Drinks are on Bloody Mary
BLOODY MARY can send her backers racing to the bar to celebrate after the 2.40 at Newbury.
Already a prolific winner in France and Britain, the grey mare – who is now owned by JP McManus – can take her superb record to eight wins in 10 races by lifting the William Hill In Support of Greatwood Handicap Hurdle.
BLOODY MARY (nap) has not been seen in public since last year’s Cheltenham Festival but fitness will not be an issue given that she represents the yard of Nicky Henderson whose horses are in such good form ahead of the Festival.
Having enjoyed a good career on the Flat in France, Bloody Mary made a successful hurdling debut at Auteuil before making slightly heavy weather of achieving her maiden British victory at Taunton on bog-deep ground.
But she was much improved when running a respectable race to be beaten only seven lengths by the Willie Mullins-trained hotpot Limini in the Grade Two Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last March.
The progressive Dan Skeltontrained OLDGRANGEWOOD (3.15) will also take some beating at Newbury. The gelding has won all three completed starts over fences – brought down on his other run – and the sequence can continue.
Another good bet presents itself in the 2m5f handicap chase at Kelso. It is not often that a 10-year-old chaser can be said to be improving but that seems to be the case with The Orange Rogue, who has won two of his last four outings for Scottish trainer Nick Alexander.
Successful at Newcastle last spring, THE ORANGE ROGUE (4.35, nb) stepped up on that form with the benefit of a tongue tie for the first time when winning in the mud at Ayr in January.
Though the gelding’s jumping was not altogether convincing, I liked the way he made all and galloped to the finish.
For the treble, turn your attentions to the sand racing at Lingfield. There is both prestige and good prize money on offer in the 32Red Spring Cup and for the winner you need look no further than TISBUTADREAM (4.20, treble).
Irish owner Anne Coughlan provided veteran trainer David Elsworth with his first jumps winner (Fortunes Cookie) and they enjoyed arguably their best success together with dual Royal Ascot winner Indian Ridge.
The colours are again being carried with honour for Coughlan and Elsworth – albeit at a much lower level – via Tisbutadream. She has run up a quick hat-trick of handicap victories and can cope with the rise in class.