RICH PICKINGS FOR JESSICA

Jeremy Grayson keeps focus on the action around the country tracks

- By Jeremy Grayson

PERTH, September 8 (Good) 2m4f35yds (0-100) Handicap Hurdle (class 5)

It's taken a year, but POPA RICH'S optimum requirements are finally close to being confirmed as handicaps over 2m4f-plus and with ground no worse than good to soft. Strong in the finish in a 2m6f Cartmel novice handicap in June, but legless on slower ground over the same C&D next time, the combination of a return to sounder terrain and the debuted tongue tie got Jessica Bedi's 4yo quickly back on track here with a staying-on 5l fifth. One of just seven foals of American 1m1f Grade 3 turf winner Smooth Daddy to be sent jumping in Great Britain and Ireland to date, and the only one of those both to race exclusively over jumps and to record any podium finishes in this sphere, the gelding can be taken to get his sire on the scoreboard over hurdles, especially now his mark has assumed more realistic proportions than when first entering handicaps in the spring.

NEWTON ABBOT, September 8 (Good to soft, soft in places) 2m4f216yds (+16yds) 0-100 Handicap Chase (class 5)

Just a length and a half covered all four runners home in what was to all intents and purposes just a 0-95 affair, and in finishing third beaten favourite IMPERIAL MEASURE took his career record to 1-19. So far, so uninspiring, but the Imperial Monarch gelding was doing his best work again late on in the piece on ground which hadn't quite turned sufficiently for him and against the others. Given a record in handicaps on officially soft or heavy ground that reads 23124 (with the win gained in a heavy-ground 2m1f hurdle at this venue in autumn 2023), and assuming his current career-low mark of 76 isn't ratcheted back up too far having run two mid-90s rated opponents so close, Evan Williams ought not struggle to find him another opening over 2m3f-2m5f in the event of a soggy autumn.

2m167yds (+44yds) 0-140 Handicap Hurdle (class 3)