| Course: TAUNTON | Race date:09/01/06 | Race time:2:20 | Runners:10 |
| Race distance:2m1f | Going:Good | Winners time:4m 16.90s |
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Stall | Weight | Age | RPR | OR | Odds | B High | B Ave | B Low | In run | Finished | Dist Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalmini | Jamie Goldstein | Miss Sheena West | 10-5 | 4 | 105 | 0 | 4/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 1 | ||
| Opera Mundi | Christian Williams | P F Nicholls | 10-7 | 4 | 105 | 0 | 11/4 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 2 | 1 | |
| Tarlac | A P McCoy | N J Henderson | 11-5 | 5 | 114 | 0 | 5/2F | NA | NA | NA | NA | 3 | 5 | |
| Shannon Springs | Jason Maguire | Andrew Turnell | 10-7 | 4 | 97 | 0 | 15/2 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 4 | 2½ | |
| Sakenos | Richard Johnson | P J Hobbs | 11-5 | 6 | 106 | 0 | 20/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 5 | 3½ | |
| Legally Fast | R J Greene | S C Burrough | 10-7 | 4 | 92 | 0 | 25/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 6 | 1½ | |
| Smokincanon | Richard Gordon | W G M Turner | 10-7 | 4 | 70 | 0 | 250/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 7 | 22 | |
| Harry May | Joe Tizzard | C L Tizzard | 10-7 | 4 | 68 | 0 | 125/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 8 | 2½ | |
| Barjou | Robert Thornton | A King | 11-5 | 5 | 70 | 0 | 9/2 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 9 | 10 | |
| Primeshade Promise | Ollie McPhail | D Burchell | 10-12 | 5 | 39 | 0 | 200/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 10 | 24 |
KALMINI, a facile winner on her debut at Huntingdon in November, followed up with a tenacious display under her penalty and looked better the further she went. There was a lot to like about the manner in which she knuckled down to her task when asked to win her race and she hinted that she would prefer the return to a faster surface in the future.
She will most likely get quicker ground at the Cheltenham Festival where the Triumph Hurdle remains very much her target and that stiffer course is likely to suit her better than the sharp track she encountered this time. While she still has to prove herself in Graded company, further improvement cannot be ruled out, and she is likely to have a crack at the Finesse Hurdle at Cheltenham later this month in her quest for the hat-trick.
Opera Mundi, runner-up on his sole outing over hurdles in France, created a very favourable impression and finished a clear second best. He has plenty of scope, jumped neatly throughout, and should have no trouble in getting off the mark when racing on a suitably stiffer track.
Shannon Springs, sixth in Graded company on his hurdling bow last time, did not look overly suited by this sharper track and would have ideally preferred a stronger pace. He is capable of better, and it will be interesting to see how the Handicapper reacts after his next outing, as he could be an interesting sort for the juvenile handicap at Cheltenham in March.
Sakenos, who boasted a Listed event among his seven victories on the Flat in Poland, looked in need of the experience and can improve on this.
There was a fair amount of support on course for Barjou, a dual winner on the Flat in New Zealand, but he dropped away tamely from halfway after a couple of deliberate jumps. He is presumably thought capable of a deal better than this.
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