TANTASTIC
Get your Festival money flowing with River
BOOST your Cheltenham bank with TANIT RIVER in the Matchbook Handicap Chase (3.35) at Sandown.
After three lacklustre runs this winter, Tim Vaughan’s eight-yearold sprang a 16-1 surprise over this course and distance 22 days ago, making much of the running to beat Aubusson by three lengths.
That success was gained from a handicap mark of 123, and the assessor has since put Tanit River up 5lb to a new perch of 128.
But that’s only 1lb higher than the rating from which Alan Johns’ mount scored by 17 lengths at Chepstow last January, and Tanit River – whose career profile suggests he holds his form once he’s found it – should follow up.
The mares’ bumper (3.00) looks a good opportunity for QUEENOHEARTS
to make her presence felt at Listed level.
After a promising debut fourth in a Chepstow bumper in November, Stuart Edmunds’ daughter of Flemensfirth took a big step forward to win a similar event for mares at Towcester by five lengths four days before Christmas.
This is tougher, but Queenohearts has plenty more to offer.
The Grade 3 Matchbook novices’ handicap hurdle (1.50) CANELO is wide open, but should give a good account of himself.
Having failed to get home over three miles at Taunton in December, Wayne Hutchinson’s mount scored over an extended two miles and three at Doncaster last time out and can progress past his 128 handicap mark. At Wolverhampton, the Ryan SECOND Moore-partnered THOUGHT is a worthy favourite for the Listed Lady Wulfruna Stakes (3.15). The four-year-old, trained by William Haggas (left), has yet to suffer defeat in five tries on all-weather surfaces – including two scores at Listed level. SWIFT EMPEROR Earlier, is the selection for the Lincoln Trial Handicap (2.05). David Barron coaxed the gelding back to winning form here in December, and Swift Emperor still looks competitively weighted despite a 4lb rise in the handicap.