BALLYDINE THE TASTY OPTION
1.15 Wetherby – PENNYWELL (nb) has arguably put up her two best performances on her latest visits to the racetrack – they were also the only occasions she has been ridden by Richard Johnson. The champ is on board again and we can expect the mare’s progressive run to continue. She had winning form in Irish points and her victory at Uttoxeter in November proved that stamina is a given as it was a bog but she finished with a flourish from the last flight over three miles to get up having looked to be initially held off early in the home straight by Marienstar.
1.50 Wetherby – BALLYDINE (nap) finished in mid division of a Grade One novices’ hurdle at Aintree in April 2016 after two novice wins, along with a grand second to the high class Barters Hill in a Grade Two at Doncaster. Off the course for the best part of two years, Ballydine was touched off in a photo on his chase debut comeback at Haydock last month.
2.40 Southwell GHASEEDAH came a long-looking five lengths clear of Ladies First on her fibresand debut under the merest hand riding from Timmy Murphy at this track last month. The former NH ace will be expecting a similar armchair ride in today’s handicap when the Simon Crisford-trained runner props up the weights. The Amber Fort is another who caught the eye on its first run at Southwell – runner up to Kommander Kirkup – and on the strength of that is the obvious forecast choice. 3.10 Southwell – DECLAMATION (treble) has suddenly recaptured his best form after moving to John Butler’s yard for his last two starts. On his latest outing he put up a career-best performance to massacre a classified stakes field over today’s course and distance by six lengths. He could have won by eight as he was still tanking further clear when the brakes were applied late on. Top weight in this handicap inevitably represents a tougher task but he won so well for Robert Winston last time it is difficult to look past him.
3.40 Southwell ALTERNATE ROUTE was overpowered at the finish by the storming late run of Bamako Du Chatelet at Lingfield in December. He was ridden by an obviously inexperienced apprentice that day but in this amateur riders’ affair he has the benefit of one of the best operators in the sphere, Simon Walker.
7.15 Kempton – NIGHT OF GLORY has raced more often than his three rivals combined and rather than anticipating improvement from them it is perhaps safer to stick with the Andrew Balding horse who does set a decent standard on form. He has an official Flat rating of 92 and ran to a better level than that when second to Royal Line at Haydock in September. A little sharpener in a valuable novices’ hurdle at Sandown last month should have put him spot on for this race. Nicky Henderson’s hurdler Bardd made his belated Flat debut a winning one when taking a Chelmsford maiden, but this opportunity is much tougher.