Racing Post

Take the risk on Ralph chaser when he’s sent left-handed

Andrew Mount

Risk D’Argent

Ninth, 2m handicap chase, Hereford, Monday, January 30

Risk D’Argent failed to handle the right-handed track on his chase debut and can be given another chance.

In recent years, Alastair Ralph has shown a profit with chase debutants who go straight into handicaps rather than take the novice/beginners’ chase route, and his seven-year-old Risk D’Argent was all the rage for the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Handicap Chase at Hereford on Monday, going off 100-30 favourite.

His connections had identified a weak race, but unfortunately for them Risk D’Argent had never raced righthanded before and clearly hated it, jumping out to his left throughout the 2m contest.

It was obvious after three or four fences that he wasn’t going to be involved at the business end and he did well to complete the course given the amount of ground his wayward jumping cost him, coming home 34 lengths behind the winner in ninth place.

This run is easily forgiven and he can be supported when next asked to race on a left-handed track.

Front View Seventh, 2m1f handicap hurdle, Cheltenham, Saturday, January 28

Front View caught the eye in mid-division on his debut for Jonjo O’Neill and should find a race or two for his new handler.

Front View, winner of a bumper, maiden hurdle and beginners’ chase in Ireland when trained by Joseph O’Brien, ran a race full of promise in the 2m1f SSS Super Alloys Handicap Hurdle on his first start for O’Neill.

Sent off at 80-1, the lightly raced eight-year-old kept on from a midfield sit to finish just over seven lengths back in seventh of the 15 runners, leaving the firm impression that he would have been closer with more vigorous handling.

He started as favourite for the 2020 Martin Pipe race at the Cheltenham Festival, finishing ninth of 23 after failing to see out the trip, and perhaps we’ll see him contest the County Hurdle this year.

Scarpia

Third, 3m1f handicap hurdle, Huntingdon, Friday, January 27 Scarpia returned to form with a close-up 40-1 third and should be winning again soon.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Scarpia had been pulled up on his reappearance at Sandown in early December but that run, his first since a wind operation, was clearly needed.

He showed plenty more in the

Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at Huntingdon last Friday, clearly appreciating the better ground on his way to a length-and-a-half third at 40-1.

He fared best of those to come from off the pace in a race run to suit prominent types and now has form

figures in handicap hurdles on good to soft or faster going of 281R3 (1-5).

The win came at left-handed Plumpton but he sometimes jumps out to his right and is likely to prove best when racing in a clockwise direction.

NEWS

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2023-02-01T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-02-01T08:00:00.0000000Z

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