I spent quite a bit of time yesterday re-watching Williams Wishes victory at Sandown on Saturday. The major talking point of the race being the fact that he was down on his nose at the second last but still got up to win in most convincing fashion off an official rating of 144. I'll be very interested to see what the handicapper does with his rating now as I think he won very, very cosily indeed and he must surely step up to graded class now? If you watch Saturday's race closely, you'll see Paul Moloney take a very strong pull after the pond fence, and again going to the 2nd last, as the horse was tanking along so strongly. I think this might well have unsettled the horse's rhythm coming to the 2nd last, resulting in a somewhat sketchy jump and the almost-catastrophic landing. If that had not happened, he would surely have won 10 or 15 lengths. He had previously run all over Champion Court (admittedly getting lumps of weight) and here toyed with a decent yardstick in Domtaline. I'd look at him now being somewhere around the 155-160 mark but with a big, bold P next to him because I don't believe he has been anywhere near emptying out. There was talk of him going to the Victor Chandler next to tackle the mighty Sprinter Sacre, and whilst I don't think there is a horse in training who can beat Sprinter Sacre, I do think there may be some e/w value in William's Wishes in what is looking an increasingly 1-sided Champion Chase. Currently only Paddy Power quote him, at 20-1, for the Cheltenham showpiece.
Nevermind, I will fool hardily carry on with my selections regardless.