The weights were published yesterday for the Topham Trophy at Aintree next week and our two antepost fancies Stellar Notion (10st 12lbs) and Henryville (10st 6lbs) remain 20s and 14/1 respectively with BetVictor. The mover was Nicky Henderson‘s progressive novice Gold Present (10s from 14s at BetVictor) who is 5lbs higher than when runner up at the Cheltenham Festival earlier in the month.
Good ground forecast for Taunton this afternoon and there is a fascinating maiden hurdle to open the card. My two against the field are Hidden Cargo and Touch Kick (2.00) with marginal preference for the Paul Nicholls trained runner.
Hidden Cargo needs good ground and hinted that he might prefer going right-handed when disappointing at Newbury last time. He can win a hurdle this spring before turning his attentions to fences.
The vote goes to Touch Kick (2.00) who failed to get home on soft ground at Taunton last time but has bits of form on a decent surface to suggest today’s conditions should be ideal. Paul Nicholls needs every penny as he bids to retain his champion trainer crown and this Trevor Hemmings-owned horse can add the best part of £4k to the coffers.
Connections fit blinkers on Leg Lock Luke (3.00) for the first time and the hope is that the headgear will help the selection, who swerved violently and unseated his jockey with the race at his mercy last time, concentrate more although jockey Tom O’Brien will certainly earn his riding fee.
This additional quarter mile will suit the seven-year-old as will the good ground and he can race off the same handicap mark as when an unlucky loser last time.
Bertie Boru will be all the rage in the finale carrying a 7lbs penalty for a fluent win at Exeter nine days ago, but his jumping can be a bit hit and miss and he is overlooked. Port Melon (4.45) returns from a two-month break for Nicholls and leading amateur David Maxwell takes off a valuable 7lbs for the selection whose stamina is not guaranteed but he is certainly worth a try at this three-and-a-half-mile trip.
At Warwick Bandon Bridge (2.20) is 5lbs higher than when finishing runner up over timber but he is a dual winner between the flags and could be on a decent mark for his first run over fences. I was a bit disappointed with one of the runners from the yard of Katy Price at Bangor at the weekend but I do feel the selection could be well treated now tackling the larger obstacles.
Giveaway Glance will have her supporters in the juvenile fillies hurdle but Deauville Crystal (2.50) is clearly going the right way and the hope is that a 7lbs penalty will not prevent her following up what was a fluent win at Newbury in a valuable event last weekend.
The drying ground will suit Azure Fly (3.25) who is blinkered for the first time for Charlie Longsdon and has been dropped a couple of pounds since finishing third over four miles at Musselburgh last month. I always associate the Longsdon yard with good ground and the horse has won over a much higher mark in the past.
At Limerick no surprise to see Marakoush (2.45) drop back to the minimum trip having travelled well on his reappearance last month before lack of a recent outing took its toll. It is possible that this may not be a sufficient test but this lightly-raced former John Oxx inmate was rated 90 on the flat and is open to significant improvement.
The Grade 3 Novice Chase is uncompetitive and the two Gigginstown-owned animals should fight out the finish with All Hell Let Loose (3.50) likely to appreciate this more than the hurly burly of the
Cheltenham Festival where he was nibbled at into 14/1 but never showed and was pulled up early on in the piece.
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