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THE Grand National may still be two weeks away and the start of the flat season kicked off last weekend, but the national hunt campaign still has plenty of legs in between and the highlight this afternoon is the set of Challengers Series Finals at Haydock Park alongside the final of the Middle Distance Veteran’s Handicap Chase (3.15).
Let’s start with the last named over two-and-a-half miles, where 10 well-known names are set to line up headed by the mare Pink Legend, set to race off a mark of 136. The Venetia Williams-trained charge was not surprisingly well-beaten in the Mares Chase at Cheltenham Festival, but this is a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire here as she takes on the boys under her burden of 12 stone.
I fancy that there will be no shortage of pace on as Riders OnThe Storm (made most in a class two, two-mile handicap at Doncaster) and set to race off the same mark is likely to be at the sharp end along with Numitor and the old boy of the part Top Ville Ben.
So with a solid gallop almost guaranteed, the vote goes to hold-up charge CHAMPAGNE MYSTERY who is still finding his feet in this country and remains open to improvement following two runs in a Grade Three handicap at Cheltenham and a class-two event at Kempton. It is hard to fathom why he has been dropped from an initial mark of 130 to 127 here, and I think he has every chance of picking up the pieces down the long home stretch for Jon Burke.
My other main bet at the Merseyside track will be on PLAYFUL SAINT (2.05) in the two-mile handicap hurdle final, a race that has quite obviously been his aim all season. The Skelton charge ran a lovely warm-up race for this when just going down by a neck to Milldam at Stratford earlier in the month, and that run should have put him spot on for this target. I suspect tactics will change here and this very lightly campaigned nine-year-old will be held up off a sharp enough pace.
The Tim Molony Handicap Chase (3.50) has been won by some dour staying chasers down through the years and if his jumping holds up, INFLEXIBLE can add his name to that list today. He put in one of his better rounds of jumping last time out at Wincanton, but ironically when he needed it most the selection went through the top of the last obstacle when still in contention, eventually dropping back to third. He has been put up a pound to a mark of 110 for that run, but is still reasonably treated and can reverse form with his conqueror that day, No Hubbs No Hoobs, on 6lbs better terms here.
Later on, BEST LIFE can make the most of his light weight in the staying hurdle at 4.25, while SI ELEGANT (5.00) can make his freshness count in the concluding two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase. The first named has been crying out for a step up in trip on his handicap debut, and being by Leading Light out of a Supreme Leader mare, the very lightly raced six-year-old should relish the task in hand.
The Queen’s Cup (3.35) at Musselburgh has attracted a field of 14 this year and as usual the Johnston yard have made a strong play for the main prize with four entries. The best of the quartet could well be Hope You Can Run who ended last season on a high with an easy success at Catterick.
This will require more in a much better strength in depth event and will be only his 12th career start. He is made the main danger to SWEET FANTASY who is one of only a handful in the field that will relish the give underfoot. She made good progress on the level last season winning off marks of 77 and 82 on soft ground, and then continued that progress over hurdles when going two from two in mares novice events.
The Scottish Sprint Cup (3.00) has surprisingly attracted a poor turnout of just eight runners, and in a race which normally requires plenty of luck in the run in a double-digit field, may well be more straightforward this time around and the very well-treated SILKY WILKIE could be the answer when he defends his title.
Karl Burke’s charge was rated as high as 110 last year when second in a Listed race at York and has since gone 12 runs without a win, placed off 107 and 108. Fit from three recent runs on the all-weather and with Sam Feilden set to take 7lbs off his back, the five-year-old will race off a mark of 90 and gets the nod over Zarzyni, who ran fifth 12 months ago.
The Silver Arrow Handicap (2.25) over seven furlongs has plenty of pace in the race and that could suit ZIP who ran a cracker last Sunday at Doncaster, when a close up fourth to Knebworth over a furlong shorter. This is more his set up and the grey can deny the highly progressive Poet Master.
There are some cracking races on show on day one of the Irish National Festival at Fairyhouse, and the highlight is the Listed Rybo Handicap Hurdle at 5.05 and the mare RISK BELLE can successfully defend her title off a 2lbs higher mark. She never got a shot at the leaders when eight lengths eighth of 17 in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but has a tremendous record at the track and could prove too good at the weights for Noel Meade’s Helvic Dream.
Finally, a quick word about Monday and the feature Irish Grand National at 5.00 where all the ante-post money has been for the Willie Mullins-trained novice Nick Rockett. However, I am happy to let him win at the price and two better each-way plays are the stamina laden DESERTMORE HOUSE, and at an even bigger price, WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. The last named was far from disgraced when fourth in the Kim Muir, and this deeper test of stamina looks sure to suit better.
