LOST CAN PROVE A REAL FIND
LADIES Day at Aintree features a great battle between RSA Chase winner Topofthegame and JLT second Lostintranslation (2.50).
The race could be an epic as Topofthegame has proven form over three miles while Lostintranslation hasn’t — although he looks a likely improver over the trip.
Topofthegame isn’t short of pace — he finished second in last year’s Coral Cup — but Lostintranslation is going to love this tight track.
He jumps for fun and was only denied victory in the JLT at Cheltenham by the late surge of former Triumph Hurdle winner Defi Du Seuil.
Both races were genuine Grade 1 affairs, so there isn’t much between the pair in terms of ability.
However, LOSTINTRANSLATION impressed me enough to add him to the Winner Machine list and can do the business today for trainer Olly Murphy (right).
The major problem for Topofthegame is the form — or lack of it — of Colin Tizzard’s horses.
ITCHY FEET (2.20) put his best ones forward in the Cheltenham Festival opener when catching the eye, running on strongly behind Klassical Dream in the Supreme. Although that was a major step-up on previous efforts, the Murphytrained novice has some solid form to boast prior to that and was consistent before moving up in class. He’s likely to step up again. Adrien Du Pont and FLYING ANGEL are our horses in the Topham (4.05).
The former, trained by Paul Nicholls, only failed to make the shortlist for this 2m5f tear-up by virtue of not running for 41 days — marginally too long to be ideal.
Flying Angel came back to his best when fifth in the Ultima at Cheltenham and is the one to follow.