Excellent National Hunt racing this afternoon comes from Wetherby and Taunton and is complemented with racing on the polytrack at Wolverhampton. The Warren Greatrex yard have suffered something of a slump since the New Year but bounced back to form over the weekend and potential stable-star One Track Mind (3.25) can aid the revival further in the Novices’ Hurdle over two and a half miles.
The selection scored over course and distance on his seasonal reappearance in November and was far from disgraced finishing six lengths behind John Ferguson’s Parlour Games in the G1 Challow Hurdle over Christmas. He looks sure to take all the beating, however Rainman is a fascinating rival for the in-form team of Jonjo O’Neill and AP McCoy, making his debut under rules after winning a point-to-point in his native Ireland last May.
Eleven go to post for a competitive renewal of the Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase and Lucinda Russell’s Innocent Girl (2.20) could be potentially over-priced making her debut over fences from a career-low mark of 82. The selection made a promising return when third on her seasonal debut at Kelso before disappointing on ground softer than ideal on her next two starts but looks well-handicapped to improve tackling the larger obstacles, which she is bred to excel over.
Robert and Sam Waley-Cohen team up with The Missus (4.25) in the mares’ bumper and should be able to make amends after her disappointing debut at Newbury in December. The selection is a full sister to connections’ smart chaser Radjhani Express and was well backed prior to her debut but ran too free to do herself justice. The 4-y-o receives 9lb from her elders and can bounce back at the expense of Oliver Sherwood‘s well-bred Surtee Du Berlais.
David Pipe‘s Dell’ Arca (3.45) takes a dramatic drop in class for the feature at Taunton and can give weight and a beating to his six rivals in the 2m Handicap Hurdle under Tom Scudamore. The selection disappointed in a pair of novice chases but has come back better than ever over timber and was unfortunate to be nabbed late by Chris Gordon’s improving Lightentertainment on trials day last month at Cheltenham. The handicapper has raised him 3lb for those efforts however he looks different class to the field and should bounce back to winning ways at the expense of Paul Nicholls‘ Ibis Du Rheu, a half-brother to connections’ G1-winning hurdler Saphir Du Rheu.
Telegraph landed a gamble over seven furlongs last week at Wolverhampton and is quickly turned out again under a 6lb penalty however the 4-y-o is worth opposing drawn out in stall nine. The Adam Kirby-ridden gelding is likely to make the market for Bron Fair (2.00) however who can make her first start in handicap company a winning one. The mare was an eye-catcher running over longer trips in trio of all-weather maidens and wasn’t beaten far when failing to stay over nine furlongs last time out. She should be a double-figure price and should be able to reward each-way backers in a much more winnable race.
Should Kirby come a cropper in the opener he should be able to make amends in the 5f handicap aboard the Robert Cowell-trained Twin Turbo (4.05) who has bene revitalised since switching to the all-weather. The selection returned from an absence of six months to finish second in a warm maiden at Lingfield, before making amends when under Martin Harley at Chelmsford Park. The speedster likes to be ridden prominently so expect Kirby to make an early move and attempt to make every post a winning one from his wide berth in stall eight.
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