1.55 Market Rasen
Full Speed 5/1
Full Speed is another wonderful success story for the fantastic Phil Kirby and despite and 8lb rise for his victory last month I think he's definitely the one they all have to beat. This 8 year old is in absolutely terrific form at present winning 3 of his last 4 starts (twice on the flat) and I think he has a lot more to offer off his current mark of 115. Completely unexposed over hurdles with just 4 starts to date, Full Speed actually made his hurdling debut way back in 2009 for Alan Swinbank where he ran a fine 4th in a race won by the very talented Mare Alasi and for some reason or another he was confined to the flat before he joined current connections back in August of last year. After getting fit on the flat, he made his belated return to the National Hunt scene where he ran an absolute blinder given his absence from this discipline when beaten a little over a length by Dotties Dilemma back in October last year on bottomless ground. It was a great effort and after winning on the flat in the interim period he made his handicap debut again in unsuitably bottomless ground when comprehensively beaten by the incredibly well handicapped Coverholder (now rated 34lb higher) at Kelso back in February. After winning again on the flat, he made it 4th time lucky over hurdles at Newcastle last month off a mark of 107 when scoring convincingly over 2m last month. Settled in midfield, Full Speed didn't travel with the same fluency as he can on the flat but was still always going pretty well for Richie McGrath. Heading into the home straight tracking the eventual runner up All That Remains, Full Speed had to be vigorously driven and despite making a mistake at 2 out he eventual ground down his game opponent to win going away by nearly 4L with a gap back to the rest of the field. Full Speed very much shaped like he would be better over further that day and I think he'll really appreciate the step up to 2m3f in this contest. The form of that victory has already been strongly franked with the 2nd winning convincingly off the same mark on his only outing since and given that Full Speed was well in command in beating him I think the 8lb rise seems more than fair. Completely unexposed in this discipline, Full Speed only takes a slight step up in grade to a 0-115 contest where he'll have to shoulder top weight but that doesn't really concern me at all. In addition to appreciating the extra distance, I think he'll prefer the quick surface today and I think he'll take an awful lot of beating. Phil Kirby can do so little wrong at present and I'm confident that Full Speed can keep both his and the trainer's wonderful run going.
Phil Kirby also runs the very interesting Jawaab 6/1 in the race proceeding this who should love the quick ground, looks on a very winnable mark of 104 and who takes a huge step back in Class from a 0-135 to this 0-115 contest. Have also done him in a single and an each way double on the pair.