By Ben Aitken

NOTE: You can click on any image to view in a new window, and you can download a PDF copy of this article on this link

Introduction

Time for the next in my series of ‘Horses to Follow’, sourced from a dig through the Proform Speed figures...

If you missed the first of the ‘To Follow’ articles you can get that HERE>>>

And if you are yet to read my main article on Proform Speed Figures you can get that HERE>>>

Today I’m heading to Huntingdon and the Class 4 Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase that was run on Thursday 8^th of February (1:05 race)...

Horse to follow: PRESENTING A QUEEN (C Gordon)

As always let’s start with looking at how the race panned out on the Proform Speed Figure front...

The Speed Class Par figure for this contest was 62 and ALL of the first 6 home ran to a figure above that... indicating that this looks like a strong piece of form (for the level!)

What I also want to draw your attention to is the Going description in the top right of the image... as always Proform has the ‘Official’ Going description (in this case ‘Soft’) and the ‘Actual’ Going description (in this case 'Heavy’), indeed the -8.6 figure puts the ground in the Proform bracket of ‘Very Heavy’... (you can find more on the Proform ‘Actual Goings’ HERE>>>)

The winner – FORTUNEFAVORSDBOLD – was making a return to fences in this race, after falling on her first try over fences back in October.  First time Cheek-Pieces were applied, there was a jockey upgrade, she was going back up in trip and back into Mares company.  More importantly was the fact that she had experience of testing ground on her CV and had proven, to a certain extent, that she could act upon it. Essentially there was plenty going for her on that, and with hindsight, explains the improved effort.

The runner-up – FLINTARA – was coming in off the back of a 30L victory at Fontwell in December, on ground that was very close to what she was racing on here.  She also had conditions in her favour... Handicaps in Dec-March on Good to Soft or softer = 4/9, 2p – all 4 career wins... so her decent run in second wasn’t unexpected.

The front two are both horses that will likely have more to come over fences, but I’ll pass on either of them as my ‘to follow’ horse from the race and instead look to the third horse; PRESENTING A QUEEN...

PRESENTING A QUEEN was having her fourth start over fences here and there was plenty to like about the effort.  The first, second and fourth were all up with the pace throughout this contest and Presenting A Queen was the first home of those ridden more patiently, and whilst that in itself is commendable it was the fact she banged in the second best Speed Figure of her career on ground that would not have been in her favour at all, indeed it was the slowest ground she had ever faced to date and the horses that finished around her all had winning and/or placed form on similar or even slower ground.

This is how her career form looked coming into the race...

She won her Bumper on ground that was described as Soft but the ‘GA’ figure tells us it wasn’t near as testing as the ground she faced here at Huntingdon. The only other time she had faced ground slower than Good to Soft came in a Novice Hurdle at Warwick in December 2022, a race she finished un-placed in and was struggling on the underfoot conditions from around half-way.

Apart from that most of her form has come on Good to Soft or quicker ground, so the fact she was able to post a mark comfortably above par in this contest tells us that...

• She’s improved for going over fences
• The step up in trip has unlocked more from her
• The application of Cheek-pieces has improved her

That’s backed up by the fact her last two starts – this Huntingdon run and her second at Hereford – have seen her post the two best Proform Speed Figures of her career to date.

PRESENTING A QUEEN looks well worth adding to your trackers and she can hopefully open her chasing account when the ground dries out again. She may not need it all the way back to Good to Soft or quicker (for all it would be beneficial) but anywhere north of Heavy/Very Heavy would certainly look to be a positive for her.

 

By Ben Aitken

Horse Racing analyst and website owner at www.narrowingthefield.co.uk

Race Trends analysis and horse profiling alongside personally researched systems and angles are my preferred analysis and betting methods.

Proform user for over 10-years