The lots for the Tattersalls Autumn Sales are released next Wednesday and it will be very interesting to see how many of the 4/5yo handicappers specifically kept in training this season are put up for sale. The plan this year to keep more older horses in training this season has not worked out as well as thought likely.
There have been 119 horses aged 4 or older run in handicaps in the UK and Ireland producing just 19 winners and a LS Loss of 35pts. 98 ran in Class 2 and 3 races with only 16 winners with a LSL of 27pts
As a direct comparison up to the end of September, in 2025 77 older horses ran in handicaps with 21 winners and a LS Profit of 32pts. In Class 2 and 3 there were 60 runners with 20 winners and a LS Profit of 44pts.
I will provide followers with the list of the horses entered in the Autumn Sales, as many will run before it starts at the end of October and you can be guaranteed they will be giving 100% to help increase their sales price.
It was great to see Alobayyah break the Class 1 hoodoo for the yard on the Rowley Mile in the Autumn on Friday winning the listed race that opened the card and adding winning Black type to her Royal Ascot win. She is a valuable mare now and a credit to the yard and their patience after missing most of her 3yo season.
Only six runners declared on Saturday, two at Newmarket on fast ground and 3 at Haydock where it is soft, plus Bulletsnap at Ripon who is on a recovery mission after his Windsor flop.
My lack of confidence at Newmarket despite the two winner’s, is exemplified by the fact that because Tom Marquand cannot do less than 8’7′ he has only one ride for Haggas at Newmarket on Saturday.
He still rides at the meeting instead of going to Haydock Park where Somerville Lodge has three entries, that appear to have reasonable chances of success. As was proven by the victory and gamble on Scoville the fact that Marquand chooses alternative riding options does not automatically mean it is a negative to a horses chances.
One of the great pleasures in following Somerville Lodge is the unique approach afforded to the yard in the markets. Money for a horse already supported in the minutes before the off or conversely a big drift has to be noted and in most cases actioned.
Two of the three runners at Haydock are from the notorious group of 4yo handicappers.
One of yards biggest disappointments this season has been the 4yo Eternal Force who heads to Haydock Park to contest the class 2 handicap over 1m at 1.35.
He has been on the go since the start of the year, after being prepared for the Lincoln when he was sent off at 4/1. This was despite, in the days before the race, William Haggas and jockey Ceiren Fallon both expressing concerns that the drying ground was a big negative and that he had to have genuine soft ground.
I had placed a small bet on Eternal Force at 10/1 early Ante-Post that was also topped up with a double with First Principal who had won at Wolverhampton 8 days before Doncaster.
If possible I always place my Ante-Post bets with firms that offer ‘Cash Out’ terms and after the Haggas and Fallon comments on the eve of the race and with no rain forecast I cashed out the Ante-Post bet safe in the knowledge that I had the double still running for me.
Haggas and Fallon were proved right and the going which was just on the soft side of good prevented the gelding from accelerating when asked and he finished in a never dangerous 7th place. He nevertheless ran well and remained high on my list of horses to back when he got his ground.
He was given a break and returned in June at Hamilton Park where he was again heavily backed despite the ground not being entirely ideal and was beaten a short head in a race ran at a slow tempo. I did follow the money in that day and I probably would have collected had the race been run at a good pace or on soft ground. It was frustrating because the guaranteed pace setter in the race was withdrawn a couple of hours before the start.
With fast ground now set in for the summer he was tried on the AW stepped up in trip to 10f, where held up he did little more than jog around at the back of the field left with too much to do off a slow pace.
His fourth outing after another two month break was at the York Ebor meeting fitted with first time blinkers and ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle on his favored soft ground -he was sent off 10/1. He ran OK with the headgear not bringing about much improvement. The race was not ran to suit as he was held up wide off a muddling pace and wasn’t asked any serious question running on at one pace beaten just over 4L and a length behind the market leader in Saturdays contest Centigrade who was ridden far more aggressively throughout the final furlong.
That form is the best on offer in Saturday’s race which lacks strength in depth. Centigrade and Eternal Force were dropped 2lb following the York run – I expect to see Eternal Force with cheekpieces replacing the blinkers ridden far more prominently from a perfect draw in Stall 4. He has identical conditions to those when he won over course and distance last October.
As a course and distance winner at Haydock I am sure this race has been his main Autumn target. The ground was drying out but it has been a damp misty day on Friday and after the third race the going was changed to Soft from Good to Soft with the times suggesting it is bordering on heavy – it should still ride soft for the first race on Saturday.
The 4/1 on offer gives the option of the ew insurance. If he is the horse the yard believed him to be in at the start of the season the 4/1 ( the same price as in the Lincoln ) is great value.
Haggas has ran 3 horses in this race since it was first ran in 2011 and all 3 have finished 2nd. I am sure Haggas is aware of this. Eternal Force missed a winnable opportunity on Heavy ground at Ayr last week and I cannot let him win unbacked. He is my only bet on the day- I have taken the ew insurance.
Verdict: 1.5pt EW Eternal Force 1.35 Haydock 4/1 1-3 places I/4 odds W Hill
Art Lover is another yet to win this season after four runs. The 3yo has given 100% in each outing and deserves a change of luck. It seems its not to be, he has drawn the dreaded stall 1, which on drying ground at Haydock in the 6f Class 3 handicap at 3.15, is potentially a big disadvantage. He is fitted with a tongue tie and first time cheek pieces but that draw means he cannot be considered as a bet.
Verdict No Bet
In the Haydock finale at 5.10 Sharp Move is yet another winless older handicapper in 2026 and takes a big step up in trip to 14f after a generous reduction from 80 to 76 by the handicapper following his run over 10f also at this track.
He looked reluctant to raise a gallop on that occasion and only got going in the final stages running past beaten horses.
This trip could be a solution but he remains a colt and hasn’t looked in love with racing since returning, from nearly a year off the course, and is not a sound bettIng opportunity
Verdict No Bet
In the Cambridgeshire 3.40 Newmarket the 3yo Zennor Storm with just 8’6′ to carry is the mount of Harry Davies.
Somerville Lodge has never really come close to winning either leg of the big Autumn double and his odds of 25/1 reflect his chance of becoming the first horse from the yard to win this prestigious event. Ametist,3rd in 2021 has come the closest and Zennor Storm will do well to finish in the first six.
The trip is a big unknown for the gelding who after winning both starts as a juvenile is 0-6 this season.
Verdict No Bet
Next of Kin takes her chance in the 7f Nursery at 1.22 after being well backed but disappointing in a similar contest at Newbury just 8 days ago. There seems no reason to suppose that wasn’t her running and the draw in Stall 3 does not encourage that she can bounce back.The rise in the weights means Tom Marquand can take the ride but she is an each way chance only.
Verdict No Bet
The only other runner on the day – is the 2yo Bulletsnap who yet again has been given the plum draw in the 6f novice-1.44 Ripon in Stall 9 of 9
He was very strongly fancied to win at Windsor on his latest start but went markedly backwards after a promising runs at Goodwood and Doncaster.
Based on that run despite of the draw he is far to risky a betting proposition.
Verdict No Bet.
The sudden dip in form and the historic poor strike rate at the Cambridgeshire meeting Newmarket suggests that the yard is now squarely focused on Longchamp and Ascot next weekend. Saturday is a day to watch without investing in their runners accept for Eternal Force who finally looks to have got the roll of the dice .
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