With the jumps season now clicking into gear we have three National Hunt meetings today; the best card takes place at Carlisle and a couple catch the eye there.
Five are due to line up for a very interesting Beginners Chase at 2.30 and all could be given some sort of chance.
Stowaway Magic appeals as the most likely winner, it is fair to say he didn’t come up to expectation over fences last year but there was promise in both runs and time told that he had an impossible task against Fountains Windfall who is now rated a lofty 157. The selection cut little ice back over hurdles although ran respectably in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival. A switch to the Dan Skelton will certainly be no negative and I expect him to win.
The 3.40 (Carlisle) is one for the real stayers being run over 3m 2f and it is interesting that Barry Geraghty comes over the ride the JP McManus owned Forthefunofit for trainer Jonjo O’Neil. The horse has been called a few names in the past but is on a very fair chase mark, which is indeed 2lb below the hurdles mark that he carried to victory back in July.
I like his chances of following up today and would be against Dan Skelton’s Ange Des Malberaux who has been mopping up some fairly weak summer jumps races.
The Evening fixture at Chelmsford is where I will go for my other two selections of the day.
In the 5.45 I like the claims of Ralph Beckett’s Moon King. The horse is bred to be far better than his basement mark of 60 and was very well backed on his first trip into handicaps at Nottingham just a week ago. Only a distant third that day, it was still a promising run and the visor goes on tonight, the stable couldn’t be in better form and I expect him to go close.
Lastly in the 6.45 I like the look of Sonnet Rose for the unfashionable but highly effective Conrad Allen. Her last two runs were very solid and seven furlongs round this sharp track suits her well.
It is naturally a very competitive race, many will fancy Robin Weathers who arguably should have won last time at Lingfield on his second run for the excellent Eve Johnson Houghton. The drop to the seven-furlong trip would be a slight worry for me and I am happy to side with the filly.
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