We were down to one runner on Thursday as Metkayina was a non-runner.
The short-priced Willie Mullins selection was far too free throughout the race, and Danny didn't try and fight her, attempting to make all, which I didn't mind. Whether or not the keeness was a big enough factor for such a poor performance in a weak race, I'm not so sure.
I can't see that mare staying with Mullins for much longer based on that, as she doesn't look top tier.
Titanium Emperor 5/1 – Newcastle
For this bank holiday on Friday, we have the All-Weather Championships up at Newcastle, filled with many competitive races. The smallest field of the card comes in the opener and I am giving a chance to the Irish raider, Titanium Emperor, who was very impressive on his debut at Dundalk just over a month ago.
This race is a bit of a guessing game as we have not seen the highest rated horse in the lineup since an eighth placed finish in the last Group 1 of the year at Doncaster last season, and we have many unexposed horses turning up, which is why I wanted to side with one of the lighter raced horses and I was impressed by the debut of Titanium Emperor, so he got my vote.
This horse has an amazing pedigree, so it's not a surprise that he is a useful horse. He comes from the family that has produced Mr Prospero, My Astra and My Oberon, all three of the horses I've just listed have been placed in Group 1 races, and got better with age, so seeing Titanium Emperor record an RPR of 101 on his debut (higher than any of the three siblings) suggests he could be the best of the three. Obviously, that's a big statement as he has only raced once, but given how forward he is when his pedigree suggests he'll be better in the future, it gives me great optimism that today's race is definitely within his reach.
He beat a decent field at Dundalk, the favourite might have underperformed, but you can only beat what's in front of you, and he did it whilst showing inexperience. He drifted out to the left when leading, but I think that's good to see that he is so raw and is still capable of pumping out decent figures. With that experience under his belt, he could be a bit of a weapon, and Adrian Murray unleashed Elegant Man at this meeting last year, who looked like a beast on the AW.
Heathcliff 11/2 – Newcastle 3.35
The All-Weather Sprint is an ultra-competitive race, and you can give a chance to many in this race, hence why the favourite is 11/2. My selection, Heathcliff, is the current market favourite, which is a tad surprising, but as I've just mentioned, he is 11/2, so he is still good odds.
I liked the look of Fivethousandtoone as he won this race off a few pounds lower last year, and Run Boy Run caught my eye as he ran a big race behind Marshman on his first run of the year, but Heathcliff is a hors I've been a fan of since last season and the way this race will be run should suit his style.
This will be a tough watch as it's a big field, and even though it's a straight track at Newcastle, a lot of hard-luck stories do happen. My horse will be buried away and will be delivered late, so there is a strong possibility that we don't get a run, but that's flat racing in a nutshell. The strong pace will suit Heathcliff, and if getting the splits, I think he will be finishing fast.
He is a C&D winner, and was unlucky in the race Marshamn won in January, as he didn't get the splits at the right time, being closest at the finish. The same comments can be applied from last time out over 7f where he didn't get a run at all and was a huge eyecatcher.
GambleAware