Home' Trinidad and Tobago Guardian : November 25th 2015 Contents A53
Wednesday, November 25, 2015 www.guardian.co.tt Guardian
Shine Likeadiamond has an excellent
chance in the Maiden Stakes over five
furlongs of Kemptopn polytrack today
and justifies support to make it thirteenth
Only Fruit Salad stands in her way.
Nine places, which include six seconds,
make Shine Likeadiamond an exasperating
proposition for trainer Mick Channon,
who recently spelled this Atlantic Sport
filly for twenty-six days following her
worst effort on soft at Leicester, over six
furlongs; too far!
This ploy often pays dividends for
sprinters and, significantly, Shine Likea-
diamond returned to the fray on Lingfield
poly four days ago when positive tactics
brought about a career-best effort; in
the closing stages Belle Mare Plage went
ahead only for fast-finishing Olympic
Runner to grab the spoils and win by a
Shine Likeadiamond was only half fur-
ther back, running on strongly.
Twice-raced Fruit Salad is an obvious
danger, her recent half length second to
Prisom over the minimum trip on Tapeta
reads well form-wise.
Under no circumstances James Bethell s
charge be discounted but others need to
improve considerably; in summary if odds
of 2/1 or better are available for Shine
Likeadiamond, she represents a price to
Incidentally Shine was ridden by
Charles Bishop last Saturday but John Egan
is back on board, why?
Mywayistheonlyway and The Com-
mendatore have similar profies going into
the Maiden Stakes over six furlongs; both
made promising debut performances over
this course and distance and it s difficult
to split them on the time-handicap.
Obviously with three places, and both
drawn well, an each-way punt on the for-
mer is advised, especially now Martyn
Meade s yard has finally hit form; stable-
companion Annie Salts was unlucky last
week and a fortnight back Consulting beat
Jonjo O Neill will keep a low profile with
Minella Rocco for the time being following
his odds-on defeat on his chasing debut
at Haydock on Friday.
After impressing in both his starts over
hurdles, the five-year-old was sent off an
8-11 chance to make a winning start over
fences in an extended two-mile-five-furlong
contest at the Lancashire track last Friday.
Despite staying on well after briefly getting
outpaced, the JP McManus-owned gelding
lost his unbeaten status after finishing last
of the three to go to post.
Although the dual hurdles winner is still
as short as 14-1 for the RSA Chase and 12-
1 for the JLT Chase at next year s Chel-
tenham Festival, O Neill is keen to take
things one step at a time before considering
stepping the son of Shirocco up in grade.
He said: "It was a good run from Minella
Rocco. He had done plenty of schooling at
home and he jumped great, he was just not
quite good enough.
"He wasn t beaten that far and once he
got his second wind, he ran on well. It was
his first run and it may have just found him
out a little bit.
"I would not be making any excuses -
he was just beaten by two good horses. We
will give him another run in a similar sort
of chase next time out. He will be a grand
chaser, how good he will be I don t know."
Brothers Dan and Harry Skelton followed up
their big-race success with Baradari at Haydock
last Saturday with a decent double at Lingfield,
Star of the show was Wilton Milan (6-1), who
rallied close home in the hands of Harry Skelton
to regain the lead and snatch victory in the Bet And
Watch At TitanBet.co.uk Intermediate Handicap
The Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old was
involved in a ding-dong battle with long-time leader
Chase The Spud over the final three fences and
looked cooked when headed after jumping the last.
However, Wilton Milan found extra in the dying
strides to grab the verdict by a neck.
"From the ditch to the top of the hill, I just wanted
to hang in there and stay on the bridle for as long
as I could because if you take them off the bridle
there you ve no chance," the jockey told At The
"I thought Paddy (Brennan on Chase The Spud)
had me beat once he jumped the third last, but
then he picked up and he was getting there.
"He was just wandering a bit after the last. Once
Paddy s come to me, he s rallied again."
Master Jake (5-4) favourite) put up a fine round
of jumping in the testing conditions to give 7lb to
all his rivals in the MB Refurbishment Novices
The Irish point-to-point winner followed up his
debut success for the Skelton team over jumps at
Hexham just 11 days earlier in pleasing fashion.
In the front from flag fall, Master Jake answered
every call as he comfortably saw off Alberta to score
by five lengths.
The rider said: "The lads were saying it s very
heavy out there and he has handled conditions.
"The trainer put his foot in the water and came
here after 11 days and it was the right move."
Sirop De Menthe (5-4 favourite) followed up his
victory at Huntingdon three days earlier in emphatic
style in the Download TitanBet Sports App Handicap
A 7lb penalty failed to stop the Sue Gardner-
trained five-year-old from doubling up with the
minimum of fuss.
Sirop De Menthe tracked the pace-setting Reblis
and cruised into the lead two out under the trainer s
daughter, 3lb claimer Lucy, before going on to score
unchallenged by 12 lengths. "It was a bit easier than
at Huntingdon. We ve never run him on ground
that deep before so we were just hoping he would
cope with it and he did do. I was very pleased with
him," said the winning rider.
The weights will rise by nine pounds
for the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury
on Saturday following the withdrawal
of Coneygree which will leave Saphir Du
Rheu as top-weight.
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls feels
the six-year-old s early travails in his novice
season, when he failed to complete in two
of his first three outings over fences and
reverted to hurdles briefly, made a man
"My horse needed that pipe-opener at
Carlisle and will come on tons for the run.
Sam Twiston-Davies schooled him on
Monday morning and he went great,"
"He missed a month before Carlisle as
he got an eye infection and had to go to
Newmarket for surgery.
"Those (early) races were the making
of him and then he went back over fences
and won the Mildmay Novices Chase like
an old pro.
"Saturday will tell us if he is a Gold
Cup candidate this season, or if we must
wait another year. He is only six but has
Kauto Star s pace and Denman s stami-
"To win the Hennessy as a second-sea-
son chaser would be a great effort. There
are horses in it who are a lot more street-
Meanwhile, the 2012 Cheltenham Gold
Cup hero Bobs Worth has been pleasing
Nicky Henderson at home.
Now a 10-year-old, Henderson coaxed
him back to winning form over hurdles
last time out, his first success since winning
the Lexus Chase in December 2013.
As a result of that winless streak, Bobs
Worth has plummeted down the weights
and finds himself able to run this weekend
off a mark some 27lb below his career
Having won the Hennessy in 2012 off
160, he will run off just 153 on Saturday.
"Bobs Worth schooled on Friday and I
have not seen him like that before," Hen-
derson told the Daily Mail. "He was enjoy-
ing it. He loved jumping those hurdles.
"I can t tell you that he is going to win,
but he will be competitive."
Willie Mullins appears to hold all the aces with
four strong entries among a list of eight for Sun-
day s Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle
The Closutton handler has Grade Three winners
Bachasson and Long Dog in contention, as well
as novice scorers Gangster and Thomas Hobson.
Eoin Griffin could be represented by Archive, a
winner at Galway last month, while Gordon Elliott
has Roman Gold, successful at Thurles and Clonmel
Mouse Morris is considering the Grade One con-
test for Baily Cloud, who is on a hat-trick thanks
to victories at Galway and Gowran last month.
Noel Meade looks to Gunnery Sergeant, who
fell at the second-last flight when holding every
chance on his hurdling debut at Gowran at the
weekend won by the Mullins-trainer American
12.30 Pinstripe (e.w)
4.15 Shine Likeadiamond (nap-e.w)
5.45 Mywayistheonlyway (e.w)
'Shine' like a diamond
Saphir could be Hennessy gem
Low-key aim for
Under: (Last Wednesday)
10.30 am 8-21
4 pm 35-34
6.30 pm 1-21
PICK TWO SELECTIONS
Times played this year
10.30am 1pm 4pm 6.30pmTotal
01CENTIPEDE 13 6 8 3 30
02 OLD LADY
04DEADMAN 12 12 5 4 33
05PARSONMAN 5 7 7 5 24
15SICKWOMAN7 6 9 2 24
18WATERBOAT 7 9 7 1 24
10.30am 1pm 4pm 6.30pmTotal
27 LITTLESNAKE 3 5 5 0 13
28 RED FISH
29OPIUMMAN 9 8 8 1 26
30HOUSECAT 7 8 8 2 25
31 PARSONWIFE 11 10 5 3 29
34BLINDMAN 3 7 6 5 21
35BIGSNAKE 10 7 6 2 25
LAST DRAW: TUESDAY
WHEN DE MARK BUSS Play Whe results to Tuesday, November 24
6.30 pm 2
6 (Belly) 6.30 pm
17 6.30 pm
TODAY'S STAR BETS
31 (Parson Wife)
25 (Morocoy) 4 pm
22 (Rat) 10.30 am
34 (Blind Man)
17 (Pigeon) 1 pm
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