Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ACTION MAN
Present can gift Nicholls & Frost a double in battle for the beer
PRESENT MAN and Bryony Frost get the vote to repeat last year’s victory of 12 months ago in the Badger Ales Trophy Handicap Chase (3.35) at Wincanton today.
It was in this race last November that Frost announced her arrival among the professional ranks when driving Present Man to a head margin over the Leighton Aspell partnered Final Nudge.
The Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old didn’t add to that win in three subsequent visits to the racecourse, but is well treated off a 2lb higher mark than successful in 2017.
Nicholls has won six of the past 10 runnings of the Grade 2 novice Chase (2.25), which makes SECRET INVESTOR
– who captured the Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow on his most recent outing – the logical choice.
A muscle tear ruled him out of the second half of last season, but IF THE CAP FITS
is taken to make up for lost time by beating six rivals for the Grade 2 Unibet Elite Hurdle (3.00).
A smart performer in bumpers, the son of Milan racked up a hat-trick of novice-hurdle scores at Exeter, Bangor and Kempton, landing the threesome on the King George undercard on Boxing Day.
Although denied the chance to add to those gains, If The Cap Fits is reported to be thriving by trainer Harry Fry and can hit the ground running.
Fry’s sister-in-law Aine O’connor has forged a potent LITTERALE CI, partnership with and top weight should not prevent another good account in the mares handicap hurdle (1.50).
On Doncaster’s November LAUGH A Handicap undercard, MINUTE
looks a worthy favourite for the Listed Marathonbet Wentworth Stakes (2.05), while QUEEN OF TIME
is officially the best horse in the Marathonbet Gillies Fillies’ Stakes (1.30). SOME
At Aintree, INVITATION,
a disappointing favourite at Uttoxeter at the end of May – he finished last of 17 behind Drumcliff – is given the chance to atone in the Rewards 4Racing Handicap Chase (2.40).