Huntingdon were forced to abandon yesterday’s card as Storm Doris battered Britain but the winds, hopefully, will have abated ahead of today’s Warwick card.
Trainer Fergal O’Brien is not known for calling geese swans and Global Stage (2.00) can make it third time lucky over timber for the yard in receipt of 10lbs from the listed Cheltenham winner Coo Star Sivola.
The selection is a chaser-in-waiting but connections threw him in at the deep end on his hurdles debut when beaten ten lengths by Neptune Novices’ Hurdle favourite Finian’s Oscar in the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle last month over the minimum trip. He failed to improve for the step up in trip when subsequently second at Leicester but he may not have been quite over his Sandown exertions on that occasion and is taken to shed his maiden tag today. The selection is 66/1 at BetVictor for next month’s Albert Bartlett and would have to win well today for connections to consider a tilt at that Grade 1 prize.
Templehills (3.35) looked a chaser to keep on side when making all over C&D from an 8lbs lower mark last time and it is no surprise to see this progressive six-year-old given a couple of entries in next month’s Festival handicaps.
Doitforthevillage and the seasonal debutant Pressurize are considered the main dangers but Templehills is the youngest runner in the field and if his jumping holds up he is likely to make a bold bid from the front.
Shanroe Santos is 3lbs higher than when finishing second at Huntingdon last time and there is just a thought that the horse is better going right-handed. A market move for Definite Memories having his first start for Venetia Williams would be worth noting but the vote goes to Allchilledout (4.45) who may have caught a tarter when runner up to Court Frontier at Chepstow from only a 1lb higher mark last time.
The Novices’ limited handicap chase at Exeter is a cracker with Label Des Obeaux (3.15) just favoured over the unbeaten chaser Wild West Wind. The former had little to beat at Ludlow last time but jumped well and galloped on strongly and he is just favoured over the Tom George trained runner who looked value for more than the official margin of victory when scoring at Hereford last time.
The Devon National is the feature race and Mountainous (3.50) is only 1lb higher than when landing the Welsh National last January (postponed from previous month) and his talented amateur rider takes off a valuable 7lbs. The selection bounced back to something like his best when second to stablemate Goodtoknow at Hereford at the beginning of the month and he is sure to be staying on when others have cried enough.
Thegirlfrommilan (4.55) was nibbled at in the market in a Newbury event last time and she makes her handicap debut from a decent mark considering she won two heavy ground 3m point-to-points back in her native Ireland. This is her first start over 3m for Rebecca Curtis and Jonathan Moore takes off 3lbs, which will certainly help with conditions sure to be extremely testing.
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