View from connections ahead of the JLT Hurdle at Ascot
Get the view from connections and Man On The Spot verdict for the JLT Hurdle at Ascot.
What the trainers say:
Nicky Henderson - Call Me Lord, Top Notch and Soul Emotion: "He had a bit of a hiccup in the summer. We thought he had colic, and we found a great crystallised ball inside him, and he had to have surgery to remove it. He was in a bit later than most, but he has done plenty of work. He really wants to go right-handed. We wondered whether we should give him one more try left-handed to see what he'd do, but even at home he still suggests he wants to go that way.
"I'm not confident about the trip, but that is why we are trying it. It was two-mile-five the last time at Sandown, and the ground was soft enough. He loves soft ground, but will he stay? Nobody knows, but you don't know until you try it."
"Top Notch is 100 per cent now, but he had three weeks of feeling like he had flu. It affects one in a hundred horses. He has got to go somewhere. He is in the King George, but you don't want to go there first time out. There is the Ascot Chase later on. I'm not saying he is just out to have a run on Saturday, because he is in very good form.
"Soul Emotion will love the ground - but again, whether he stays three miles is guesswork."
Jedd O'Keeffe - Sam Spinner: "The ground will be great, and obviously he loves the track - so those are positives, and we're really happy with him. I can't pretend I wasn't disappointed at Newbury, not that he was beaten when he unseated Joe, more just the way he raced - there was a lack of zip, so we're putting cheekpieces on just to create a little bit of a spark.
"His jumping was indicative of the whole day, a bit lethargic and behind the bridle - whereas at Haydock and Ascot last year it was his strong suit. Hopefully he's in better form with a run under his belt, and the cheekpieces should help."
Harry Fry - Unowhatimeanharry: "He's in better form than he was 12 months ago, that's for sure. With an older horse like him that's been a great servant to us, it's really exciting to see him in good form - and we hope he can run another good race on Saturday."
Emma Lavelle - Paisley Park: "We've been very happy with him since Haydock. It was a question of either letting him run in another handicap under top-weight or having a crack at the staying division at graded level. I think he's earned a crack at it. He seems to be improving and is growing up mentally all the time."
Kim Bailey - Younevercall : "He's had one or two niggly issues. The owners have been very patient and waited a long time, so it's great their patience has been rewarded. It's an incredibly tough ask. Even if it was good ground it would be a tough ask. Having said that, you've got to be in it to win - and he's got plenty of time to get over it, and we'll learn a lot more about him."
Man On The Spot verdict:
Unowhatimeanharry won this Grade 1 in 2016 and ground out a second victory in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury at the end of last month. But he’ll be 11 in a couple of weeks’ time and is probably not the force of old. He was only third last year behind SAM SPINNER and Jedd O’Keeffe’s relentless galloper might be the one to beat again with ground conditions in his favour. He wasn’t at his best at Newbury but will have come on a bundle for the run and cheekpieces might help him concentrate better. Paisley Park has bags of potential but this is a big step up from handicaps and he may have to wait for another day. Call Me Lord needed his reappearance last season and tackles 3m for the first time. He should stay but is having his first run at the highest level. Agrapart won the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham at the start of the year and is weighted to reverse Aintree running with Unowhatimeanharry so shouldn’t be underestimated.
GET THE FULL PICTURE: Don't miss out on FREE video replays and our fantastic My Stable tracker. Log in now and become a Sporting Life Insider.
Related horse racing links
Next Off
Most Followed
MOST READ RACING
