Ascot
12:30
Lulamba
He was due to make his debut for us last week but the weather scuppered that plan at Kempton, so here we are. There has obviously been a lot of talk about him of late, but, as I said last week, let’s not run before we can walk. Of course, he looked impressive when winning at Auteuil in October and he was always going to attract attention now he is with us for the Donnellys, but he carries a 10lb penalty here and he meets some nice, unexposed types, too, with Mondo Man showing a high level of form on the Flat in France. We think ours is very decent, but let’s see.
1.40pm
Pawapuri
She clearly didn’t run up to her best over 3m at Kempton last time and she has plenty to find at these weights, so she obviously has a very tough task against Kargese and co.
Unibet are BOOSTING the price of the favourite in this race!
2.50pm
Doddiethegreat
He was due to run at Sandown and Kempton in recent weeks, so this is third time lucky. His last run on Boxing Day was a complete non-event after he got badly hampered at the start, and I pulled him up after the first. I’d be hopeful of a good run here though, as he has returned to hurdles on a good mark, some 3lb lower than his Betfair Hurdle fourth on testing ground, after not taking to fences on his reappearance.
Unibet are paying an EXTRA PLACE on this race!
3.32pm
Jonbon
Everyone has been harking back to Shishkin v Energumene in this race in 2022, and this promises to be some match-up, too – and we are ready for it. Energumene is some horse at his best and it looked like he was going to beat the subsequent King George winner Banbridge on his return at Cork, albeit in receipt of plenty of weight, before that one came down at the last, so we could have our work cut out. But I was really impressed by Jonbon in the Tingle Creek and you can set your watch by him. He is a special horse.
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