John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Tuesday.
Khrisma makes appeal at Market Rasen
Market Rasen’s mares’ novice hurdle (14:00) looks the most interesting race of the day, with four of the runners successful last time out and no fewer than six in the field of nine having the ‘p’ on their ratings indicating that they are open to improvement. It’s a tight contest on Timeform ratings too, but the one who comes out top is Khrisma for ‘Hot Trainer’ Nicky Henderson and J. P. McManus.
Khrisma kept good company in French bumpers with Emmanuel Clayeux and has done well over hurdles for current connections whilst showing a few quirks. At last year’s Punchestown Festival, she finished a long way clear of the rest when runner-up to Champion Hurdle entry Casheldale Lad in a novice. She barely needed to come off the bridle when landing very short odds against other mares on her return at Uttoxeter in the autumn and was only narrowly beaten under a penalty at Huntingdon last time when she probably should have won.
Travelling best, she was yet to be asked for her effort when untidy at the last and was headed soon afterwards, in the end going down by a short head to Watamu without her rider going for the whip. Khrisma earned the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag for that effort and, now 7 lb better off with that rival, she can take her revenge here, perhaps on the way to the Cheltenham Festival where she holds an entry in the Dawn Run.
Ledgend threatening to come good
Olly Murphy has a 25% strike rate at Market Rasen over the last five seasons despite more runners at that track than at any other bar Uttoxeter, and he and Sean Bowen have a few chances later on the card, including with Little Ledgend in the staying handicap hurdle (15:37).
He was placed in both his bumpers last term and has gradually been getting the hang of things over hurdles this season, finding only one too good in each of his last two starts. Little Legend was no match for progressive rival Jhentong Enki in a conditional jockeys’ race at Lingfield just before Christmas and then came up against another well-handicapped rival when going down by three lengths to Bel Ombre back under Bowen at Taunton last time, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag.
Those efforts suggest Little Ledgend is threatening to come good soon, and the way he stayed on last time suggests that the extra half-mile of this contest will suit the son of Yeats.
Imola interesting off same mark as last time
Joey Ramsden won some of South Africa’s biggest races in a twenty-year training stint in that country but now based in Newark in Nottinghamshire he has had a handful of all-weather winners since Bishop’s Glory got him off the mark in Britain when winning at Newcastle in November. ‘When you with that calibre of horse [Bishop’s Glory had a BHA mark of just 46], it shows you’ve definitely still got it!’ said Ramsden.
Imola is another of the trainer’s winners this winter, and she looks weighted to double her tally in the first division of the extended nine-furlong handicap at Wolverhampton (20:00).
Having raced without success for her three previous stables, Imola finally got off the mark at the age of five in January at Southwell, gaining reward after several placed efforts since joining Ramsden. She has been kept busy since and remains in good form, only beaten a short head at Wolverhampton next time and runner-up again at Southwell last week. She was no match for improving winner Dream Illusion on that occasion, but emerged with credit and has a clear chance at the weights off the same mark here, heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings by 3 lb.
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