MOORE MOORE MOORE, THAT'S HOW WE LIKE IT

Now the plan was to lead today's blog with one of the races at Kempton or the Eider at Newcastle but I could only whittle the BetBright and Eider down to three each so instead, I've opted to lead with Lingfield's decent all-weather meet (probably the best of its kind we've seen so far this season). This card sees the return of a certain Mr Ryan Moore, who appears to have some big chances...

1:45- GO FAR. This was an eye-catching booking for Alan Bailey's horse. He rattled up a hat-trick in the summer but that run was halted probably due to being a little high in the weights. A run two weeks ago here after a short absence should have him nicely tuned up for this. He was taken widest of all that day but ran on well to only be beaten less than a length in 4th. Big chance in a race where tactics could have a big role to play.

2:15- GREY MIRAGE. Moore was the last jockey to win aboard Marco Botti's inmate, in this race last year. On his recent beating at the hands of Shyron, who re-opposes today, I make them likely to dead heat. However, Grey Mirage has arguably the best man in the business aboard so he may be able to get him home in front today.

2:50- AL NEHAAY. This horse was of interest mainly because Kevin Stott was originally booked but Moore soon took over. No disrespect to Stott, he's a fine young jockey, but the fact that Moore is now aboard implies that a big run might be expected. Of course, he'll have to be fairly smart to beat Opera Lad, who ran a smashing debut behind Monein, and Chorus Of Lies but Kevin Ryan can ready them to win first time out and he's certainly not a forlorn hope.

He's back... Ryan Moore and Kevin Ryan most famous partnership
with The Grey Gatsby.

Also, in the Lingfield 4:35, TEMPLE ROAD warrants respect as he chases the hat-trick for 2015 whilst TAAJUB has won this race both last year and three years ago, both of a mark of 85. He carries the same weight again today which suggests a big run could well be in the offing.

Kempton hold their BetBright Chase meeting, which also features the Dovecote and Adonis Hurdles. In the feature race, at 3:45, the three I like are EASTER DAY, who will handle the ground and looked in the process of running a mighty race at Cheltenham recently if not for falling three out, LE REVE, who ran a mighty race at Sandown last time out and looks a young horse with a big future and TAP NIGHT, who has seen his handicap mark tumble recently after some dismal performances but his run last time was far more promising. He runs of the same mark again (130) and the booking of Richard Johnson is interesting. 


The Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle is at 2:00, in which the selection is Paul Nicholls' ALL YOURS. He's had two runs thus far; his first run can be ignored when falling but his next at Taunton was far better when routing an, albeit, average field. However, this isn't the strongest renewal of the race and Nicholls knows what it takes to win this, having won it with Irish Saint and Zarkandar recently. The last five winners of this had had no more than two hurdle starts whilst four of those five were French bred (Zarkandar being the only exception- a horse who had raced in France on the flat and went on to win the Triumph Hurdle). All Yours meets both of those criteria so has to have a massive chance.

Favourite Bivouac is French bred but has had three hurdles runs in this country. He was two from two before running in a hot race at Cheltenham last time out. Although he wasn't completely disgraced behind the like of Peace And Co and Karezak, I actually did fancy him that day and did expect him to finish a little closer to his stablemate. There's an argument that his bubble may have burst, as I for one saw him as a Triumph hurdle hopeful earlier this season. That looks blown out of the water now, chasing may well prove to be his game given his scope.

Beltor beat a slightly above average field at Ludlow on his hurdles debut but he never set the flat world alight when running in that sphere and he'll have to step up markedly on that if he's to play a part here. I was astounded to see he was a shorter price that All Yours at second favourite. Flabbergasted in fact.

One more horse who I want to mention is Primogeniture. Trainer Harry Skelton is said to think a lot of him but you'd have to be wary of a horse that has never tackled a hurdle in public before running in a Grade 2 on his jumps debut. Also, he's never ran on ground this soft in his time in Ireland. His best form actually is on good to firm so you would have reservations about the ground.

Two more at Kempton: SHAMMICK BOY (4:20) appears to be in the form of his life at ten years old and the hat-trick cannot be ruled out and VIEUX LILLE (4:55) ran a nice bumper debut at Worcester and although the lengthy absence is a worry, he has to be respected running for Hobbs and Johnson. Ghost River may not cope with the penalty whilst Mr Mountain and Beau Phil could both need the run, more so than the selection.

Shammick Boy going for three in a row.

Newcastle host the Eider Chase and whilst it might not be the slog it can be due to heavy ground, it is still going to be a gruelling challenge and will require a dour stayer to win it. BEFOREALL had been running very poorly until his recent race at Sandown, where he was third behind Le Reve. It is important to remember that a lot of those bad performances were in the midst of a rather baron spell for his trainer Oliver Sherwood, so that could be seen as an excuse for them. HERDSMAN was beaten by the re-opposing Scotswell at Catterick recently but he looks likely to reverse the form as he is now weighted to do so. That recent improved run saw him in first time cheekpieces so it's no surprise to see them applied again. FILL THE POWER is a strong stayer and is usually seen running in these marathon races. He's often hinted that he could run a big race in one of these and today could well be his day. 20/1 is a big price about him.

In the final two races from Newcastle, OSCAR ROCK (4:40) went off favourite for the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at the back end of 2013 so that is clearly testament to his ability. Form behind Sausalito Sunrise since isn't all that bad and his chase debut in the wake of Wakanda was respectable, bearing in mind that horse went on to win a Grade 2. In handicap company now, he has a big chance.

The 5:10 is a big-sized bumper field, but I think it could be wise to go for two of the market principals, ONE MORE GO and VINTAGE CLOUDS. The former ran good races behind the fairly useful pair of Northern bumper horses in Crockett and Virnon and since sluiced up in a Musselburgh NH flat race whilst the latter was equally impressive in his third race too, hammering a Wetherby bumper field. Both have form lines 321, both should run big races.

Enjoy your Saturday

Happy Punting!

HUGHES DUO LOOK TEN OUT OF TEN

Just some musings for some of Sunday's races...

In Navan's Grade 2 Ten Up Novice Chase (3:55), Sandra Hughes looks to be holding the aces for this, courtesy of THUNDER AND ROSES and APACHE JACK.

The former ran a brilliant chase debut behind recent Grade 1 winner Apache Stronghold and has since notched up his first success over the larger obstacles when sluicing up at Fairyhouse. Another reason as to why he has a big chance is that he looks to have the beating of market favourite (at the time of writing) Noble Emperor. First of all, he gave him a seven and a half length beating in one novice chase. Then, Thunder and Roses was in the process of running an almighty race two outings ago before falling two out. Noble Emperor was the eventual second that day but you would have fancied the Gigginstown runner to have got the upper hand again if he'd have stayed on his feet. These two races, together with the Apache Stronghold form, give him bold claims here.

Thunder And Roses (left)

Apache Jack too has strong form, but in bigger races. A second behind Briar Hill, a third in the Albert Bartlett and a fourth in the wake of Beat That and Don Poli at Punchestown, all of which were over hurdles, are evidence of his class. He'll have to step up a lot on his best chase form but Barry Geraghty in the saddle plus first time cheekpieces have to make him of interest.

Apache Jack (far left) coming third behind Very Wood (purple) in last year's
Albert Bartlett. They re-oppose in this.

Very Wood beat Apache Jack in that Albert Bartlett but his form has curtailed completely (pulling up on his last two runs) so it's difficult to be confident about his chances. Urano has only had one chase start so it's hard to know how good he is and The Crafty Butcher looks as though he'll come up a little short in this.

In the bumper (5:00), a lot of it depends on how good Champion bumper fancy Au Quart De Tour really is. If his reputation is anything to go by, both TUZO and COGRYHILL would have a big chance in this. They came second and third respectively behind Au Quart De Tour in a Fairyhouse bumper. Tuzo looked like improvement was very likely whilst Cogryhill is trained by Gordon Elliott, who has an incredible record in races of this nature.

Some Mullins bumper favourites do the business, some fail to live up to the hype. I've a feeling Arkwrisht will fall into the latter's company.


3:00 Ffos Las- Although he's thirteen years old, JADANLI is now well handicapped on his best form. His official rating of 120 is the lowest he's ever had, which is four pounds lower than his last winning mark (in the 2013 Thyestes Chase). Admittedly, there's a reason for the massive tumble in the weights; his performances have been woeful this season. But, I'm always respectful of horses that come from Ireland to England in small scale races and the change of scenery may see him recapture some of his old form.

4:50 Market Rasen- SAKHEES CITY may well struggle to beat Robins Reef and Lincoln County but he has fairly useful form in two Northern bumpers, placing on both occasions. He could well be the one to capture glory should the top two in the market fail to fire.

Enjoy your Sunday

Happy Punting!

MAKE A STRONG CASEY FOR BALLY

Today's main race is the Grade 1 Ascot Chase at, you guessed it, Ascot! There's races to cover from Haydock and Wincanton also, so without further ado, lets crack on with things...


Now, if Ascot's feature race had have been ran a month ago, chances are that BALLYCASEY would not have been the selection. This is because Willie Mullins' horses were not that prolific in England (outside of the Cheltenham Festival anyway). However, in recent weeks, he's notched up two winners, both at Sandown (Gitane Du Berlais and Uranna). Therefore, you can be slightly more confident about his hopes. As for Ballycasey himself, he was a four and a half length second behind Carlingford Lough in the Growise Champion Novices Chase at Punchestown, which appears to be very smart form. His two runs this season comprised of a comprehensive victory in a Gowran chase followed by a relative no-show in the Dial-A-Bet at Leopardstown over the festive period. That was not a true representation of his quality and today's trip of two miles five furlongs is definitely more up his street. Ruby Walsh chooses to ride him over Champagne Fever in Ireland, he has a big opportunity to notch up a second Grade 1 success.

Ballycasey

Ptit Zig is arguable our best novice chaser currently, along with Coneygree. Today will certainly be an acid test of his JLT credentials; if he can win this he'll be a likely favourite for that race, ahead even of the almighty Vautour. However, Paul Nicholls has ran six horses that were aged six in this race in recent years, all of whom were beaten. The likelihood is that Ptit Zig is better than all of them but a stat is a stat and as you well know, I love a stat!

Balder Succes also takes his place in the field and whilst I respect him massively as a horse, I'm just not sure as to whether he's a true Grade 1 horse now out of novice company. Chances are he'll find at least one too good today. Ma Filleule won last years Topham over the National fences so this is a big step up. She didn't find a lot off the bridle in a Listed race last time out and she will struggle here if similar was to happen again. Nicky Henderson's form over fences is a worry too.

Now for the rest of Ascot...

2:05- Although Virak beat DEPUTY DAN earlier this season, the tables may well be flipped in the Reynoldstown (Grade 2). Oliver Sherwood's runner ran a respectable race behind Sego Success at Warwick last time out, his best run for a while. First time blinkers may sharpen him up a bit to beat Virak, who looked as though he'd been running through treacle in the Feltham, finishing a very tired horse. Who's to know what that might have taken out of him? Ainsi Field racked up a string of wins on summer ground in August, his run coming to an end at the hands of Splash Of Ginge. He'll have to defy a 112-day absence here which won't be easy and, to be honest, he didn't beat much in his summer novice chases so will have to step up markedly on those. Phone Home looks out of his depth.

Deputy Dan (left) coming second in last years Albert Bartlett
at Cheltenham.

3:15- In the last four years, including jockeys claims, the highest official rating to win this race was 125. That would mean that this is a two horse race, between UNIQUE DE COTTE and Sea Wall. As the latter looks out of his depth, it should pay to stick with David Pipe's runner. He showed last time out that three miles was not really his bag so this drop in trip seems logical. Tom Scudamore doing 10-3 interesting and together with a first time tongue-tie, he really is a fascinating contender. 

4:20- Otago Trail has bossed his last two races from the front, winning by football pitches. However, they were against lesser opposition and in much heavier ground. He'll probably find today's ground just soft enough but it is not ideal for him. Saint Charles won nicely last time out but the drop in trip does not make sense for me, he looks more of a stayer than a speed horse. Instead, oppose them both with Paul Nicholls' British debutant, SIRABAD. He won his last race in Auteuil by twelve lengths so he is clearly no fool. Could well prove good enough to win this.

4:50- ALWAYS LION is well regarded by trainer Ben Pauling. His run at Cheltenham behind Definitly Red and Arabic History was not only a good run itself but looks good form too. Could well be capable of taking another Saturday bumper for Pauling. BIG CHIEF BENNY ran a smashing debut despite being as green as grass. Himself and the winner that day were a mile clear of the rest and providing he's made the expected improvement, he has to warrant respect here.


Haydock host their Grand National trial but that race looks devilish to decipher so it may be best left alone. They also have a competitive Pertemps qualifier (3:25), where my first of three selections is AQALIM. In his runs thus far, he's suggested that he wants a proper trip and juice in the ground, both of which he gets today. Definitely not the strongest traveller but the booking of AP McCoy is certain to boost his chances as he will be able to cajole him along in the finish. Another eye-catching booking is Richard Johnson aboard RUN RUCTIONS RUN. Most of her runs so far this season have not inspired much but last time out at Musselburgh behind Dawalan was a lot more promising. That was her first try over three miles so hopefully another bold show is in the offing. Finally, there's RACING EUROPE. He should stay the distance and his last run on the same day as Run Ruction Run's on Musselburgh's Festival trial day in the Albert Bartlett trial was decent enough, behind some useful types. One to watch, especially of his low weight.

In the Grade 2 Novices Hurdle (4:00), proven mudlark DEFINITLY RED is fancied to take the spoils. However, this horse is more than just a soft ground specialist; he's classy too. His demolition job in a Cheltenham bumper in November is evidence of this. Fletchers Flyer and Ballagh will be tough nuts to crack but Brian Ellison's runner looks well capable of it.

Definitly Red

Wincanton hold their biggest race of the year with the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle (3:35). Market principals Irving and Sign Of A Victory both ran shockers last time out, even if they were in the wake of the breathtaking Faugheen. Although there were reason for those lacklustre performances, it leaves doubts above them. This is why BLUE HERON may be a safer alternative. He's got a lot to find on his best form with Irving but there is no doubting his current form. A solid run in the Greatwood and a third behind Faugheen in the aforementioned Christmas Hurdle put him in with a big chance here.

Blue Heron

2:30 Wincanton- SOUTHFIELD VIC ran a poor race last time out at Cheltenham but, forgetting about that, he looks well capable of making amends for it here in an easier race. THEMANFROM MINELLA didn't run the worst of races at Leicester last time out when finishing runner-up. He could well improve one place today.

Two more speculative picks...

2:35 Lingfield- CORNELIOUS was well fancied for his debut suggesting he's quite highly thought of. He came second that day and with the expected improvement, he may be able to beat the pair of perennial runners up Pathway To Honour and Reetaj. He'll be sure to try and not fall into that category of always finishing with a victory today. Andrea Atzeni is an eye-catching booking.

3:20 Gowran Park- Very speculative this one but I just felt THUNDER ZONE is massively overpriced. He's got decent form with some of the best juveniles in Ireland such as Kalkir, Fiscal Focus and Dicosimo and with the lumps of weight he receives today, he could be one to keep an eye on at 33/1. The Fred Winter at Cheltenham is probably the long term goal.

Enjoy your Saturday, the FA Cup and Six Nations action

Happy Punting!
.

MCCOY HAS HENNESSY UNDER LOUGH AND KEY

Well, what a day's racing Saturday was. A day that shook the world of our sport. Despite a brilliant galloping performance from pin-point jumper Coneygree and the rather disappointing re-appearance from Sire De Grugy, who unshipped his jockey in the process, it's a jockey who is making all the news. And he will do so for many weeks and months to come, we can be sure of that. For the indomitable, irrepressible force that is AP McCoy has announced that he is to retire at the end of the season. The real life "Iron Man", his absence on the racecourse will be eerie. He will be sorely missed but, let me remind you, he hasn't retired just yet. The nineteen-time Champion jockey has Cheltenham, Aintree and the small matter of completing another record breaking season as he chases title number twenty. He also has a big chance in today's feature race at Leopardstown, the Hennessy...

For CARLINGFORD LOUGH looks as though he has what it takes to give McCoy another big race success. He has form lines with the Mullins pair of Boston Bob and On His Own and although they both beat him last time out in the Lexus, there is reason to believe that he can reverse that form. That was Carlingford Lough's first run for 243 days, so any cobwebs that existed pre-race were sure to be blown away afterwards. He travelled supremely that day and looked a possible winner heading towards the last but eventually ran out of steam, probably due to a lack of race fitness. He's a two time Grade 1 and Galway Plate winner so he is certainly has the class to win it.

Words cannot really do justice to AP McCoy's extraordinary career.
His rides can though. Here with Carlingford Lough.

It may be a case of it being too soft for Boston Bob and not soft enough for On His Own. Boston Bob has had three runs this season, none of which have been easy to enthuse about whilst On His Own ran a stormer in first time cheekpieces when second behind Road To Riches in that Lexus but he appears to be a bit of a "crossbar" horse. Always knocking on the door in the big races but never seeming to open it, the Cheltenham Gold Cup being a fine example as he was thwarted by Lord Windermere by the narrowest of margins. Carlingford Lough could well be the one to "un-Lough" the door...

Lord Windermere re-opposes again but his season looks geared towards Cheltenham again as it did last season. Foxrock will have to step up drastically on his best form whilst First Lieutenant just doesn't look up to this grade anymore. Home Farm and Texas Jack have questions regarding ability for this to answer too.

The quartet of Grade 1's on this Leopardstown card kick off at 1:15, with the Spring Juvenile Hurdle. On paper, it appears to be a match race behind the exciting pair of Kalkir and Vercingetorix. But, that might not be the case, as Gigginstown filly PETITE PARISIENNE looks a viable alternative. She came second on her British debut in a farcical race whereby Chatham House Rule managed to steal an easy lead from the off under Davy Condon, so much so he was never headed. Petite Parisienne looks likely to reverse that form and looks threatening with her seven pound allowance. Officeux is another contender based on his recent easy win. But he'll have to step up a lot on that as his two previous runs leave him with a lot to find against Kalkir.

The Deloitte Novice Hurdle (2:15) looks a wide open contest, where Alvisio Ville is a warm favourite. However, there are plenty of smart hopefuls in this, one of whom is NICHOLS CANYON. He won the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse smartly and we're never to know what he might have done in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown if not for unseating at the third. On his best form, he's got a big chance.

WINDSOR PARK also has a chance. He was just short of what was required at Leopardstown last time out in a quality Grade 2 but there's hope that a drop in trip and a faster pace today will improve his jumping, because he will definitely need to if he's to play a part here.

Champion Bumper winner Silver Concorde must be respected but may struggle here with only one hurdles run under his belt. Identity Thief will have to step up considerably on his narrow beating of Snow Falcon. McKinley will probably relish further and Sempre Medici will have to get rid of his somewhat haphazard jumping.

The Flogas Novice Chase concludes my preview of the Grade 1's on this card. Valseur Lido clearly has a favourite's chance but, in my eyes, he's at his almighty best when it's like a bog. It won't be like that today and it may make him slightly vulnerable. A horse who he beat at Fairyhouse was APACHE STRONGHOLD. Noel Meade's runner has since gone on to run a cracker behind Don Poli at Leopardstown over three miles. This proved he is a strong stayer and could definitely give Valseur Lido something to think about.

ADRIANA DES MOTTES cannot be discounted either. You can ignore her run last time out as she basically unshipped her jockey (despite the form saying she came a distant sixth). Prior to that, she showed battling qualities to fend off  Rule The World, who re-opposes today. She's gets all the allowances today meaning she carries seventeen pounds less than the rest of the field. This could prove vital for this Grade 1 winning hurdler against these older geldings.

Le Vent D'Antan may find the trip a struggle, Jarry D'honneur backers would have to worry about the bounce effect, Shanahan's Turn may find a few too good and The Tullow Tank has looked a lost cause this season, which is massively disappointing for a horse who was favourite to beat Vautour on this card last year.

Over at Exeter, JANVERT has a chance in their 1:25. He's ran a against some decent sorts recently, including the promising Out Sam at Ascot. Today's task is easier, Theeagleislanded looks the main threat.

In the bumper (4:30), DRUCILLA looks certain to improve on her debut run, where she came a very respectable second despite being as green as grass whilst ONE LUCKY LORD has a chance too, given she ran a respectable fifth in a fairly hot maiden at the course.


AP McCoy looks set to become champion for the twentieth time in a row. How many sportspeople/teams have reigned supreme in their field for twenty years running, may I ask you?


Enjoy your Sunday

Happy Punting!

NOTHING MYSTERIOUS ABOUT ANDRE'S CHANCES

Newbury hold their Betfair Hurdle meeting today but it is by no means a one race card. The Game Spirit and Denman Chase's certainly make for a brilliant day's action from the Berkshire track.

The Game Spirit Chase (3:00) is a fascinating encounter. This Grade Two sees the return of reigning Champion Chaser Sire De Grugy, after a 287-day absence. He's clearly the best horse in the race (eleven pounds clear of anything else) but he's not likely to be fully tuned up for this, with Cheltenham surely being his main goal. Sprinter Sacre met defeat on his reappearance after a lengthy break and it would be no surprise if the same was to happen to Gary Moore's four-time Grade One winner.

The selection is UXIZANDRE. He looked a very smart individual when he won the Shloer Chase, thanks to some impeccable jumping under front running tactics. His run last time out at Leopardstown was poor but heavy ground was probably accountable for that. Although the ground is soft today, it won't be as deep as his most recent run and is well worth a shot. If he can get into a good rhythm at his fences, Barry Geraghty may be able to steer him to victory.

Uxizandre (green and yellow) beating Dodging Bullets, who has
since won two Grade 1's.

The slight worry is that three-fifths of this field like to front run. My selection, together with Mr Mole and Upsilon Bleu, will all be vying for the lead. However, Alan King's runner is the best on figures out of the trio so hopefully he can boss the other four in a similar fashion to how he beat Simply Ned and Dodging Bullets at Cheltenham.

The enigmatic Mr Mole has looked a reformed character since adopting front running tactics but two victories over Brick Red are not good enough to see him figure here. That's no disrespect to Brick Red, he's a respectable handicapper but only that; Mr Mole will have to put in a career best effort. The same applies for Upsilon Bleu and Karinga Dancer.


The Betfair Hurdle (3:35) is as competitive as ever, so much so that you could give at least a dozen of these chances. It was very hard to whittle this line-up down, I have managed to get it to four. Given the last eight renewals have been won by lightly raced five and six year olds, it could pay to side with horses in this age bracket.

First of all, there's CALIPTO. Unlucky in the Triumph hurdle last year when Daryl Jacob's stirrup snapped, the fact he managed to finish fourth that day is testament to is ability. Another solid run followed that in the Aintree equivalent and his latest run was behind his Triumph conqueror in Tiger Roll, once again at Cheltenham. Paul Nicholls reports him to be in fine form for this and he's two from two at the course. Not too dissimilar to Zarkandar, who won this for Nicholls in 2012.


Second and third selections are the Harry Fry pair of ACTIVIAL and JOLLY'S CRACKED IT. Any of his runners need respect at Newbury, given he's got a 47%  strike rate here. The former was a fairly smart juvenile and was warmly fancied on his seasonal reappearance in the Ladbroke, given his lofty reputation. He'll have come along nicely for that and certainly has a big chance here. The latter was chasing a four-timer in the Tolworth but found the highly touted, Supreme hopeful L'Ami Serge far too strong. He hasn't got him to contend with today and looks to be a big player.

Calipto (left) and Activial (right) battling it out on
their British debuts.

Jolly's Cracked It

One at a bigger price is ARZAL. His win at Kempton ahead of perennial runner-up West Wizard was relatively good form but perhaps stronger form was his third behind the smart pair of Jollyallan and Sempre Medici. He was fairly well beaten that day but the fact that Jollyallan has the Supreme in his sights whilst Sempre Medici lines up in a Grade One at Leopardstown tomorrow shows the calibre of the horses that beat him. A seven pound claimer will aid his cause on handicap debut; there is no way he should be 33/1.

Arzal

The Grade 2 Denman Chase completes my preview of the three main races at Newbury. Five of the last seven running's of this have been won by seven year olds (the two years excluded featured one without any seven year olds lining up whilst the other year saw the horse who this race is named after win at 1/4).

Therefore, the only horse of that age in the field, UNIONISTE looks to be a contender. He's had his problems with ulcers but he seemed to have put those behind him when sluicing up at Sandown last time out. Albeit, that was only a handicap but his best bits of form previous to that give him an excellent chance here.

Unioniste

I'm also going to give TAQUIN DU SEUIL another chance this afternoon. Last year's JLT winner looked to be getting back to somewhere near his best when second behind Menorah in the Charlie Hall Chase but ran a stinker in the Betfair Chase when pulled up a long way out after some sloppy jumping. However, Jonjo O'Neill's horses were running very poorly then, so it is heartening to see them well and truly back amongst the winners. It is also good to see him with AP McCoy on board again, as they seem to gel well together. If he's back to his very best, he could be the one to beat here.

Taquin Du Seuil

Coneygree too has a chance but he hasn't really faced a proper task in his two chase starts to date, as most of his opposition fell by the wayside. Today will give a proper insight into just how talented he is.


Enjoy your Saturday!


Happy Punting