13:30 Haydock
Saturday 21 January 2017
All12:5513:3014:0514:4015:1515:5016:20
Star Sports Cheltenham Preview Evening Novices' Chase
- Class 1 | 2m 3f 203y | Soft | 6 Runners | Turf | Weighed In
- Off time: 13:35 | Winning time: 5m 14.83s
Cloth number
Odds
Horse A-Z
Show odds
A useful hurdler who is making up into an even better chaser. Emphatic wins here and in a Grade Two at Ascot makes him the target with further progress likely. Yard have an excellent strike rate here in chases over the past five years (12-28)
Improving at a rate of knots as shown when quickening clear to score last time. This requires him to find a lot more in a short space of time.
Won the novice hurdle on this card a year ago. Bounced back last time in good style to beat a below par Cole Harden at Wetherby when a tongue tie was applied. Unbeaten at this track so an obvious contender.
Unbeaten in two starts over fences for new yard when he has jumped well. He beat a useful yardstick last time in a manner which suggests his BHA rating underestimates him. Potentially a very exciting prospect.
Useful hurdler at his peak but has had his training problems of late. Pulled up on his reappearance when the run would have been needed but remains up against it here.
Made an encouraging start to his chasing career at Plumpton in a hotter than average race for the track. The winner is a smart recruit and the third won at Ayr this week.
Forecasts
Politologue (6/4), Waiting Patiently (11/4), Its'afreebee (11/2), Bun Doran (6/1), Solatentif (12/1), Maximiser (14/1)
An intriguing contest in which the undoubted potential of WAITING PATIENTLY is preferred to the proven form of Politologue. Malcolm Jefferson's charge was so impressive in beating Forest Bihan last time that he would not be too far off the mark required to beat Paul Nicholls' grey. Having left the impression there was plenty left in the locker he is the one to beat. Politologue has to be feared given his bold round of jumping last time and his trainer's fine record here. It would pay to be cautious about the form of Its'afreebee's win last month but unwise to dismiss his chances here. He may not get the opportunity to dominate from the front as he would like but his record on the track makes him difficult to dismiss.
1. Waiting Patiently
2. Politologue
3. Its'afreebee
Prize Money
1st: £18,224.002nd: £6,838.003rd: £3,424.004th: £1,706.005th: £858.006th: £429.00
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