One of Monday’s meetings takes place in the glorious Devon countryside, at Newton Abbot. Far too long since I’ve visited, and in common with many such tracks around the country it provides scenic, rural, grass-roots National Hunt magic.
It’s also the stage for our Monday nap. Feeling good after yesterday’s best bet of the day sluiced up at Epsom, so fingers crossed we can strike again on Monday.
15.45 Newton Abbot – Jet Plane @ 7/4
Jet Plane is a 7-yr-old gelding in the care of trainer Dan Skelton. He started racing life in Point-to-points and performed with promise in the sphere. Good jumping practice, and an early exposure to staying trips.
He was a respectable winning hurdler, but is already a better ‘chaser, rated 124 and coming here after an easy win at Ludlow over this kind of distance in May. I’m banking on Dan and his team having him straight for this first run for 146 days, but I note he had an inmate run very well at Warwick the other day, plus other winners, and of course we’re talking about a tip-top, major yard.
Aged 7, there’s every chance that Jet Plane can build upon that promising first season chasing, and the ready success he achieved at Ludlow. He’s at exactly the right address to do so, and incidentally he’s paid a visit to Newton Abbot before, when a young hurdler.
It’s over these kind of distances, and the bigger obstacles, where surely his best days lie, and though some lively yards oppose (including Tizzard, Twiston-Davies, and Pipe), I’m hoping Jet Plane has that little bit more scope for improvement.
