Redicean was an impressive winner of the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday and Alan King's juvenile was cut from 8s to 5/1 with BetVictor for the Triumph Hurdle behind Nicky Henderson's filly Apple's Shakira who is the 11/4 market leader.
In other Cheltenham news Harry Fry's If The Cap Fits will miss the Supreme Novices' Hurdle it was announced over the weekend and recent Betfair Handicap Hurdle winner Kalashnikov was trimmed from 6s to 11/2 at BetVictor for the Festival curtain-raiser.
Today's jumps cards at Plumpton and Ayr are subject to precautionary inspections although both tracks reported they could have raced on Sunday and are optimistic of beating the cold snap that might hit turf racing as the week develops.
There is a valuable handicap Hurdle at Plumpton and Not Never (3.35) might have too much pace for today's rivals with the forecast good to soft ground likely to be more suitable than the heavy ground he won over C&D last time from a 5lbs lower mark.
The runner up Tara Bridge has subsequently won his last two starts – albeit over fences – and Not Never is open to further improvement over timber having had just seven starts over hurdles. Doc Carver was still going well when coming down three out at Towcester last time and he constitutes a big danger from the same mark although this point winner may need a stiffer test going forward.
Holbrook Park (2.30) bounced back to something like his best form when second here earlier in the month when it looked as if the wind operation he had in January had helped his breathing. If 7lbs conditional Harry Teal can get the selection into a nice rhythm, he will be hard to beat in a poor race.
Ayr also inspect at 8am and if racing gets the green light Present Flight (2.45) must go close in the staying handicap chase having made such a promising reappearance off this mark over a shorter trip at the end of January. The handicapper has taken a chance leaving him on the same mark and he has run well over this trip from a higher mark before his long absence from the track.
Lingfield race on the all-weather and Good Impression (4.00) did not have the run of the race over today's C&D last time but can reverse the form with Mouchee on 1lb better terms.
At Wolverhampton this evening, Cross Swords showed plenty of promise when green and slowly away on debut and a market move would be worth noting. Legal History (6.45) was no match for the Godolphin filly Beautiful Memory at Chelmsford last time, but the selection had the rest of his field covered and he is taken to go one better and can advantage of the 4lbs he receives from Lingfield winner Aquarium who is swimming in deeper waters this evening.
Reckless Wave (7.45) is unbeaten in two starts at Dunstall Park and can defy a 7lbs rise for what was a fluent win here earlier in the month. Alan King's Inn The Bull is another recent course winner who has been penalised 7lbs for scoring over a quarter of a mile further at the beginning of the month.
There is plenty of pace in the Class 2 handicap and I hope to see Tropics (8.15) make it three wins from his last four starts. The selection is 7lbs higher than when scoring over C&D back in December but this ten-year-old won at Chelmsford under Robert Winston last time and can take this valuable prize.
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