GYTO Thursday Notebook Double

A half-brother to smart hurdler Third Wind I’m looking forward to seeing FINAL ENCORE over hurdles on Thursday. He shaped with promise without pulling down trees when down the field on debut in a bumper at Wincanton but quickly improved to win at this track almost a year ago. He is likely to have strengthened up plenty since and he could be a nice prospect in the making. This doesn’t look an overly tough starting point so I think connections will be confident of him making a winning reappearance. The step up in trip is also in his favour and I can see him going off favourite come post time. Matterhorn showed promise over hurdles in France but was pulled up on sole start for Paul Nicholls perhaps struggling in testing ground. He has had a wind op since and better can be expected so he looks the danger.

There was lots to like about the way CHOLA EMPIRE won at Southwell back in January and while he has been beaten twice off this mark since he went close last time and could be ready to get back to winning ways now. There was nothing wrong with his second at Kempton as he bumped into the exciting Kingdom Come and then that form behind Zip and Justcallmepete looks very solid for this grade. He is still just a 4yo and likely has more to offer yet. He is often held up for a late run so he won’t want them to hang about but with Double Time, Pinwheel, Bond Boy and even Buckshaw Village in here there should be a fierce gallop on early which would prove ideal. At the bottom of the weights Give A Little Back could be the danger as he ran well at Wolverhampton last time having been given way too much to do.