Another excellent weekend for the Kerry Lee stable saw Rouge et Blanc land the Classic Chase on bottomless ground at Warwick and BetVictor make her dual Welsh National winner Mountainous 40/1 for Grand National success at Aintree in the spring. The yard have a realistic chance of getting tasting Cheltenham Festival success with Top Gamble being lined-up for a Title at the Brown Advisory Plate and 33s with BetVictor for success on the third day of the festival.
Another likely to take his chance at Prestbury Park in March is Willie Mullins’ Black Hercules, who was cut to 10/1 (from 20s) for the RSA Chase and 6/1 (from 8s) favourite for the National Hunt Chase after a flawless round of jumping in the 3m Listed Chase on deep ground under Danny Mullins.
It must be deep in South Wales for Ffos Las to abandon this afternoon’s card early, and Plumpton‘s card could similarly fall victim to the elements with an inspection planned for 8am this morning. Should the card go ahead without a hitch then Lucy Wadham’s Sunshine Corner (1.45) would have conditions to suit and should justify favouritism under regular partner Leighton Aspell. The selection made a winning debut over timber earlier in the season and, after an excellent second last time out in listed company, is a confident selection to return to winning ways in the 2m Novices’ Hurdle.
Champagne George is a fascinating contender for trainer Neil Mulholland stepping up in trip for the Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles. The 6-y-yo made it second time lucky for the stable in a soft ground bumper at Fontwell and should improve now sent over hurdles. With the yard under something of a cloud at present preference instead lies with King Cool (3.45) for the team of Gary and Jamie Moore. The well-bred son of King’s Theatre changed hands for £20,000 after winning an Irish point-to-point at the third time of asking in November and is fancied to make a winning debut under rules for new connections.
Should Plumpton be abandoned there’s racing on the all-weather at Wolverhampton and Best Example likely to go close in the feature handicap over a mile. Godolphin’s well-bred gelding runs from an unrevised mark of 85 after an excellent fourth last time out at Kempton but is overlooked on his occasion for Big Time (2.30) under Adrian Nicholls.
The selection is on a losing run of 15 but once upon a time being rated as high as 114 during the summer of 2013 as a juvenile and has tumbled down the weights thereafter. Nevertheless, he has been revitalised since moving to the Dandy Nicholls yard and has placed on his last three starts since being switched to the all-weather. The selection makes his tapeta debut after an excellent second last month on the polytrack at Lingfield over a mile and must go close from a unrevised mark of 85.
Charlie Lad (3.00) was never able to land a blow in last week at Southwell but was well-backed beforehand and can make amends from the same mark in the 5f sprint handicap. He is another gelding on another long losing run, 13 for handler Daniel Loughnane, but was second over course and distance three starts ago and sets a fair standard on form.
Trainer Roger Charlton‘s has had a quiet start to 2016 but Clodianna (4.00) can give him a first success of 2016 under George Baker. The well-bred daughter of Clodovil is a maiden after five starts but has gone close on both starts in handicap company, placing in both 7f contests at Kempton and Lingfield, and prove even better now stepped up in trip to a mile.
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