SIERGE TO MAKE DAVY TRIP PAY
NICKY HENDERSON has convinced Davy Russell to cross the Irish Sea to ride L’AMI SERGE (3.15) in the Sky Bet Handicap Chase at Doncaster, so take the hint.
This beast is rated 159 over hurdles, so it makes sense to run him in this event off a perch of 152. He ran a cracker oh his last spin over timber when second in a Grade 1 affair at Ascot last month. MARLA’S BENEFIT (2.40) has won her last four starts over obstacles, so she is going to take a world of beating. Stuart Edmunds’ lady hosed up by 30 lengths at Taunton in late December, so she is in the form of her life. Running back on his favoured soft ground and racing left-handed. BRISTOL DE MAI (2.25) can regain the winning thread at Cheltenham. Nigel Twiston Davies’ mudlark was impressive when obliging at Wetherby and Haydock and his trainer reported his horse was wrong after his disappointing show in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day, at a course which was never going to play to his strengths.
Spin
Jamie Spencer is heading to Kempton Park’s evening fixture to partner DRAGON MALL (7.45) and David Simcock’s charge will carry my hard earned after finishing third at Newcastle at the start of the month on his first spin for five months.
He is sure to strip fitter and, racing off a perch of 98, is handicapped to take this for his in-form handler.