Mozzie can be a mate to punters

Graeme Rodway picks eight potential stars who have shown the key ability to jump quickly and accurately in strongly run races

I’VE often heard Ruby Walsh say “run the Graded horses in the Graded races and the handicappers in the handicaps”, but the allure of handicaps for punters is trying to find the next Graded horse who is on their way up through the ranks and might be a ‘good thing’.

There have been plenty of fans’ favourites who made their name in handicaps on their way to stardom. Flooring Porter, Not So Sleepy, Paisley Park, Tommy’s Oscar, Sire Du Berlais and even State Man have won handicaps before going on to make their mark in Graded company.

So handicaps aren’t just for handicappers. They are far more important in the jumping food chain than that and there aren’t many better ways for us punters to make a few quid than finding the next star lining up in one. The odds on offer in such races are usually generous.

One key difference between this category and handicap chases is that hurdles are usually run at a generous, endto-end pace and the key to success is jumping fast and low. With that in mind, I like to concentrate on horses who are proven at such a test and have run fast times.

Here are eight horses who have done just that and can pay their way in handicaps this season.

I Am Maximus

Six-year-old bay gelding Trainer Nicky Henderson OR 134h Best RPR 142 Claimed a big scalp as a bumper horse when beating My Drogo and made a good start to hurdling last season with a close third at Exeter followed by a maiden win at Newbury.

He was beaten by the classy Hillcrest on his next start before connections opted to run in the Grade 1 Ballymore at the festival rather than taking advantage of what looks like a very good mark of 134 in a handicap hurdle.

Having finished a distant fourth to Sir Gerhard at Cheltenham, he remains on the same handicap mark and should prove better than 134 if connections keep him over hurdles this campaign.

✪✪✪ ✪✪ First Street

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Trainer Nicky Henderson OR 147h Best RPR 147 There aren’t many stronger handicap hurdles run all season than the County at the Cheltenham Festival and last season’s contest was won in a quick time by State Man.

The form is rock solid. The winner went on to land a Grade 1 novice hurdle at the Punchestown festival, fourthplaced West Cork was second in the Scottish Champion Hurdle and the well-held tenth Felix Desjy won a redMullins hot handicap hurdle at Punchestown.

Not a lot went right for First Street in the County. He got caught on the inside of the track when the majority of the principals went around the outer and then he flew home when in the clear to chase State Man all the way to the line.

He just couldn’t get to the top-class winner.

First Street pulled nicely clear of the remainder and can be forgiven a disappointing run in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Aintree on his next start when he was turned out quickly after a hard race.

He still has lots of scope for improvement from a mark of 147 over hurdles and might appreciate a step up in trip. He was no stronger than at the finish at Cheltenham in March.

✪✪✪✪ ✪ Maze Runner 7bg

Trainer Willie Mullins

OR 135h Best RPR 141

Maze Runner has quickly developed into a smart dualpurpose performer for Willie and acquitted himself well in three red-hot handicap hurdles towards the end of last season.

He was sixth of 24 at the Dublin Racing Festival, fifth of 23 in the Coral Cup and then an even better third of 25 at the Punchestown festival. It’s a matter of time before he wins one.

Maze Runner has thrived on the Flat this summer, following his victory in a Curragh handicap with a keeping-on second of 20 in a competitive race at the Galway festival in July.

The Irish handicapper has put him up 2lb for his third at Punchestown on his latest run over hurdles, but he is still quite unexposed in handicap contests and evidently loves the hustle and bustle of a big field. He should make his mark at least once this winter, particularly on soft ground.

✪✪✪ ✪✪ Might I 6bg

Trainer Harry Fry

OR 142h Best RPR 141 Bumped into the formidable novice hurdle trio of Constitution Hill, Jonbon and Three Stripe Life last season, but his second behind the last-named in the Grade 1 Mersey Novices’

Hurdle was his best run to date.

He’s six, so connections could opt to go chasing this season, but they will be tempted to have at least one attempt at a big handicap hurdle off what looks a lenient mark of 142.

A stongly run Greatwood Hurdle might be right up his street and races such as the Martin Pipe or Coral Cup could be on the cards later in the season if connections decide to swerve a chasing campaign.

✪✪✪ ✪✪ Moriko De Vassy 5bg

Trainer Tom Symonds

OR 125h Best RPR 125

Tom Symonds has a good prospect in Moriko De Vassy, who would have given the now 133-rated Balco Coastal a race under a 7lb penalty at Huntingdon in December but for falling at the second last. On that form alone a mark of 125 looks lenient.

Moriko De Vassy proved he was smart when defying a penalty to beat Great Heart’Jac and Russian Ruler at Doncaster on his next start and you can ignore his last run at Kempton.

He finished last of eight there in the Dovecote, but rider Aidan Coleman reported that he was never travelling. He was examined by the vet after the race and, while nothing showed up, it wasn’t his form.

He is a strong traveller who should be suited by a fast-run big-field race and, while it might take some time before we see him because all of his form has come on ground with good in the description, he looks sure to make his mark in time when conditions have dried enough.

✪✪✪ ✪✪ My Mate Mozzie

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Trainer Gavin Cromwell

OR 141h Best RPR 144

If there was one runner who disappointed me more than any other last season, it was My Mate Mozzie, who looked like a top-class horse in the autumn but was strangely campaigned afterwards.

He is a fluent jumper when on his game and made the first mistake of his career at the last in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse. But for that he would be a Grade 1 winner.

Trainer Gavin Cromwell put My Mate Mozzie away for a couple of months after that first defeat over hurdles and brought him back in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown, where he was given no chance after being held up a long way out the back. He pulled too hard and came home tailed off.

He showed more sparkle when eighth behind State Man and First Street in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham on his next start but was then switched to the Flat for three of his next four outings without any success. That made little sense given how well he jumps his hurdles.

My Mate Mozzie never got into the Galway Hurdle after being held up, which wouldn’t have suited as he is at his best under a prominent attacking ride. But he did bounce back to form when ridden with the pace at Listowel last month, finishing third of 17 in a hot handicap hurdle.

That was a step back in the right direction and he

definitely has the ability to win handicap hurdles off his current mark going righthanded on decent ground.

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✪✪✪✪ Russian Ruler 5 bb g

Trainer Nicky Henderson

OR - Best RPR 128

There was a lot of talk about this lightly raced Warwick bumper winner when he made his debut over hurdles at Doncaster in January but he was undone by inexperience and finished only third as 13-8 favourite. It was still a promising debut and he came on for it next time out.

It was a big step up to the Grade 2 Dovecote at Kempton and he comfortably turned the tables on the horse who beat him at Doncaster, Moriko De Vassy, when fifth of eight to the classy Aucunrisque and illfated Shallwehaveonemore. That was a much-improved effort.

Nicky Henderson didn’t run Russian Ruler again last season and that has kept his novice status intact for this campaign. He looks just shy of the top level but has huge potential when he is switched to handicaps and it would be no surprise if he won a novice along the way.

He has yet to be allotted a handicap mark, but his Kempton conqueror Aucunrisque was rated only 126 then (now 138) and Russian Ruler surely can’t be given anything higher than that provided connections go low-key for his novice. He would look well treated off anything in the 120s.

✪✪✪ ✪✪ Saint Felicien 5 br g Trainer Gordon Elliott OR 147h Best RPR 153

No list of handicappers would be complete without an entry for handicap king Gordon Elliott and I’ll be surprised if he can’t get the best out of Saint Felicien this season.

The lightly raced five-yearold ran the smart Darasso to three and a quarter lengths when second to him in a

Grade 3 event at Naas in January on just his second start in Ireland.

Elliott put Saint Felicien away to protect his handicap mark after that, with a view to a crack at the Coral Cup at Cheltenham, but the weather threw an unexpected spanner in the works. That race was run after a deluge of rain on Wednesday and Saint Felicien prefers better ground.

He was pulled up and not given a hard race by Robbie Power when his chance had gone.

There is little doubt Saint Felicien remains a good horse waiting to happen and a mark of 147 is potentially exploitable in handicap company. In the long term he looks a Graded performer.

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