GAVIN CROMWELL: Brand Ambassador Gavin Cromwell previews his yard’s weekend runners, including Jeremys Flame who he hopes can be a contender at Cork on Sunday.
Aintree Saturday
We’re looking forward to running Army Of One in the Listed fillies’ juvenile hurdle (2.05pm) at Aintree on Saturday. She came from Germany and she makes her first start for us here. We’re pitching her in at the deep end a bit in that it’s a Listed contest, but what she’s shown us at home has been positive and we’ve been very impressed with her jumping. We’ve got a good record in the race having won it with Jer’s Girl in 2015 and Famous Milly two years later, so we know what sort of filly is needed. We think she’ll be competitive, but she’ll definitely improve on whatever she does.
Navan Saturday
Back in Ireland, we run Five Helmets in the maiden hurdle (11.30am) at Navan. He had some handy bits of form on the Flat when trained by Iain Jardine but has really struggled with his jumping so far for us. He’ll need to brush up on that to be more competitive here.
Next up is Flooring Porter in the Grade B handicap hurdle (1.08pm). We’d be quietly confident about his chances after his good second the last day to Streets Of Doyen, who has come out and won twice since. The track and ground will suit and we’re hopeful of a bold showing, although it’s a very competitive race.
Punchestown Sunday
We kick off a busy Sunday with Railway Hurricane in the rated novice hurdle (12.35pm). Jessica Harrington’s Crosshill looks the one to beat and although there are only five runners, it looks a pretty hot contest on paper. He’s won a couple of times for us this season, but this will be the acid test of where he ranks against some other handy types.
Top Of The Charts has had a little break but he’s ready to start back and he goes in the handicap hurdle (2.10pm). He lost his way a little bit over the summer, but we’ve freshened him up and hopefully we’ll see him in a better light here.
We run three in the beginners chase (2.40pm) in the form of Dakota Beat, Alfa Mix and Calthor.
Dakota Beat did everything but win over the summer and he’s still a maiden as a result. He’s ready to start over fences now and hopefully he can give a good account.
Alfa Mix and Calthor both ran nice races at Navan on their chase debuts. They finished fourth and fifth that day and we’d like to think both will have improved in time for this assignment. It’s not going to be easy with Captain Guinness in there, but both are in good form and should go well.
Averne hasn’t quite done what we’d hoped of him so far unfortunately. He did run better race the last day at Punchestown, though, and we’re hopeful a slight step up in trip in the handicap chase (3.10pm) will bring about some improvement. He could do with jumping a bit better as well.
Cork Sunday
He’sthewon looks up against it in the maiden hurdle (12.52pm). He won’t be seen to better effect till he’s in handicaps.
We’re looking forward to seeing how Jeremys Flame gets on in the Grade 3 mares novice chase (1.55pm). She’s fallen once and unseated the other time so far, but we’re hopeful she’ll finally put it all together here. She jumps perfectly well at home and we think a better race might suit her as opposed to another beginners, so we’re positive about her chances. She’s very talented and if everything falls into place, she’ll be a definite contender.
Stamina Chope ran a good race for us on her debut at Limerick last month on very bad ground. It was a good performance considering she’s just a four-year-old and with natural improvement, we’d hope she’ll be competitive here.
We round things off with Delirious Love in the handicap hurdle (3.30pm). He was a bit disappointing over fences last time, but won well over hurdles the start before, so back over the sampler obstacles, we’d like to think he’ll be there or thereabouts in what doesn’t look the strongest of races.
