apollo14

The favourite was impressive when winning on her debut despite being relatively unfancied but will need to be very useful to follow up conceding the winners penalty to MEHMAS ENGINE. She was the opposite in that she was backed off the boards to win but was beaten at odds on on debut at Southwell. Not every horse is in love with the fibresand however and she was quite an expensive purchase that has obviously shown a lot at home to be punted like that. There is also fair bit more stamina in her pedigree than the minimum trip may have allowed her to demonstrate last time and I suspect she will improve for the experience and this extra furlong on polytrack.

JOYAU ALLEN definitely looked a staying type when winning his bumper in heavy ground so this trip today is interesting. He hasn't stood much racing in the 2 years plus since then and hasn't done a lot when he has made it to the track. However, there was more promise last time when beaten into 3rd behind a couple of decent types. Paul Nicholls hasn't given up on him yet and he makes his handicap debut from a mark of 101 today with Harry Cobden on board.

The Irish raider MUNSIF was actually a horse I quite fancied in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham earlier this month until he was withdrawn. A handicap mark of 126 looks ok for a horse rated 93 on the flat and also considering some of the horses he has been finishing not too far away from in his maiden races. The ground was also considered too soft when he was taken out at the festival so we could see marked improvement on this firmer going today.

GOLDEN STRIKE is in quite the rich vein of form at the moment and it seems remiss of the handicapper to leave him on the same mark (72) that he finished 2nd off last time. The winner that day has gone in again since and is now rated 16lbs higher. He had also finished in front of that rival on his previous start when again 2nd. Soft turf has been no problem in the past so it is hard to see him not involved again.

Going to take a chance here that NAVAL LIGHT will go in the ground today as he has shown clearly the strongest form albeit yet to win in 4 attempts. Chucked into the Norfolk at Royal Ascot on only his 2nd start, he acquitted himself well finishing midfield before some strong placed efforts in class 2 maiden races at York and Goodwood. Those latter 2 runs have worked out particularly well and actually make his mark of 87 look about right. That should make him tough to beat today providing the ground isn't too much of a hindrance.

The best piece of form on offer here albeit from a limited pool is that shown by TURTY TREE on debut at Newmarket last Autumn. Noted doing all of his best work at the finish despite being green in the early parts of the race, he managed 2nd ahead of a Haggas trained horse who had the edge on experience and had already shown a useful level. An improvement on that over this extra yardage will see him make easy work of a maiden such as this one.

Tough race as always but there is definitely value to be had away from the 2 dominating the market. The favourite especially seems one to steer clear from at the price as an inexperienced type that needs everything to fall right. I quite like VALVANO who has given the impression for some time there is a bit more ability there to be unlocked. He has been tried over a variety of trips and seems to just falter at the business end of races. Hopes are that in the first time blinkers and over a strongly run mile he can be most effective and scale new heights today.

There a couple towards the head of the market that have kept some very good company and held their own. But generally they have also managed to fluff their lines on occasion when fancied in lesser races. Given the usual level of improvment which could be expected for a promising filly from 3 to 4yo I believe NEVER LET GO could make an impact on this sort of race. She did manage to see off 24 rivals in the ultra competitive Sandringham handicap at Royal Ascot last summer and followed that up with a listed 2nd at Haydock. She again ran creditable on her final start when racing with one other on what turned out to be the wrong side split from the main group at Newmarket. She still finished a creditable 5th and was then put away for the winter. There is a bit for her to find which her price reflects but it isn't insurmountable and she is still open to further improvement this season.

RESPOND took his form to a new level last time switched to front running tactics having often ruined his chance previously by racing too keenly off the pace. Whilst this is tougher than last time at Chelmsford there could be a lot more to come back at 10f as he has only raced 8 times in his career.

A good few with chances here but one that catches the eye at a price is VINCENT ROCKS who won 2 of his 3 races last season for Hugo Palmer. Both of those were over a mile and he flopped on his handicap debut over an extra 2f. Perhaps he wasn't quite ready for that hike in trip and he was put away for the season after that. Returning here as a 4yo on a mark that looks far from insurmountable he could well be capable of making a splash in a race like this.

SPYCATCHER has a very good record at Doncaster, bookendinh his season in 2025 with this race and then another listed event in heavy ground in November. It seems he is best when the ground has soft in the description and also has a good record on his seasonal reappearances.

CARGIN BHUI was narrowly beaten behind a horse that has gone in again 3 times since and risen 16lbs in the ratings. He was arguably unlucky that day too having given the winner first run from the front and only going down by a fast finishing neck in the end. Up only 2lbs for that and looks in fine form at present so must go close again.

The overall level of form shown by WILD SAPPHIRE is much better than anything else on offer here. Whilst 4 runs without a win in maidens can sometimes be cause for alarm, he has often been tried in big track maidens against horses from powerful yards. On debut as 2yo he was only a half length behind a horse that was 2nd in the Dewhurst which is a good example of this. Returns after a break having been gelded but he has gone well fresh twice before and should be better here back at a mile after fading late on over a furlong further when last seen.

The money has come for the Boughey runner WORLINGTON on his handicap debut. A horse that was never really put into the race in any of his 3 novice events as a 2yo before Christmas. He returns after a break here up to a mile and from a lowly handicap mark it could be that he is well placed to rack up a bit of a sequence.

I am not sure a 4lb penalty will be enough to stop GRANT WOOD from landing the hat trick tonight. The 2nd of his recent wins was landed with even more authority than the first and he has been very competitive off marks in the 80s in the past, including a win off his effective mark tonight. Should be a bit of pace on in this race too which will give him something to aim at again.

A good few horses that have won this race have gone on to big things so it is always worth looking for one of that type who is unexposed, from a top yard and potentially well in off their mark. That could apply to a few here several of which are trained by Willie Mullins. The best of them I suspect will be ROC DINO, who hasn't won yet over hurdles but has been 2nd behind a couple of live ones that have gone on to contest Grade 1s this week. Handicapping for the first time over a half mile further could bring a good deal given he is out of Doctor Dino and the Dam was sired by Martaline. That breeding suggests staying chases are on the cards further down the line so I'd expect improvement today.

A little interest on GRACCHUS DE BALME here each way is worth a punt as he is a horse that has won some big hunter chase prizes in the past at Stratford and Aintree. He was pulled up last time but that was also the case before his Aintree win so he is clearly a horse that comes alive in the spring.

The retention of Patrick Mullins is cause for an eyebrow raise on STATTLER as he is no longer trained at his father's yard. A former very classy chaser and winner of the NH Chase back when it was a Grade 2 here. That sort of form is clearly behind him but he has refoudn some sparkle now hunter chasing and if he has been primed in any sort of way for this then he definitely has the class to be involved at a nice price. The ground softening is also a plus.

It has been a while since Nicky Henderson last tasted success in this, but in Jango Baie he has a proper horse with an ideal profile for this to be his day. He finished with a rattle to land last season's Arkle, which has worked out to be a very strong renewal, and over a trip which was undoubtedly an insufficient test. This season it is clear that he is at home over staying trips. Whilst he was edged out of a placing in the King George, that tight course in winter ground probably wasn't optimal either. He was still only beaten by under a length, and my view is that today, after a break, he can emerge as the top stayer of his generation.

My strong choice here is THEDEVILUNO who although beaten by the favourite over 4f shorter 2 starts ago, was so much better at Doncaster over 3m that it seems certain he will make more of a race of it this time. He is very lightly raced despite being a 7yo and won't mind the ground softening up either. Definitely the sort that usually runs well in this race.

Focus here seems to be mainly on the first two in the market but I don't think they are as far ahead on form as the betting suggests. ONLY BY NIGHT, is my selection to take them on as she has displayed significant levels of the requisite class required including against male opposition. His 2nd in the Arkle last year is the standout bit of form but her win at Naas this term was also a very good piece of form.

SIXANDAHALF is an easy selection for me here as this is a mare I have been keeping an eye on since she was such an eye catcher on the Dawn Run here last year. She hasn't set the world alight in hurdles so far this season but the combination of small fields and longer trips haven't been ideal. She was so at effective racing off the pace in a big field last season that I think she may well be able to produce her best here again today.

It hasn't really felt like the Irish juvenile form is quite as strong thus season and there is no horse turning up here that has farmed the Grade 1s like we have had in the past. At home in the UK though we have a very lively contender in MINELLA STUDY, who was winless and largely ineffective on the flat but is now 3 from 3 over hurdles and has looked a transformed animal by obstacles. His form also stacks up very well with his latest impressive win over C&D coming over a horse that ran a big race in the Fred Winter on Tuesday. It is probably a bonus that the ground has stayed on the good side and with his uncomplicated running style there isn't a huge amount that can go wrong here.

A lot to like about WE'VEALLBEENCAUGHT at the sort of odds being offered here. A tough but consistent handicapper for Nigel Twiston Davies who had several good runs to his name at this course. Now with Ed Mcnamara, he has shown some solid form again this season and tries to better his close 4th from 1lb lower in this last year. The ground has come right for him so I make him a solid option today.

This trainer/jockey/owner combined well in the Betmgm Cup yesterday and have another live chance today with BOLD ENDEAVOUR. A horse on somewhat of a comeback trail after a run of poor efforts and significant absences. However, at Huntingdon last time he showed a lot more of his old sparkle. Now having dropped to a mark of 130 he is 13lbs lower than when a very close 4th in this race 2 years ago. If he comes on from that reappearance he could be very dangerously handicapped on many pieces of that old form. Much of it achieved here at the course.

On select runs in his CV Fact To File looks very hard to beat. However, I have been of the opinion for a while that JONBON is a better horse going over intermediate or even staying trips. He has proven this by being 3 from 3 in top 2 and a half mile events. The ground is right for him too and I am willing to give him one more chance to get that elusive Cheltenham Festival win having found one too good on 3 previous attempts.

In a very competitive race with several holding strong chances IMPOSE TOI is the call here for Nicky Henderson. He is a horse that has improved steadily now for a couple of seasons with a good course record. Bagged his first Grade 1 in the Long Walk Hurdle beating a good field before going down to Ma Shantou in the Cleeve in January. The winter conditions and giving 7lbs to that rival was probably against him that day and on level weights with quicker conditions I think he can bridge that gap. Seeing off last seasons first 2 is a further step up but his improvement this season has been relentless enough to suggest he can step up again.

There is a chance that it has just been a poor couple of days for Gordon Elliott and that he will bounce back but bar one or 2 exceptions who have run somewhere near to form the majority of his horses have been awful. So with not loads to choose on form between the market leaders here I am siding with JADE DE GRUGY who suffered no disgrace when 2nd to Lossiemouth in this last year. She has been chasing this season but probably hasn't shown quite the level of form she did over hurdles and connections seem to agree. Some of her form last season is as good as anything else on offer here and I think she can capitalise if the favourite isn't absolutely at her best.

I had this race between 2 and with Sixmilebridge a non-runner my attention is shifted fully to another progressive type in JORDANS CROSS. He has barely scraped home in a couple of handicaps at Doncaster and Cheltenham but the form of both now looks very strong. With that in mind, the fact that he has only gone up 10lbs for the 2 wins combined means he remains well treated and from a very reasonable weight he looks set to be involved again as he looks a solid jumper.

Clearly never loads to go on except vibes and market signals, but strictly on what is on record in terms of performances: LOVE SIGN D'AUNOU made a significant impression in his sole bumper win at Naas. He wasn't off the bridle to win by a distance in a relatively slowly run affair, so he has gears. Also, being a point winner bred for jumping, he should have the requisite stamina should this be a strongly run affair. Should be strongly involved.

A typically competitive renewal, but one that stands out as dangerous at the weights is INTHEPOCKET. A horse that wasn't far behind in the Supreme Novice Hurdle three years ago. He has been lightly campaigned since then but has shown in his last two chase runs that the ability is still there. Interestingly, the last time he encountered ground described as good in the going, he won a Grade 1 at Aintree. So, having caught the eye before fading a couple of times this winter, he could be ready now to strike.

Majborough will take the beating if he reproduces the form of his last run, where he took apart a very good field. However, I have just slight reservations at the price about his jumping and propensity to find trouble in running, so I just swerve him in favour of L'Eau de Sud, who has an excellent record at Cheltenham. He also put in some performance on his reappearance in the Shloer Chase over C&D to leave both Jonbon and Matata for dead. He was beaten last time in the Tingle Creek, but it is hard to imagine that was his true running. Back after a break, I feel he will be primed to give his best again.

Vanillier is a grand old horse and a former winner of the Albert Bartlett here. After a chequered couple of years, flecked with a couple of massive runs (including a 2nd in the Grand National), he seems to have found his niche in this discipline. He surely would have won last year: after losing around 20 lengths nearly taking the course, he managed to finish around 5 lengths behind in 4th. He has warmed up for this with a good win at Punchestown and carries a very reasonable weight.

A decent field for this thanks to novices being now ineligible for the handicaps and we have a formidable challenge from Ireland here. However it is one fa e they haven't dominated and I quite like the chances of WENDIGO who has looked a proper stayer in his chase runs so far this season. The third in the Kauto Star over Christmas was also quite eye-catching as he looked out paced at a crucial stage before finishing well for third. Winners of that race have a poor record here though and he has been kept fresh since then.

Gordon Elliott didn't have the best day yesterday but has some strong chances today, and BALLYFAD is one of them. He is the choice of Jack Kennedy here and brings some of the strongest Irish form on offer to the table. He looks sure to appreciate the step up in trip, and the ground is no problem, so he appears decent value despite a mild concern that he jumped right at times at Leopardstown.