NTF Eyecatchers: 09-09-19

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A busy old time ahead on the racing front under both codes this week, what with the seven day Listowel Harvest Festival (Kerry National analysis here on the free blog on Wednesday) and the four day Doncaster St Leger Festival to keep us all entertained.

The Listowel Festival is generally a meeting that Willie Mullins runs riot at, with 47 winners to his name in the past ten seasons (add another two to that total from this Sunday!), a full 24 26 ahead of his nearest rival! Expect the master trainer to be further adding to that total this year.

It’s also worth taking note of any Joseph O’Brien runners as well, particularly his non-handicap hurdlers that are aged 3yo – 5yo. In the past three season’s that group have returned the following…

6/13 | 46% S/R | +£48.06 BFLSP – W&P 8/13 | 62% S/R

104% above expectation and a 370% ROI (Betfair)

He almost added to that total on the opening day of the Listowel Festival (Sunday) with A WAVE OF THE SEA, who finished 0.5L second in the opening race of the meeting. Early days yet for O’Brien junior but some promising stats taking shape and potentially worth keeping on your radar…

I’ll leave more jumping talk for later in the week though (remember and check back in for the Listowel Kerry National Analysis) and focus on the job in hand, with the latest NTF Eyecatchers update ready and waiting for you below…

Eyecatchers report: 1st – 7th September

Thursday 5th

ROTHERWICK (4th of 6 at Salisbury – SP 17/2)

Another solid effort but he’s just not quite getting there at the minute. I wonder if he just needs a larger field to tow him into the race these days…

Don’t want to be sticking with him too long as he could become expensive to follow, maybe another run or two to see if he can get the job done…

Friday 6th

CUBA RUBA (4th of 7 at Musselburgh – SP 11/2)

Significantly quicker ground that what he won on last time out (win came on Good to Soft, this was Good to Firm) and he just couldn’t get going in the closing stages.

He looks like one who just needs a bit of juice underfoot to show his best (Good to Soft or softer) so he’s easily forgiven this run.

He could go in again before the season is out if they can find some softer ground for him.

Now for the latest NTF Eyecatcher…

NTF Eyecatchers

RHYTHMIC INTENT

6th in the C2 Lavazza Stakes Handicap (Ascot– 07-09-19)

This was a significant step up in class from anything the Lope De Vega 3yo had faced in his seven race career to date but he coped admirably and you’d have to say he was a tad unlucky not to finish closer than he did. He met plenty trouble in running throughout the final furlong or so and although there was never serious infringements it was enough for jockey John Egan to have to make continual adjustments and positional switches to his run.

He finished strongly when he did eventual find a clear path but by then the race was all but done and dusted. Nevertheless this still registered as another progressive effort and one that suggested his current mark of OR 84 is well within range for him.

He entered this contest off the back of an impressive maiden victory at Newbury, a race that has already started to work out well, with the runner-up winning next time out and the third just failing to score by less than a length on his next start.

He handles softer ground than the Good to Firm he faced on this occasion so it’s unlikely he’ll be inconvenienced by any changing conditions in the next few weeks and with the Stuart Williams yard in fine fettle recently (3 winners in the last week from 12 starters) it would be disappointing should this youngster not open his handicap account in coming starts.

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RHYTHMIC INTENT has been added to the eyecatchers page along with the rest of the eyecatchers squad, making it easy for you to keep a track of them in one place.

Before I go I also want to point you towards a list of unexposed handicappers that myself and my good pal Tony McCormick put together a couple of weeks ago (I have mentioned it previously).

There were four qualifiers on the list on Saturday (7th September), with two of them landing themselves in the winners enclosure. Indeed one of them was APPARATE (SP 8-1), who won the Ascot handicap that RHYTHMIC INTENT ran in.

The list has been ticking along just sweetly and hopefully there will be a few more winners from it in the coming weeks.

Grab the Unexposed handicappers list here.

I’ll leave you today with the legend that is Johnny Cash…

Ben (NTF)