Ante-Post Focus

Published 25/02/26

KING’S THRESHOLD was a frustrating, late non-runner for this column in last month’s Great Yorkshire Chase - due to unsuitably testing ground according to his stable - so fingers crossed he gets the all-clear at Doncaster this Saturday for the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase - live on Sky Sports Racing.

Emma Lavelle’s nine-year-old was declared on soft/heavy at the 48-hour stage on that occasion - perhaps, despite the weather forecast at the time, the yard harboured hopes of a miraculous drying-out period from the Thursday morning onwards - but presumably conditions will now be more to their liking.

At the time of writing, it’s officially “good to soft” on the chase course at Town Moor, with a mixture of drying weather and light rain forecast for the rest of the week.

The selection has won on soft ground and run well on heavy previously, but it’s fair to say his best performances, class and ratings-wise, have come on good/good to soft, most notably in the Mandarin at Newbury when last seen just after Christmas.

The now 137-rated chaser was confirming the promise of his previous run there a month earlier, when he stayed on well over 2m6f, clearly appreciating the extra half-mile that he will tackle here if allowed to take his chance.

A big, late-maturing horse, this 6lb higher mark should be well within his compass, and it bears worth repeating that distances in excess of three miles should bring out the best in him as a close relative of smart marathon chasers Captain Cattistock and Bretney.

Published 17/02/26

It’s a two-pronged each-way approach at huge prices for me following publication of weights for the Randox Grand National - starting with GORGEOUS TOM, representing 2021-winning trainer Henry de Bromhead.

The eight-year-old has yet to win over three miles-plus, hence his slipping under the radar for the Aintree marathon, but the stamina potential is there, both on pedigree and his plugging-on fourths in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last March and the Coral Gold Cup eight months later.

In the latter event over 3m2f at Newbury, this close relative of 2013 Grand National runner-up Cappa Bleu did well to finish so close after being badly disadvantaged by the false starts fiasco - encouragingly, fellow chief sufferers Pic Roc and The Doyen Chief have both won since to give the form a boost (ditto race winner Panic Attack).

De Bromhead has kept the selection’s powder dry in the interim, the upshot of which is he gets to race off the same mark here for only his second handicap try (at time of writing) and open to further improvement after just eight chase starts featuring two wins, a second and three Grade 1 fourths.

The trainer has indicated “better ground” is ideal, but I wouldn’t give up hope in more testing conditions based on the gelding’s strong maiden hurdle form on soft/heavy, including behind subsequent Cheltenham Festival winners Slade Steel and Caldwell Potter.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE is an old pal of mine and - boasting a progressive record of five wins, three seconds and two thirds in 11 career starts - has to remain of interest off a mark that should sneak him in at the foot of the weights (would have got in all last ten renewals, including the most recent since reduced safety limit introduced).

He’s only a pound higher than when mugged on the line in the Silver Cup at Ascot where he edged left on the run-in and allowed winner Deep Cave up his inside, since when trainer Anthony Honeyball interestingly said in a Stable Tour on attheraces.com that he’s probably better suited by a flat, left-handed track.

Aintree, where he was an excellent third in the bumper at this meeting four years ago, fits the bill and it’s not difficult to imagine this sure-footed, front-running jumper taking to these fences and perhaps stretching his rivals back on better ground, granted normal spring weather (for instance, gets a 16lb pull with Haiti Couleurs on their Denman Chase running on heavy).

Published 30/12/25

For all that the King George VI Chase was a Christmas cracker of a race the individual performance that’s impressed me most over the festive period is that of MAMBONUMBERFIVE, who appeals as a lively outsider for the Arkle Challenge Trophy.

Ben Pauling’s gelding has rattled off a most progressive hat-trick in the first half of the season, culminating in that ultimately decisive success in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton 24 hours after stablemate The Jukebox Man had so narrowly prevailed in the Boxing Day showpiece.

His time was only three-tenths of a second slower than the Desert Orchid Chase over the same trip barely 30 minutes later and though he carried 5lb less than the winner of that race, Thistle Ask, he had difficulties to overcome - unlike Dan Skelton’s rapidly improving trailblazer (now rated 158).

Those were respective course record times but whereas the latter didn’t see another rival apart from 150-1 shot Calgary Tiger, who finished tailed off, Mambonumberfive had to come from the rear after being taken off his feet early and jumping less fluently than on his previous starts over fences.

He also tended to jump out to the left down the back straight - a plus where Cheltenham is concerned (note his earlier chase wins were at left-handed Aintree and Newbury) - yet despite being on the back foot round a speed-favouring track, still managed to sluice through the field from three out and forge clear approaching the last.

So far, he’s made full use of his 4yo weight allowance, which is about to disappear, but that shouldn’t detract from his standing as a big, powerful horse open to further improvement - especially on a stiffer track and with more cut in the ground, according to his trainer.

Raised 6lb for his latest win to 146, he’s still got the best part of a stone to find on current official ratings with Arkle hotpots Lulamba and Kopek Des Bordes, winners of their combined three starts over fences.

Both were even higher rated over hurdles than the selection, but he’s maturing quickly (settling a lot better over fences, hence his only course run - on stable debut - is easily excused) and assembling place claims at least for a burgeoning yard that has already confirmed this as a definite target.