War Painter can narrow the gap for Richard Hughes
With a couple of days of uncertainty ahead for Richard Hughes in terms of attaining attractive rides, today could be his best chance to narrow the deficit on Paul Hanagan in the jockeys’ championship.
Hughes has 12 rides today compared to Hanagan’s nine, and his best one looks to be with the Sylvester Kirk-trained War Painter in the Bet Europe League Football - Betdaq Novice Stakes.
The selection won on his only previous start in what looked, on paper, as just an ordinary maiden at Kempton. But the style in which he won the race was rather impressive and the third that day has gone on to frank the form by winning next time out. You would expect that War Painter would have come on from that run, and even though this looks a huge step up in class, with Satin Love and Conducting previously running in Group races, it will be disappointing if he fails to continue his unbeaten run.
Hughes takes the ride aboard the quirky three-year-old Rule of Nature for Sir Michael Stoute in the Betdaq The Betting Exchange Handicap, which some may look on as an unusual booking considering he’s only ridden for Stoute on three occasions this season. But preference goes to Seek The Fair Land, who has never finished out of the frame at Lingfield on his five previous starts on the all-weather course. He may be able to get a soft lead in a race filled with hold-up horses and could be hard to catch.
Hinton Admiral on his form as a three-year-old, where he won a Listed race over today’s course and distance for then trainer Mark Johnson, would pick up and carry his opponents over the line in the first division of Cocktails Un Limited Handicap.
But, three years on, and his fall from grace has been rather staggering. He’s now under the new guidance of Paul Howling and he has dropped to rating of 72 following two seasons of inconsistency. Despite the markets giving him no-chance what-so ever today, he does throw in a performance now and again which suggests he does retain some of his old ability - including a four-length win in a Wolverhampton claimer in July and a success in a selling race at Lingfield earlier in the season.
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