Five horses who should be banging on the door this weekend and for the rest of the season
The Nipper - 13.30 Wetherby
Warren Greatrex’s prolific winner has won all but one of her completed starts, with that only defeat coming in Grade 1 company in the Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown last time out. Sent off at heavy odds-on in five of those nine starts, the six-year-old has always been a talented yet slightly quirky mare. Well suited by the terms of Saturday’s race, she receives plenty of weight from all of her rivals and it will be interesting to see how she takes to life over fences.
La Bague Au Roi – 14.05 Wetherby
Another Greatrex mare who has been well placed by her trainer to register seven wins from her 10 career starts. All of those defeats have come in Grade 1 or 2 company and she should be more at home against Saturday’s rivals. Champion jockey Richard Johnson gets the leg up at the weekend and the trainer/jockey combination boast a 23% strike rate together over the last five seasons.
Jenkins - 15.00 Ascot
One-time favourite for the Supreme, Nicky Henderson’s five-year-old has always been held in the highest regard by his Sevenbarrows trainer. He got back to winning ways at the end of last season after a frustrating period of injuries and niggles and the yard vibes suggest Henderson is confident he has the horse back to somewhere approaching his old self. If that is the case he should be more than capable of winning races off a mark of 137.
Kerry Lee’s admirable eight-year-old may not have the greatest strike rate but he’s run some big races in defeat picking up plenty of prize money in the process. Those performances have come off higher marks than his current 127 rating and there’s definitely reason to think there could be a big handicap in him this season.
Antony – 15.35 Ascot
Winner of the race 12 months ago off a featherweight, Garry Moore’s seven-year-old gets into this year’s race off a mark only 4lb higher and will shoulder just 10-4 on his back this time round. He made a promising enough reappearance at Fontwell last month over an inadequate trip and that should have put him spot on for Saturday as he bids to defend his crown.
Sunday
Wiloughby Court – 14.50 Huntingdon
Last season’s Neptune winner rates one of the most exciting recruits to the chasing ranks for the months ahead. Ben Pauling’s six-year-old was a game winner that day back in March, edging out the super-talented Neon Wolf by a head and pulling well clear of the rest of the field. Sunday’s race should hopefully confirm he has as much to offer over the larger obstacles as he did over hurdles with any of the big novice races at the Festival next march the long term aim.
