PERFECT STORM
Tizzard star can thunder home at Newbury
KILBRICKEN STORM is fancied to blow his rivals away in the top-level Betfred Challow Novices’ Hurdle (3.00, ITV4) at Newbury.
The six-year-old’s trainer Colin Tizzard (right) has had a character-building Christmas – stable favourites Thistlecrack and Fox Norton were no match for Might Bite in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. But the Dorset trainer has a promising type in Kilbricken Storm, who scored over two miles at Wincanton in November before landing a Grade 2 event over three miles at Cheltenham two weeks ago.
Harry Cobden’s mount steps back to two and a half today, but Tizzard is confident the son of Oscar will cope with the reduced trip.
“I don’t want to pigeonhole him as a three-miler – I’m taking the view that if he won over two he’s going to be fast enough,” he said. “The ground will be heavy and he should be fine.” There’s plenty of improvement left to come from the former point-to-point winner and Kilbricken Storm can step up to the highest level to rack up the hat-trick.
APPROPRIATELY our final attempt at stuffing the bookies in 2017 comes in the Last Fling Handicap Chase at Haydock (2.10).
It’s the third time this 3m 3f race has been run and is named after a grand old course specialist who had a great record on the Merseyside track.
The relevant trends this week are:
■ Aged nine or 10.
■ Won over at least 3m over fences.
Despite finishing fifth in a Scottish National on good ground, Lessons In Milan doesn’t fit the second criteria — the ground for him is a concern too — so we are down to only four qualifiers.
Of those, West Of The Edge has put in more moderate than winning efforts in this kind of race and is harshly weighted.
Jennys Surprise seemed to find her handicap mark too much to handle at Wincanton and needs today’s event to fall apart to figure.
Whiskey Chaser may have a bit of scope for improvement, but he’s not very good.
That leads us to Venetia Williams’ EMPEROR’S CHOICE.
Williams has endured a torrid winter so far but her recent runners have suggested a return to top form is imminent.
Her 10-year-old is a specialist in a mud bath such as today’s contest and is well weighted on a mark 11lb lower than when last winning.
Have 4pts win at 7-1 in places.