Andy has a couple of fancies to start the week.
15.20 Musselburgh
ROYAL MANDATE (best price 7-1) has shown enough promise in two completed starts over hurdles to be of some interest on handicap debut and considering the latest of those efforts came in a hot novices’ contest over today’s C&D, he should find the competition this afternoon more to his liking. A faller at the first on hurdling debut when with Dan Skelton, the son of Manduro overcame a 367-day layoff to finish a creditable third at Market Rasen on his first start for new connections back in October and his latest performance definitely indicated that he’s going in the right direction. In a race run at a true gallop, Rebecca Menzies’ charge kept on well enough to finish within a respectable range of the winner, who could be top class, and providing his inexperience doesn’t hinder him, he should have enough quality to make some sort of impact.
16.10 Wolverhampton
Quite a few here look set to build on promising debuts, none more so that VOYAGER BLUE (NAP) (best price 7-2) who showed bundles of ability over today’s course 23 days ago. In a maiden where there were plenty strongly fancied, Jamie Osbourne’s charge was certainly not one of them being sent off a 40-1 outsider, so to say that he outrun his odds is a massive understatement. Slightly tardy away, he found himself towards the rear of the field in the early strides, but making ground up nicely rounding the home turn, he ran on in taking fashion to finish a never-nearer third in what turned out to be a well-run affair. A bit unit with plenty of scope, the Footstepsinthesand colt looks just the type to improve significantly from that initial outing and despite him being up against several similarly promising types, he’s fancied to be right in the thick of the action.
