I’ll repeat my warning from last week about keeping stakes to a minimum because at this stage of the term, people, you just don’t know the full SP re so many animals. A lot of the Flat brigade will be ‘over the top’ after busy seasons and so many NH horses will be out merely for a ‘pipe opener’ ahead of their real targets.
Scratch below the surface though and I think the action of the morrow is more than fair. On the level GROWL (2.25 Doncaster) steps down in grade after his phenomenal run to finish runner-up in the Champions Sprint, at Ascot, last time. A reproduction of that effort and he’ll win by half the track but he’s been most progressive all term and even his most recent handicapping efforts should be good enough, methinks. Meanwhile, Sir Michael’s Derby entrant, EL TAP (5.10 Chelmsford) really should be too good after such a promising debut run back in September.
Over the sticks at Winkers the novices BOA ISLAND (1.00) and SHANTOU VILLAGE (1.35) should prove hard to beat. Both impressed last time and I can see no reason why either shouldn’t go in again. And at Aintree Boa Island’s stablemate ORBASA (3.10) looks eye-catching running off 135. He’s shown decent form in 4 runs for Mr Nicholls and you get the impression he’s going to be a much better horse than his handicap rating right now. I really liked his effort at Ayr, at Listed level, back in April, and on that form should make a mockery of his current impost.
I guess after my opening paragraph I shouldn’t have highlighted as many as 5 but think they all should go close, troops.
Good luck all.
