Race Time: 2.00pm Meeting: Bangor Day: Wednesday 11th November 2015
Distance: 3m 30yds Full Race Name: Anne Duchess Of Westminster Memorial Handicap Chase Class Two
This has all the possibilities of an absolute cracker of a contest with some top drawer chasers declared at the early stage, many of them more than capable of taking this if at their best come race time. Our first suggestion (each way to be realistic), is the Venetia Williams trained Dare Me (14/1), who is without a doubt the mist illogical choice at first glance that we could have thought of! Two runs last year failed to bring any reward whatsoever, with a fall at Cheltenham behind Annacotty followed by being pulled up at the same venue behind Darna after two pretty awful mistakes, so you may wonder why we have even mentioned the eleven year old son of Bob Back, and the answer is, his trainer. Venetia has won this race last year and in 2012 and in 2010 (so three wins in the last ten years which is pretty impressive), and this horse is her only entry in the race, even at the early stage, so is that a clue? He has, in past season, run some decent enough races in defeat in reasonable races, and the handicapper has put him down a massive two pounds (?), but more intriguingly, he has never tried three miles in his twenty-four race career, and nor has he been to Bangor, so who really knows what to expect?
Alan King is the only other trainer to take this race more than once in the past ten years, and he also relies on a solitary challenger (which makes our life a bit easier) with Araldur (16/1) his weapon of choice. Another elven year old, his age isn’t exactly in his favour (no winners older than nine in the last ten years), yet he is still a class act and has won races (all be it a while ago) off higher ratings so this is not beyond his old abilities. Relatively lightly raced in recent seasons, his chances of success look likely to be reflected in his price, but if he could repeat his chase form of 2011 or earlier (he has been campaigned over hurdles in the last thirteen outings), then he may well make it in to the first four at a massive price for his very astute yard.
Looking at runners with perhaps more realistic chances (and hang the stats), and we do quite like the look of top weight Cloudy Too (10/1) who would have a very serious chance at his best, but we are worried he may find this race comes a bit too soon after his return to action a mere eleven days ago. That was his first run since March and was basically a pipe opener over hurdles, but he has had his issues by the look of it with just the two runs last season, and they can bounce if running again this quickly. He has won twice off of higher handicap marks than he has to carry here, which is very much a positive, but Sue Smith has been having a lot of places lately and very few winners, and he may well need this race as well to put him straight for next time.
Shantou Magic (9/1) had a few options this weekend but connections have decided to run him here, and that may well be a tip in itself. Lightly raced for an eight year old, with just the seven starts (and three wins) over fences, he may have more to offer this season for trainer Charlie Longsdon, and reappeared in a very hot contest at Newton Abbot when looking as if the run would do him a power of good. Sure to strip fitter here, he is currently at the top of our short list with the excellent Will Kennedy in the saddle, and as a course and distance winner who loves the predicted soft going, he has an awful lot going for him today.
Lastly, we also like the look of the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Algernon Pazham (8/1), who has the added benefit of Sam Twiston- Davies in the saddle thanks to the lack of a Paul Nicholls runner. Clearly a bit of a thinker, he refused to race at Uttoxeter back in March which is a serious black mark for us punters, but has won three races in total and placed a further seven times, so if they can sort his head out he may well run a lot better than his odds suggest.