Warwick's biggest meeting of the year has been called off, Wetherby has a '50-50' chance while the donkey racing on Kempton sands makes little appeal. On the south west coast of Scotland there are no reported weather problems; if the meeting at Ayr goes ahead it will be the first turf meeting in Britain since January 2nd - the going is reported to be soft, heavy in places.
The feature race at 3.00 is the Blue Square Handicap Chase run over three miles one furlong. Malko De Beaumont has progressed well this season and is now rated some thirty pounds higher; off a reasonable weight he looks sure to go close. There was money for Gypsy George before the Welsh National but he ran no sort of race - if you forgive him that effort, he has to have a chance here. Jass looks a little unconvincing but at the bottom of the handicap I wouldn't totally dismiss Chopneyev. He's getting on a bit now but he's made the journey up from Adlestrop in the Cotswolds and represents an each-way wager at around 14/1. Several commentators put up Malko De Beaumont but I'll go out on a limb, hoping that Gypsy George consents to put his best foot forward.
In the novice chase at 2.00 Companero isn't one to take a short price about; if you're brave enough to oppose, Great Approach will be of interest.
The 1.25 is no foregone conclusion but Lie Forrit showed he stayed this distance on slightly better ground last time out and so gets the vote.
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Jass (100/30) may have looked 'a little unconvincing' to me but he certainly made plenty of appeal to some punters who snapped up the 6/1 available in the morning. The horse didn't let those supporters down either, beating the selection two lengths with more than a little in hand. On his previous six runs the winner had failed to complete on two occasions and last time had disappointed badly when sent off favourite in a Class 4 Beginners' Chase at Sedgefield; this victory represents a marked improvement on what he has been achieved to date. Connections see him as one for next year's Welsh National. Time may show that Gypsy George (5/1) was facing an impossible task trying to give 21 pounds to the winner (including James Reveley's three pound claim) on this testing going. He ran a creditable race and had every chance coming to the last but had no chance once passed on the run-in. Trainer Tim Walford, interviewed just before the off, told Channel 4 viewers that the horse hadn't been himself before Chepstow but was in much better form here and so it proved; the handler also wondered whether they'd maybe gone to Chepstow a year too early. Chopneyev (11/1) got no further than the second fence.
Companero (4/9f) landed the spoils but not without giving his supporters plenty to think about. From two out it was Quws Law (5/1) that looked likely to beat the favourite as Peter Buchanan sent his mount on to win his race. Still in the lead jumping the last, Quws Law was worn down on the run-in and beaten three quarters of a length. Great Approach (4/1) mixed good jumps with bad, nearly sending Davy Condon out the front door on the first circuit. He finished twelve lengths back in third; all the participants here need to brush up their fencing.
Lie Forrit (4/6f) landed the spoils by two and a half lengths. My guess is he just stayed that little better than Sirkeel (100/30), although another view would be it was the winning rider's five pound claim that made the difference.
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