Marten Julian’s Weekly Roundup 11 November 2024

I want to start with a few words about King Turgeon, who won the Grand Sefton Handicap at Aintree on Saturday.

As those of you who subscribe to the Weekend Card and Daily Bulletin were aware, I was very keen on his chance on Saturday following his hugely impressive seasonal debut at Chepstow 10 days earlier.

It is a long time since I’ve seen a horse jump fences with such speed and alacrity as he did at Chepstow, almost appearing to hurdle a few and clearing others with feet to spare. Furthermore he came away from the fences with great momentum and won eased down by 10 lengths.

It was a breathtaking display and one that you should make time to see if you have access to the footage.

Someone had odds of 80 on Betfair when the market opened for the Grand Sefton, and he was generally 33/1 at the time with the bookmakers, but he steadily dropped in price and on the day he was supported from 6/1 to 9/2.

Once again he jumped extremely well and despite being 2lbs out of the handicap he won by three and a quarter lengths, putting in the fastest comparative time of the day. The Chepstow race was over 3m 2f and this was 2m 5f, so he has plenty of options in the coming weeks.

Furthermore last season he acted in heavy ground, so the Welsh National may be a suitable target for him.

I expect his mark to rise by 7 or 8lbs on Tuesday, leaving him on 136 or 137.

Although he was a fair performer last season, winning once and twice finishing second, he is only a six-year-old so should have plenty more improvement to come. He had wind surgery in August, which may account for his improvement, and it would not surprise me to see this horse progress beyond handicap class.

King Turgeon is one of the most promising young chasers I have seen for many a year.

Crest Of Fortune, the first of my Dark Horses to run this season, was a most impressive winner of the 2m 4f maiden hurdle at Ffos Las on Sunday.

I was beginning to wonder whether he was having an educational spin round when he was still in arrears turning for home, but Rex Dingle eased his way through the field to take up the running at the last and then showed an impressive turn of foot to win by six and a half lengths from Jaccours, with Farland  a neck back in third.

As a three-parts brother to 2m 7f winner Allo Allo from the family of that top-class stayer Marello, Crest Of Fortune should stay three miles and possibly even further, He was a bit keen in the early stages, but that was because he was going so well within himself.

Anthony Honeyball handles horses of this type very well and he is unlikely to give his son of Doyen a hard time this season. A good bumper winner last season, then fifth in the valuable Newbury bumper in March, Crest Of Fortune has that potent combination of being a stayer with a turn of foot.

I expect him to prove up to Graded class.

Bye for now

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