Tuesday 2nd November 2010

Exeter Totesport.com Haldon Gold Cup Chase

Totesport.com Haldon Gold Cup Chase has been won in the past by the likes of Best Mate, Edredon Bleu and Azertyuiop. Miss H C Knight has the best record with four wins in the last ten years, P J Hobbs has two.

One winner in the last ten years had a previous run that season and that was Edredon Bleu in 2003. Looking at the age of the horses that have won over the last ten years and 10yos and over have won four out of fourteen runs.

Twist Magic has lots of winning form in two mile races with six of them graded races and has taken part in this event for the last two years without winning. Finished 3rd last year behind Planet Of Sound and Cornas, he meets the later on the same terms here again today. In 2008 he finished forth, about twenty lengths behind Mahogany Blaze who he also meets on the same terms. Has finished in front of Mahogany Blaze four times but has also behind him in the same number of occasions, did managed to get his head in front of both Chaninbar and Cornas.

Somersby is trained by Miss H C Knight who has won this race four times in the last ten years and has the beating of Tchico Polos at Sandown last December, although these two do look very evenly weighted this time around.

Herecomesthetruth is an 8yo gelding who does have winning form but all over longer distances, generally around two and a half miles. With that said did finish in front of Cornas in a HNF race but that was over three years ago.

Chaninbar had not really done a lot in this class of race until April this year when winning a grade three race at Aintree on good ground, so may not be ideal here today. In addition trainers strike at Exeter is nothing to write home about.

I’msingingtheblues has won six time with the best coming three years in a grade two novice hurdle at Cheltenham, since then has managed to get himself beat by a number of these here today.

Mahogany Blaze has raced against a number of these over the last two years and although he has finished in front of Twist Magic a few time it was only because he had fell. Generally runs in the class of race but does not win and this does look like another one of those races where he will not be the first to the lolly pop.

Cornas is trained by Nick Williams who has a good strike rate and record at this course and appears to be inform. This is an 8yo gelding who has the beating of most of these running here today and won a grade three race at Limerick last time out. Finished second in this race last year and does have winning form at this course, that came last December when winning over two mile one furlong on soft going.

Tchino Polos is trained by P F Nicholls and ridden by Ruby Walsh who are both in form and have excellent strike rates at this course. Not really achieved as much as he should of and if it was not for the fact that the trainer and jockey are who they are I would probable look for another.

The Sawyer has won eight time including two grade three races, the last of which was at Cheltenham in January. Trainer is not know for making appearances in the winners enclosure here at Exeter and with a long layoff since his last race and a claimer onboard, others make more appeal.