Searching The Timeform Sectional Archive: Horses To Follow

As August passes into September, a horseracing enthusiast’s fancies turn to…..well, they could turn to almost anything, in truth.

It is the time of year when quality jumps racing is back on the horizon, when the all-weather season is about to step up a gear, and when the turf Flat season starts to settle many of the scores set up in the preceding months while establishing plenty of other scores for the months ahead.

Whatever is your “poison”, Timeform has a Sectional Archive which covers recent events in that field. Earlier blogs - Flat turf Racing and Jumps Racing - have looked at how those Archives can be mined for useful general information. In this blog, the author will put his neck on the block and pick out half a dozen sectional horses to follow from those Archives. Flat and jumps, Britain and Ireland, all manner of racing is covered therein.

Betameche (5yo, trained by Dan Skelton) Trainer Dan Skelton has been in the news this summer for his touching tribute to his Olympian father Nick, and junior could have a gold-medal type on his hands in Betameche, who won both his starts in bumpers last season. The first of them was when trained by Nicky Richards, and the second of them came in tremendous style at Wetherby. Betameche ran the last 2.7f at Wetherby (from where the third-last flight would have been) in 35.7s, which only a potentially useful-or-better performer should have been able to do given the overall time. The stable has indicated that the son of Kapgarde will go straight over hurdles, and he looks the type to take high rank among the novices of 2016/17. 

Glencadam Glory (2yo, trained by John Gosden) Like his sire, Nathaniel, Glencadam Glory made his debut in the mile maiden for two-year-olds at Newmarket in the middle of August, and like his sire he was well backed but found one too good. In Nathaniel’s case, the “one too good” was Frankel – who turned out OK – while Glencadam Glory went down by three quarters of a length to the enterprisingly-ridden Ghayyar. It would surely have been a different story if Glencadam Glory had the winner’s experience or raced a bit closer. Glencadam Glory ran the last 3f in 35.13s (107.4% finishing speed), leading to an upgrade of fully 22 lb. He looks a banker for a similar event and could well be contesting good races not much further down the line.  

Let's Twist (4yo, trained by Kristin Stubbs) Most significant sectional upgrades come from horses finishing quickly, but some of the more interesting ones come from those who ran too hard early and completed slowly. Let’s Twist ran in that fashion in a handicap at Newcastle recently but still hung on for second behind a revitalised (and much more patiently ridden) War Department. A 6-lb upgrade suggests that Let’s Twist should have been clear of the pack not alongside it, and a slightly more efficient ride could yet see him add to his two wins from four starts in 2015. Those wins were on turf (at Catterick and Beverley) but Newcastle showed for sure that Tapeta is no problem either.

Mustashry (3yo, trained by Sir Michael Stoute) “A Group horse in a handicap” is a blood-stirring phrase, sadly too often bandied around only when the horse in question has little prospect of capitalising in handicaps any longer. Hopefully Mustashry will get one more chance at differential weights because his second at the York Ebor Meeting suggests he is still well ahead of a BHA mark which has risen from 100 to 104 since. The leaders in the mile handicap he contested that day went too fast, but Mustashry was still quite a bit further back than ideal, and his last 3f of 33.87s (107.2% finishing speed) was notably fast in the circumstances. He failed by half a length to catch Firmament but sectional upgrading has him best in the race by a comfortable margin. Whether at a mile or a bit further, in a handicap or in a Group race, Mustashry should prove himself a very smart performer before long. 

Queen Deirdre (4yo, trained by Willie Mullins) The Galway Festival in late-July represents quite a test for both man and horse, and it can be easy to miss a promising effort among the hundreds of runners when it occurs. In among this year’s jamboree, Willie Mullins unleashed what looks a very promising young bumper filly in Queen Deirdre, who took a 16-runner race at odds on by 12 lengths. Not only was the overall time good compared to the two other hurdle races on the same card, sectionals show that Queen Deirdre was still running fast at the end rather than that her rivals were slowing to any meaningful degree. Mullins will have a nuclear arsenal of bumper horses to go to war with this winter, but it would be no surprise if Queen Deirdre is up there with the best of them.

Western Duke (2yo, trained by Ralph Beckett) Western Duke made his debut in what sectionals said was a good race at Sandown in July and duly won on his next appearance at Doncaster. The latter contest turned into something of a sprint, which was unlikely to have suited the son of High Chaparral, and so did his latest start at Ripon, where he was second of three to the useful Permian. Western Duke ran the last three furlongs in 33.90s that day, so it was neither a surprise nor a disgrace that he could not run even quicker and win, still looking green. That has landed the attractive colt a mark of 89, which probably underestimates him to the tune of several pounds (Permian has been beaten at Newcastle since but went too fast, as sectionals show).

Sectional times, finishing speed %s and, more recently, sectional upgrades are all to be found in the Archives. And, of course, you can add any horses which catch your eye – such as the above, perhaps – to the free “My Timeform – Tracker” so that you do not miss when they run next.