Mistral can make Diamond sparkle - 06/02/04

Wetherby racecourse has been waterlogged all week, but conditions have been improving. There was to be an inspection this afternoon.

Fingers are firmly crossed that this cracking meeting, offering more than £100,000 in prize money, can be saved.

Chief executive Tim Betteridge said that if it remained dry today they might be in with a chance.

First things first, however, and Sandown's feature race, the £50,000 Agfa Diamond Handicap Chase looks a great opportunity for course specialist Kings Mistral to hit the jackpot and justify my Nap vote.

A lightly-raced 11-year-old, Kings Mistral holds the distinction of having gained five wins from eight attempts over this course and distance.

Although slightly below-par at Haydock last time, Kings Mistral will surely be revitalized by returning to his beloved Sandown. A bold bid is anticipated in this cracking three-miler.

Rhinestone Cowboy, a winner at Wetherby exactly a year ago, aims to put his career back on track in the £25,000 Agfa Hurdle.

A facile winner on his reappearance at Haydock, Jonjo O'Neill's charge subsequently ran well below expectations when tackling a Grade 1 race at Leopardstown.

Winner of four races last season before finishing third to Rooster Booster in the Champion Hurdle, Rhinestone Cowboy certainly deserves the chance to bounce back from that disappointment. With the soft ground in his favour, he will surely be hard to beat.

The £60,000 Tote Scoop6 Handicap Hurdle, the richest race of the day, has been largely hi-jacked by Baracouda, Europe's top stayer, whose prescence in the field has resulted in his nine much-inferior rivals all being out of the handicap to varying degrees.

Baracouda has 11st 12lb to carry, but his proven class should stand him in comfortable stead, and he is confidently expected to come through this test with flying colours before heading to Cheltenham to defend his crown in the Stayers' Hurdle.

Also worth looking out for on a superb card at Sandown is the useful Patricksnineteenth in the valuable Scilly Isles Novices Chase, along with the Paul Nicholls-trained pair, the hugely-promising Kjetil (1.20) and the progressive Onwardsandupwards (4.35).

Nicholls will also be strongly represented at Wetherby, not least with Le Passing in the £30,000 Propencity Rossington Main Novices' Hurdle.

A model of consistency this season, Joe Tizzard's mount has twice won and twice finished second in his four starts. He threatens to be a match for any in this Grade 2 contest.

In the £35,000 Weatherbys Bank Towton Novices' Chase Ballycassidy will be a hard to beat in this long-distance event.

Tough, talented and consistent, Peter Bowen's gelding made the high-class Strong Flow fight hard at Kempton on Boxing Day before eventually finishing second.

Tom Best failed in his bid to get a two-day ban for careless riding overturned on appeal at a hearing of the Jockey Club disciplinary panel.

Best was hit with the ban after steering Historic Place to victory in the bumper at Ascot on January 31. The panel heard evidence from Best, and James Davies, the rider of runner-up Senor Sedona and also viewed video recordings of the race.

They found that Historic Place had interfered with Senor Sedona inside the final furlong and that it was caused by careless riding on the part of Best, in that he allowed his horse to drift across to the stand rail without taking reasonable steps to prevent the interference from occurring.

The panel therefore dismissed his appeal and suspended him from riding on February 11 and 12.

Saturday's tips:

Sandown

1.20 Kjetil, 1.55 Rhinestone Cowboy, 2.25 Patricksnineteenth, 3.00 Baracouda, 3.35 Kings Mistral (Nap), 4.05 Log On Intersky, 4.35 Onwardsandupwards.

Wetherby (inspection this afternoon)

1.05 Ireland's Eye, 1.40 Asparagus, 2.10 Le Passing, 2.40 Ballycassidy, 3.15 Nas Na Riogh, 3.50 Master Wood, 4.25 Icy Blast.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Chepstow (inspection this afternoon) and Lingfield.

Updated: 12:12 Friday, February 06, 2004