Simon Holt picks out the best bets from Friday's ITV action with his selections running at Exeter and Sandown.
A double header from Sandown and Exeter awaits ITV4 viewers on Friday when SEVERANO is fancied to make it two out of two over fences in the tote.co.uk Home Of The Placepot Handicap Chase at the latter venue.
Oliver Sherwood's seven-year-old wins top marks for consistency and confirmed the impression that he would always make a better chaser than a hurdler at Sandown early last month when jumping cleanly before getting the better of Mahlervous close to the finish.
That was an excellent debut over fences following some solid efforts over the smaller obstacles last season when Severano won at Chepstow and Newbury on his first two starts and later chased home the high class McFabulous in the EBF Final at Kempton.
Up just 4lb for his victory at Sandown on good ground, whereas his best form has come with some cut underfoot, Brendan Powell’s mount is very likeable and has been found a good opportunity to follow up in a race that doesn't look overly deep.
At Sandown, ILLEGAL MODEL could be the horse open to most improvement in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle on just his third outing over jumps.
A decisive winner from the subsequent dual chase winner Springfield Fox in heavy ground at Lingfield last January, the Charlie Longsdon-trained six-year-old shaped well in handicap company at Uttoxeter in October when making steady headway through the field and staying on well all the way to the line behind Captain Drake.
That form has a few holes but Illegal Model would probably have gone close to winning but for one or two sticky jumps, most significantly at the second last, and he ran like a true stayer which is always needed over this sort of trip on the hurdles course at Sandown.
This is his second run since a wind operation and it will be surprising if he is not capable of considerable progress in the hands of Sam Twiston-Davies.
Posted at 1655 GMT on 03/11/20
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