Smad Place can make his mark
ALAN KING felt he was to blame for the defeat of SMAD PLACE ( Newbury, 3.00) in last year’s Hennessy Gold Cup, but the Barbury Castle handler has the opportunity to correct those wrongs today.
The possibility of heavy rain in Berkshire won’t please those that fancy the eight-year-old to improve on last year’s fifth placing. However the likeable grey looks a happier horse this season, if a pleasing Kempton reappearance is to be believed, and he could finally land the major prize he has threatened to deliver for some time.
By his own admittance, King thought he was being cute arriving at last year’s meeting first time out with Smad Place as he was keen to preserve an attractive handicap mark.
However, the lack of a run told once the pressure was fully applied and, although far from disgraced behind winner Many Clouds, the selection finished 20 lengths adrift at the line.
The zest, so evident in his formative years over hurdles, looked present at Kempton this month when he bounded clear of Fingal Bay to register a smooth success. That outing is reported to have put Smad Place spot on for today’s assignment and he narrowly gains the nod in front of King’s other representative, Ned Stark, who is reluctantly overlooked.
The last-named has been on the radar for this race for a while and he shaped with plenty of promise on his comeback at Ascot when far from knocked about. Ned Stark has always appeared a more effective horse on an expansive, galloping track and the return to the Berkshire venue on deep ground will be more in his favour than many of his rivals.
Favourite Saphir Du Rheu looked a class act when dismissing The Young Master at Carlisle and, if he is to vindicate his trainer’s view that he is a Gold Cup horse, he must shrug off top-weight.
Those who fancy The Young Master will be optimistic if the rains arrive and his trainer has been coy over the state of his fitness first time out so there could be a fair amount of improvement to come.
Another horse that shouldn’t mind conditions is COLE HARDEN (Newbury, nap, 2.25) who bids to go one better in the bet365 Long Distance Hurdle.
The six-year-old served it up to his rivals from the front in the corresponding race 12 months ago only to succumb late on to the patiently-ridden Medinas. Hopefully, he can gain some compensation for his in-form yard today.