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CONDITIONS are sure to be testing at Fakenham but, at the time of writing, no inspection is planned. In the Beginners’ Chase Spirit Oscar is likely to be all the rage on her chase debut having won two of three over timber for Oliver Sherwood having won a point-to-point in her native Ireland previously.
She certainly has the scope for fences but the nod goes to Tim Vaughan’s Destroyer Deployed who is not the horse he promised to be (finished runner up in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in 2011) but who can make a winning debut over fences. Vaughan saddled a winner at Musselburgh earlier in the week and Richard Johnson is a positive booking.
Browns Brook was due to run at Leicester yesterday but if turning up again would be hard to beat as he looks to be well ahead of the handicapper. Full Ov Beans has won his last two starts over C&D by an aggregate of 86 lengths and is only 4lbs higher than when scoring last time as his nearest pursuer fell at the last when looking held.
Taffy Thomas (2.45) barely gets this trip and is, arguably, better going right-handed but he showed enough at Market Rasen last time to suggest his turn was near and he can run off the same mark. This is a furlong shorter trip which will help and he was still two lengths clear when coming down two out at the Lincolnshire track.
At Lingfield both Glace and Truancy like to race prominently and War Of Art (3.05) can follow up his recent C&D success although a mark of 80 hardly suggests he is thrown in on his handicap debut. All four runners come into the race in decent form, having finished first or second in their last start, but the Tom Dascombe-trained runner is the least exposed of the quartet and can pounce fast and late.
Duelling Dragon could be in a different class to his eight rivals in the 6f maiden but he has already been gelded and has the worst of the draw (stall nine) to overcome. Preference is for Android (3.40), another to have had the cruellest of cuts, who showed plenty of dash when runner up over C&D last month and is entitled to come on again for the run.
Waving (4.15) is hard to oppose in the 1m 5f handicap having won his last two starts for Tony Carroll. His 6lb penalty is largely negated by his jockey’s claim and he has won off higher marks in the past.
Late Night Mark (4.45) will know more about his job in the finale having been too green to do himself justice over a mile on debut last month. Jamie Spencer keeps the mount and the fact that there was money for him first time suggests he has been showing plenty on the home gallops. Granted normal improvement I expect him to be difficult to beat with his initial experience behind him.
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