39 PAULING CAN BE THE KING OF TAUNTON
BEN PAULING is a trainer in particularly fine form with a treble at Ascot on Saturday moving his total for the year to 19 wins from 75 runs.
Of course, some of us went all in on the one fancied runner from the yard, which failed to come up trumps.
You could call that Bad luck, but it still smarts.
I’m more than hopeful, however, KING OF THE ROAD (2.10, Taunton) can provide some payback for those like me nursing the wounds of Bad’s defeat when he contests the Blundells Preparatory Racing To School Novices’
Handicap Hurdle.
A half-brother to the 3m hurdles winner Scrum Diddly, who incidentally also won on his handicap debut, he’s looked a handicap project from the start.
He was given a sighter of Taunton last time when looking outpaced for much of the contest but stayed on to beat the stragglers and finish eighth.
Bluegrass, who finished one place in front of him, went close off a mark of 105 at Huntingdon next time, so an opening mark of 96 looks fair enough, and there should be plenty more to come with the yard in such a rich vein of form.
The Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Handicap Hurdle looks quite a warm contest but I’m keen side with Dan Skelton’s representative, VICKI VALE (2.40 Taunton, Nap).
His former boss Paul Nicholls saddles three.
Vicki Vale was a C&D winner on soft ground last spring and has made the frame on all three starts this season.
Her latest third of 12 to Inca de Lafayette over 2m3f here is as good as anything she has achieved and while she meets the winner again, a swing in the weights of 2lb means there is very little between the pair, and Vicki Vale is the more likely of the pair to be suited by the return to 2m.
Of more importance, however, is she is the one more likely to give her running, with Inca de Lafayette an inconsistent sort who tends to alternate good runs and downright stinkers.
Pallas Lord looks to have been cleverly placed in the Stay Golden With BetMGM Safer Gambling Handicap, as he’s able to race from a pound lower mark than for his win last week, and having developed a nice winning habit, he could be hard to beat here.
Meets
However, POP FAVOURITE (5.30 Newcastle) had his measure over this C&D at the end of last month and actually meets Pallas Lord on better terms today
It’s hard to see why there should be such a price differential between the pair here.
His fourth in the fog here last week looks a solid enough effort on paper, but trying to work out what happened between halfway and the furlong pole is anyone’s guess, so bad was the weather.
He stayed on well enough in the latter stages, almost grabbing third on the line, and certainly appears to be in top form, so should provide value against the obvious pick.
IN FINE FORM: Trainer Ben Pauling