Matt Brocklebank relies on Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson combining to good effect with today's best bet at Taunton.
Recommended bet:
1pt win Earth Lady in 5.15 Taunton at 4/1
Earth Lady belied odds of 50/1 to post an encouraging career-best effort in fifth at Taunton last month and it looks worth taking the much shorter odds against the five-year-old as she makes the same 20-odd mile trip from Philip Hobbs' Withycombe base this afternoon.
Her progress has been quite steady to date, clearly not being quick enough to challenge in her sole bumper outing at Fontwell in October, but it looks significant that Hobbs has quite swiftly got three novice hurdle runs into her since switching attention to jumping and another step up in distance, combined with the switch to handicaps for which she is now qualified, can bear fruit.
Earth Lady's mark of 109 is no gimme from what we've seen of her but there is hope in her pedigree that improvement will be forthcoming.
A well-related daughter of Presenting, her half-brother Milo Milan scored on his handicap debut for Richard Lee and the UB40 Here In Concert 11th June Novices' Handicap Hurdle (5.15) presents the perfect opportunity for her to follow suit.
It's an important time of the year for all the big yards and the focus will obviously be elsewhere with Cheltenham just around the corner, but there's seemingly no let-up with the Hobbs team, which enjoyed 13 wins during February at a strike-rate of 23 per cent.
Earth Lady's main danger is fellow handicap debutant The Two Amigos, a good ground point-to-point scorer who also looks sure to improve now handicapping.
He's also up in trip which should help following a staying-on fourth of 15 at Doncaster when last seen in December, but he might just need the run and the general form of the Pipe yard is a little less inspiring (4-41 last month) than that of his market rival's.
