Doncaster's two-day Grimthorpe Chase meeting kick-off this afternoon with plenty of clues towards the festivals at both Cheltenham and Aintree on offer in South Yorkshire, including Kruzhlinin (20/1 with BetVIctor for next month's Grand National) who is a 5/1 chance for tomorrow's feature and is likely to shorten further for Aintree success should he get his head in front for Kim Bailey and the Rooneys.
The Gloucestershire-based handler looks poised to seal a terrific campaign with further success in this year's Cheltenham Festival likely and must go close with Faerie Reel in the feature Mares' Handicap Hurdle over an extended two miles. The 6-y-o is respected with Champion Jockey elect Richard Johnson booked to ride, however preference on his occasion lies with Lucy Wadham's Mystic Sky (4.20) under regular partner Leighton Aspell. The selection makes her debut handicapping after running behind some of the campaign's leading novices and boasts the potential to be much better than her opening handicap mark of 116.
Aspell is a fascinating jockey booking aboard Baldadash in the opening handicap hurdle with his trainer Jose Santos having just 7 runners over timber in the past 12 months. The son of Benefficient should relish this afternoon's better ground but was well beaten last time out at Wincanton and a chance is taken instead on Graeme McPherson's Scooby (2.10) under Kielan Woods. Just three starts over timber leave him unexposed to much further improvement and he is likely to be seen in a much better light now upped in trip handicapping.
Oscar O Oscar (2.40) bolted-up in a handicap chase last week at Sedgefield and is well-treated to follow-up under regular partner Finian O'Toole. Micky Hammond's 8-y-o was eased down to win by a comfortable sixteen lengths and should be difficult to beat if turning up in a similar mood under a penalty.
Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls historically has an excellent record at Newbury's two-day Greatwood meeting, winning last year's feature Greatwood Gold Cup with Sound Investment, and must go close with Favorito Bucks (2.20) under Sam Twiston-Davies in the opening 2m Juvenile Hurdle. The selection was pulled-up on debut for the Ditcheat handler at Kempton over Christmas, but was well-backed prior to that disappointing effort and can bounce back sporting a first-time tongue-tie.
Nicholls' Nice N Easy cost connections 62,000 Euros at the sales and would warrant a second look should the market speak in his favour on this afternoon's debut under rules, however with the benefit of experience Walking in the Air (2.50) should be difficult to beat in his attempt to make it third time lucky over timber. Dan Skelton's well-bred son of Flemensfirth was well-backed to get his head in front on both efforts over hurdles at Exeter and Wetherby and can make it third time lucky under brother Harry.
A field of 12 go to post for the feature handicap chase over two and three quarter miles with Harry Fry's Nitrogen (4.00) expected to build on his excellent third last time out over course and distance and bounce back with a bang under Noel Fehily. The form of that handicap at Newbury's Hennessy meeting has worked out particularly well and, with the Fry yard in much better nick, he must go close from an unrevised mark.
Nicky Henderson has won two of the last three renewals of the closing bumper and can claim further success with Only For Love (5.35) under 5lb conditional Freddie Mitchell. The well-bred mare is a half-sister to Nick Williams' 139-rated Amore Alato, who ironically enough finished down the field on debut at this meeting four years ago, and is in the perfect hands to make a winning debut under rules.
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