Blogger and racing journalist Stu Williams looks ahead to Saturday's Grimthorpe Handicap Chase at Doncaster and has a 10/1 selection.
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1pt win Boldmere in 888Sport Grimthorpe Handicap Chase at 10/1
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The Grimthorpe Handicap Chase is always a gruelling test of stamina and this year's renewal will prove no different given the unrelenting wind and rain that has wreaked havoc over the fixture list in recent weeks.
Battle-hardened gladiators such as 2017 victor Definitly Red and Classic Chase runner-up Captain Chaos undoubtedly enter the equation in such conditions, while last season’s Ultima Handicap Chase scorer Beware The Bear and National Hunt Chase hero Le Breuil are also names for the shortlist given their deep reserves of stamina.
Solid cases can be made for all four - albeit the latter two have a much bigger target at Aintree to prepare for. However, the market is currently speaking in favour of up-and-coming, unexposed young stayers who may be ahead of the handicapper by virtue of their relative inexperience.
Paul Nicholls’ Worthy Farm arrives in search of a hat-trick following a brace of hard fought victories at Wincanton, while Clondaw Anchor, who bumped into a Chepstow specialist over Christmas, has shaped as though he’ll be contesting races such this for many years to come and undoubtedly warrants respect given his connections.
However, the one that interests me most is BOLDMERE, who looked set to surge to a convincing success in the Grade 2 Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby prior to his unfortunate final-fence departure.
Boldmere achieved a respectable level of form over hurdles last season before being transferred to Caroline Bailey to embark upon a career over fences. The Multiplex gelding made an inauspicious start to his new job when pulling-up at Huntingdon in November. However, that race has worked out very well and he is clearly a much better horse going left handed - in spite of his easy success at Leicester in December.
Stepping up in trip to three miles has also aided the seven-year-old in reaching his full potential, and the additional two furlongs on Saturday look sure to suit.
Now, I am not suggesting that the strapping young stayer is thrown in off his current rating of 147 - and plenty of punters are automatically programmed to take on a horse that has risen in the weights without success. However, the winner of that Wetherby race is now rated 144 and the third home is rated 140. Boldmere was only just hitting top gear when getting the last all wrong and I’m confident that he would have won by a fairly handsome margin had he safely negotiated that obstacle, therefore he doesn’t look too harshly treated.
Furthermore, his 10-length success over subsequent scorer Bob Mahler - who is now rated 140 - at Doncaster in December demonstrates that he is capable of mixing it with seasoned opposition, while also highlighting his ability to perform on Town Moor.
Some may argue that he is yet to truly prove himself of soft ground. However, he was about to post a career best effort on very soft ground at Wetherby and his only other outing in such conditions came in a very warm renewal of the Grade 3 EBF Final at Sandown which, as touched upon earlier, is going the wrong way around.
Stout stayer Ikorodu Road carried the same navy blue and pink silks to success in the corresponding contest in 2012 - hopefully lightning can strike twice on Saturday.
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