Doncaster
1.50 3m Class 2 Handicap Hurdle – Who’s My Jockey 7/2
Who’s My Jockey has taken the eye so many times in his races, at one minute he looks to be cruising and traveling all over his competition and then to being lacklustre & struggling, then back to being brilliant on a flick of a switch, watching his last run was a perfect example when up with the pace and travelling well to just having 2 behind him 3 out in a 14 strong field, when looking well beat and around 15 lengths behind the leader and eventual winner, his switch flicked and slowly got back into the race taking beaten rivals, still 10 lengths behind when exiting the straight and 2 out he had a lot to do but stayed on very strongly to get to within a length and a half behind the winner on the line, which looked almost impossible considering he was giving away a lot of weight at the time. Today the step up in trip not only looks a big plus on his latest run but the attraction is the first-time cheek pieces, which if they sort out his concentration, he could be a potential beast and some big prize money grade races to come.
Newbury
2.40 2m4f Grade 3 Handicap Chase – Happy Diva 5/1
A very open race, that possibly anyone can win, the favourite and one of only two mares in the field must be given a lot of respect, she’s very consistent and will no doubt give her best show, from her 12 runs over fences she’s finished in the top 3 11 times, a crazy 92%. Her last race seen her against her own sex when recording her 4th victory in a listed race, the time before she was a distant 23 lengths 3rd to Cyrname, which was a terrific performance considering she was only rated 8lbs lower than Cyrname and he went on to a emphatic win in the Betfair Ascot Chase and is now the highest rated jumps horse with a rating of 178, which I know doesn’t always work like this, but on that performance, gives her a rating of at least 148, she comes here on 142, so a possible bit in hand, but again a tough race but very exciting non the less.
Kelso
3.15 2m2f Grade 2 Novices Hurdle – Windsor Avenue 5/1
All eyes on Getaway Trump who no doubt has the strongest form of the race with his 2nd behind current Barring Bingham fav Champ in the Grade 1 Challow Novices and more recent 4th in a Grade 3 Handicap at Ascot behind current Supreme Novices fav Al Dancer, however this wasn’t Paul Nicholls original plan coming here this close to Cheltenham, he was due to run a few weeks back before the Fluenza ruined his plans, so I’m guessing this will just be looked as a leg stretch before his main target at the festival this month, that also goes with the 2nd fav Rouge Vif who also has an engagement at the festival, albeit an outsider but surely is being prepped for it, so with that being said, I’m siding with Windsor Avenue who doesn’t have a prior engagement and looks the most progressive one of the field, on his penultimate race, he finished in a blanket in a very hot form race, the winner Ask Ben romped home NTO by 19 lengths before finishing 2nd in a Grade 2, the 2nd Beakstown won a Grade 2 and is now rated 142 and the 3rd finished 2nd in a good class 2, Windsor Castle him self boosted that form when winning eye catchingly by 15 lengths at Sedgefield, he may not have the quality as Al Dancer but he certainly has a bright future and will be aimed for this.
Brought to you by Russell Blair Racing
