Just over a week to the start of the Grand National meeting and in the Topham Chase on the second day of the meeting, Go Conquer (12 from 16s) and Seefood (12s from 14/1) have been the best-backed horses in recent days at BetVictor. Henryville (16s) and Stellar Notion (25s) have caught my eye and the weights will be published later today.
They race at Sedgefield this afternoon on ground described as good to soft at the time of writing. I remember Hint Of Grey (2.40) running with great promise at Wetherby earlier in the season but she was failing to get home on soft ground in mid-winter.
The selection did get her head in front at Fakenham last time and the hope is that Conor Shoemark can leave his challenge to the last minute given she appeared to idle when hitting the front last time. She receives a stone from her main rivals this afternoon and can follow up as long as the ground does not deteriorate too much.
Jac The Legend (3.10) invariably runs well at the Durham track and trainer Brian Ellison uses talented amateur Jonjo O'Neill Jnr to take off a valuable 7lbs in the three-and-a-quarter-mile handicap chase. The selection hasn't quite been at his best in recent starts but he has dropped to a very fair mark and his rider is good value for his claim.
I felt Reverant Crust (3.40) looked in need of a step up in trip when third at Newcastle on his handicap debut last time and today's better ground should hold no terrors given he is a son of Daylami whose progeny appreciate a sound surface. All seven whop go to post can be given a realistic chance in what is a valuable prize for the track with the winner getting in excess if £12,500.
Whitsundays (4.10) finished runner up over an additional three furlongs here earlier in the month and drops back to the minimum trip for Donald McCain and Will Kennedy who looks sure to make it a proper test given his two career wins have come in a 3m point-to-point and over 2m 5f here on heavy ground over timber.
The chasing debutant Al Rheesha is a winning bumper/hurdler and she could be thrown in on her chasing debut – a check of the market is advised given the Dan Skelton yard are in good form of late.
On the level at Lingfield the booking of Jim Crowley for Hajjam (3.20) is a positive sign, as is the form of the William Knight stable. The selection is fitted with a hood following a couple of promising runs on turf last autumn where he suggested he would be up to winning a small race.
Moayadd (5.25) cannot be opposed as he chases his four-timer under a 6lbs penalty for his last success at Kempton when he was a fluent winner under his regular pilot Hollie Doyle. The gelding is certainly bred for the all-weather and was trained at one time by Saeed Bin Suroor- he can see off the challenge of Amanda Perrett's Balancing Time who returns to the scene of hid C&D success back in December.
At Kempton this evening, I am looking forward to the racecourse debut of Clive Cox's Altyn Alqa (6.55) who wouldn't have to be anything out of the ordinary to land the 11f maiden. The filly is bred for the job and her yard are in excellent form. The likely favourite Chippenham is not sure to appreciate the step up in trip and it is fair to say he is not one of the John Gosden stable stars although he does run in the Goldolphin silks carried to Meydan glory by the yard's Sheema Classic winner Jack Hobbs at the weekend.
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