,372.00, £3,186.00, £1,596.00, £798.00, £396.00, £204.00

1 Neptune Collonges (FR) P F Nicholls 5 11-9 Liam Heard(3) 100/30 152 145 164+

2 2 Another Promise (IRE) Ferdy Murphy 7 10-0 7 G Lee 14/1 125 117 133+

3 ½ King Killone (IRE) H P Hogarth 6 10-5 Phil Kinsella(5) 7/2 135 127 142

4 ½ Bob Bob Bobbin C L Tizzard 7 11-3 Joe Tizzard 11/4F 142 133 150+

5 shd Hautclan (FR) Jonjo O´Neill 7 10-0 2 Richard McGrath 12/1 125 116 131

6 10 Truckers Tavern (IRE) Mrs S J Smith 11 10-0 1t Padge Whelan 33/1 125 108 121

7 4 Leading Man (IRE) Ferdy Murphy 6 10-3 Keith Mercer 40/1 128 107 120

8 11 Julius Caesar J Howard Johnson 6 10-5 P J Brennan 40/1 130 100 116+

9 8 Direct Access (IRE) N G Richards 11 10-9 Brian Harding 14/1 134 97 112+

10 10 A Glass In Thyne (IRE) B N Pollock 8 10-1 Mr A Merriam(7) 9/1 133 88 96

11 32 Fundamentalist (IRE) N A Twiston-Davies 8 11-6 Tony Evans 12/1 145 71 76

11 ran TIME 6m 4.80s (slow by 18.80s) TOTAL SP 118%

NON RUNNER: Kasthari (IRE)

1st OWNER: J Hales BRED: Gaec Delorme Freres TRAINER: P F Nicholls

2nd OWNER: Geoff Hubbard Racing

3rd OWNER: Hogarth Racing

TOTE WIN £3.80 PL £1.70, £2.50, £1.80; Ex £41.40; CSF £47.36; TRICAST £174.19Pool: £695.62 - 3.90 winning units. TRIFECTA £126.60 Pool: £695.62 - 3.90 winning units.

A competitive handicap run at a decent gallop and the form should prove solid. NEPTUNE COLLONGES, who had run so well to finish second in the Charlie Hall, confirmed the promise of that improved run.

Racing off a mark of 152, the winner was up with the pace all the way, and though he made the odd error, including at the last, he ran on gamely to score driven out. He stays well, is well suited by plenty of give, and though he'll face a stiffer task in future handicaps, he has further improvement in him.

Another Promise, who had disappointed at Bangor after wins at Kelso and Hexham, ran a fine race from 7lb out of the handicap. Dropped out early, he made significant and eyecatching headway in the last mile and emerged three out as the only danger to Neptune Collonges. Although he could never quite get to him, he kept on well and considering his relative lack of experience over fences, this was a tremendous run on his part and he should continue to progress.

King Killone, taking on better company on a 9lb higher mark than when winning at Wetherby, was off the bridle five out but kept on really well and left the impression he's a thorough stayer who could well run a decent race in an event like the Eider.

Bob Bob Bobbin, put up 8lb for his Bangor win, wasn't disgraced, but he proved one-paced in the straight after racing up with the pace.

Hautclan, was being pushed along a mile from home, but he stayed on to run a sound race in fifth, and these five finished ten lengths clear of Truckers Tavern and Leading Man.

BANGOR-ON-DEE

08 November 2006

Good To Soft

2:10 Anne Duchess of Westminster Memorial Handicap Chase (Class 3) (4yo+,0-135) 18 fences (3m110y) 3m½f

[off 2:11] £10,140.80, £2,995.20, £1,497.60, £748.80, £374.40

1 Bob Bob Bobbin C L Tizzard 7 11-11 Joe Tizzard 9/1 134 132 150

2 2 Distant Thunder (IRE) Noel T Chance 8 11-8 Tom Doyle 9/2 131 128 145

3 20 Dunbrody Millar (IRE) P Bowen 8 11-2 T J O´Brien 12/1 125 97 119

4 2 A Glass In Thyne (IRE) B N Pollock 8 11-12 Tom Scudamore 12/1 135 106 129+

5 4 Simon J L Spearing 7 11-7 Dominic Elsworth 11/1 130 97 118

6 dist King Bee (IRE) H D Daly 9 10-12 Richard Johnson 11/1 121 63 —

7 9 Be My Better Half (IRE) Jonjo O´Neill 11 11-3 A P McCoy 12/1 126 60 —

8 19 Briery Fox (IRE) H D Daly 8 11-12 Mark Bradburne 12/1 135 52 —

9 9 Nice Try (IRE) Miss Venetia Williams 7 10-8 Sam Thomas 16/1 117 26 —

PU Sento (IRE) A King 8 11-2 Robert Thornton 22/1 125 — —

F Another Promise (IRE) Ferdy Murphy 7 10-9 G Lee 9/4F 118 — 112+

UR Harrycone Lewis Mrs P Sly 8 10-11 b Warren Marston 50/1 120 — 111+

PU Victory Gunner (IRE) C Roberts 8 10-0 Lee Stephens(5) 25/1 114 — —

13 ran TIME 6m 6.80s (slow by 6.80s) TOTAL SP 122%

1st OWNER: Mrs Sarah Tizzard BRED: M H Ings TRAINER: C L Tizzard

2nd OWNER: Old Moss Farm

3rd OWNER: Dundon Else Partnership

TOTE WIN £9.60 PL £3.00, £2.70, £4.80; Ex £42.80; CSF £50.93; TRICAST £504.35

Hand-timed. Distances judged by eye.

A cracking handicap, won by BOB BOB BOBBIN, who made a fine return to action. A very willing horse and an enthusiastic jumper, he dug deep when Distant Thunder loomed large and kept on well to the line. A big, scopey horse, who now looks more mature than ever before, he could enjoy a good season. One more race before the Welsh National is the idea.

Distant Thunder, having his first run for Noel Chance, ran a blinder under a patient ride. He had every chance at the last, but then found the winner just too strong.

The first two finished clear of Dunbrody Millar, who was unable to prove a threat in the closing stages.

A Glass in Thyne ran a respectable race on his reappearance, while Simon also fared respectably; both will surely benefit from this outing.

King Bee ran well for a long way before fading, but his stable mate Briery Fox ran a very tame race.

Another Promise, chasing a hat-trick of wins, jumped like a stag at the head of affairs, but was on the retreat when he bowed out at the second-last, when another runner helped his exit.

18 February 2006

Heavy

12:55 totepool Reynoldstown Novices' Chase Grade 2 (Class 1) (5yo+) 16 fences 2 omitted 3m

[off 12:55] £20,892.68, £8,422.16, £4,684.16

1 Montgermont (FR) Mrs L C Taylor 6 11-4 Mark Bradburne 17/2 132 139 150+

2 11 Bob Bob Bobbin C L Tizzard 7 11-8 Joe Tizzard 6/1 133 144+

3 dist Idle Talk (IRE) T R George 7 11-8 Jason Maguire 5/1 — 119

PU Crozan (FR) N J Henderson 6 11-10 Mick Fitzgerald 7/2 — —

F The Listener (IRE) R H Alner 7 11-10 Andrew Thornton 5/4F — —

5 ran TIME 6m 19.00s (slow by 20.00s) TOTAL SP 108%

1st OWNER: Mrs L C Taylor BRED: D Allard TRAINER: Mrs L C Taylor

2nd OWNER: Mrs Sarah Tizzard

3rd OWNER: Mrs M J George

TOTE WIN £13.00 PL £3.10, £1.70; Ex £56.00; CSF £48.86

The fourth fence (open ditch) was omitted on all circuits.

A race won by some top chasing prospects in the past, with the likes of Keen Leader, Our Vic and 2000 Stayers' Hurdle winner Bacchanal heading the recent roll of honour but, rather surprisingly, it has not proved a springboard to Royal & SunAlliance Chase success. No horse has landed this Grade 2 event and the SunAlliance since the Fred Winter-trained Killiney in 1973, while only Brave Spirit from last year's renewal even took his chance at Cheltenham.

The time was approximately 20 seconds outside standard, which indicates that the ground was not quite as testing as originally feared and was probably riding nearer soft than the official description of heavy, although some jockeys reported that they felt it was heavy. The open ditch down the back straight was dolled off, as is often the case when the ground is testing.

The race turned into a thoroughly unsatisfactory SunAlliance trial, with the winner MONTGERMONT the only member of the field not holding a Festival entry. With an official rating of 132, he would have plenty to find to be competitive in that event anyway.

Montgermont's connections, after walking the course in the morning, clearly felt that the ground was not too testing for their gelding and they were proved right as he showed himself to be a high-class novice chaser. Held up in rear, he jumped far from fluently, especially in the early stages, but he was allowed to drift slowly into contention down the back straight. Travelling well, he joined long-time leader Bob Bob Bobbin four out, jumped the final three fences fluently and pulled clear of that rival after the last.

Connections felt they made the right decision in not entering him for Cheltenham, where he has the potential to boil over as he often gets ‘buzzed up' beforehis races.He could now head to Aintree.

Bob Bob Bobbin ran a sound race in defeat. He relishes testing conditions, his jumping has improved with experience and he remains a nice prospect for next season. He will not be going to Cheltenham despite Paddy Power shortening him slightly for the SunAlliance.

Idle Talk suffered his first defeat over fences. He was still well in contention down the back straight but a bad blunder at the open ditch second time round cost him dearly and he was a spent force afterwards. He remains a staying chaser of considerable potential and connections regard him as a serious future Grand National prospect.

The Listener had been foot-perfect prior to his departure at the tenth fence, where, uncharacteristically, he barely got off the ground. His odds for the SunAlliance were unchanged afterwards.