KEMPTON
Pentland Hills (Freddie Gordon)
He was much more like it at Doncaster last time, under top weight, so Freddie’s 5lbs claim will come in extremely useful and this trip suits him well. However, it is going to be extremely testing and you’d have to be quite concerned on that front.
*Unibet are paying Money Back as Cash if your selection finishes 2nd or 3rd in this race.
Fantastic Lady (Nico de Boinville)
She’s a tough and very reliable mare who has plenty of talent and we are switching things up by going back over hurdles, where she’s rated 5lbs lower. This is her trip, and she does seem to handle soft ground, so I’d be hopeful of a good run.
No Ordinary Joe (Kevin Brogan)
He hasn’t won for a while but his excellent run behind Iroko in last year’s Martin Pipe off just a pound lower mark would see him in with a decent shout. He’s won on soft before and hopefully he can bounce back from a disappointing performance at Doncaster last time.
Arclight (Nico de Boinville)
She’s not bred to be going over fences but seems to have found her niche in life and absolutely loves jumping. This is quite a step up, but she receives an allowance and is extremely tough and consistent and I’d be hopeful she’ll handle the ground. She’s lovely.
Tweed Skirt (Nico de Boinville)
She stays well, likes it around here and hurdles and fences both come as the same to her. The Handicapper now has her on 141, so there’s no margin for error, and the soft going is very much a concern, but she likes the track and should run very well.
Notorious Pink (Nico de Boinville)
She didn’t show a great deal at Wincanton on debut, but her work had been pretty good at home beforehand, so we’re putting some cheek pieces on to help her concentrate and I hope she can step up on her first run.
CHEPSTOW
Walkingonair (James Bowen)
We ran him over fences at Newbury and, while he posted a good effort, I’m not convinced he really enjoyed jumping them, so, we’re switching back to Hurdles, and I think it’s pretty obvious what we are trying to do. He needs to finish in the first four to qualify for the Pertemps, a race he was unlucky in last year, and if he handles the ground, and it’s a big IF, he should be taken very seriously here.
