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Percy Preview 2025
By Peter Burgon
It's a case of quality over quantity at the Ratcheugh Farm course near Alnwick on Sunday 26th January where the Percy fixture has 62 entries on a seven race card starting at 12.00pm.
The star attraction is former 167-rated chaser Saint Calvados, who will be ridden by Nick Orpwood in the 2m4f Men's Open Race. Successful nine times under Rules, with eight of them at trips up to 2m2f, the Harry Whittington-trained 12-year-old has amassed more than £400,000 prize-money in an illustrious career. The closest he came to a Cheltenham Festival victory was in 2020 when finishing a neck 2nd to Min in the Ryanair Chase, and his last win came in the 2m6f bet365 Oaksey Chase at Sandown Park in April 2022.
The other 5 entries are Bardenstown Lad (right) who finished twenty three lengths 5th to Lift Me Up in a Warwick Hunters' Chase earlier in the week, Emir Sacree, Frankies Fire, Jetaway Joey and Paramaribo. Former Nicky Henderson-trained 130-rated hurdler Emir Sacree showed his best form under Rules at this trip with cut in the ground and recorded his last win in a Class 3 Chepstow Chase in March 2022. Frankies Fire has recorded 6 wins and 5 placings from 14 Pointing starts but has been very lightly campaigned in recent seasons, while Jetaway Joey also produced his best form under Rules over this trip and it's worth noting he was only narrowly beaten by Diable De Sivola on his seasonal debut in the 2023 West Percy equivalent under Jack Andrews.
There are 7 entries for the opening Yorkshire Air Ambulance four-and-five-years old Maiden Race, with the likelihood of five or less runners. Jack Teal can choose between Liveyourbestlife and debutant Masterofexpression, the Gina Andrews-trained debutant Radical Optimism has been ready to run for a while but previous targets were thwarted by meetings being abandoned, Thyme Hill's half-brother Kingofthestreets has the benefit of a recent debut outing at Chaddesley Corbett in his locker, while Westerner's Way unseated five out on his sole outing last season in the Dingley Maiden won by Kdeux Saint Fray.
Courting Flow (right) looks the one to beat in the 3m Conditions Race (11 entries). He won last season's Percy Restricted over the same trip and boasts form figures of 211 at Alnwick. Proven stayer Cool Desire has run well here in the past and rarely finishes out of the frame, former 148-rated chaser Killer Clown has a fitness advantage over most of his rivals having already enjoyed four outings this term including a Knightwick win over a shorter trip in November, while Not The Chablis might make a quick reappearance under a 3lb penalty following last Sunday's cosy success at Friars Haugh under Jess Jubb.
The 3m Ladies Open Race has 10 entries including the aforementioned Bardenstown Lad and Killer Clown. Alnwick specialist Dundrum Wood (left) boasts form figures of 11112 at the track and looked as good as ever on his reappearance when runner-up to Wild Romance in a high quality 14-runner Ratcheugh Racing Club Mixed Open, the ultra-consistent Ballydonagh Boy is more likely to run at Sheriff Hutton on Saturday, while recent course winner Kingrullah and ex-chaser Rath An Iuir are also entered in the 3m NPPA Conditions Race.
The 3m Maiden Race has 13 entries and one that takes the eye is the Gina Andrews-trained debutant Caractacus Potts who is sure to be fully tuned up. Of the others, the step up in trip should suit Great Notions (left, maroon) who finished two lengths 2nd to Batsman Jack at Alnwick six weeks ago, while Welshpool raider Walk Easy was placed in 7 of 10 Pointing starts in Ireland last season in the space of eighteen weeks. Where's Willy is expected to come on a lot for his first run over fences in the Ratcheugh Racing Club Restricted, while Bean Norty (4th) and Notnowbob (5th) were beaten around fifteen lengths in last month's Alnwick Maiden won by Slaney Opera.
Last month's Alnwick Maiden winners Batsman Jack and Slaney Opera (right) have scope for further improvement and are set to meet in the 2m4f Restricted Race (8 entries). The other recent Maiden winner in the field is Warwickshire raider Call Me Early who scored by three lengths at Horseheath on December 31. Something Golden finished 4th in last week's Jedforest equivalent and should come on for the run, while Alice Dawson's in-form yard is represented by Wottinger who dead-heated first time out at Sheriff Hutton twelve months ago.
Admission is £15 per person, with under 16's free (Cash only).
The Ratcheugh Farm course is about 3 miles NE of Alnwick and is signposted from the A1. The post code is NE66 3AD.
The 7 entries for the concluding 3m NPPA Conditions Race include the aforementioned trio of Kingrullah, Not The Chablis (left) and Rath An Iuir. Proven stayer Rath An Iuir won five times under Rules on soft or heavy ground when trained by Rose Dobbin, with the most recent success coming in a 3m2f Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase at Kelso in December 2023. Jimmy Walton's home-bred mare West Lawn is back in calmer waters after finishing twenty lengths 3rd to Learntalot in last week's 3m4f Jedforest Mixed Open, Up With The Play has been off the track since finishing 3rd in an Alnwick Restricted in January 2023, and the list is completed by Western Run who was a dual Overton Mixed Open winner under Ben Smith in 2023.