Southfield set for Kempton success
Conditions have dried up just in time for Southfiled Stone in the Close Brothers Handicap Chase at Kempton today.
Trained by Paul Nicholls, the eightyear-old certainly has more to offer over fences than we have had chance to see to date.
He simply must have good ground to be seen at his best, as he showed when beating the talented Angels Breath in the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at this meeting two years ago.
Flat tracks definitely suit him best too, which was why, despite winning that Grade Two, Nicholls did not even send him to Cheltenham that year, instead waiting for Aintree where soft ground scuppered him.
As he did not win his first novice chase until February last season having had the misfortune of bumping into some smart recruits, he was still eligible for a novice in October, when he beat the subsequent Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Coole Cody.
He has subsequently been put in his place by Protektorat, although there was no disgrace in that considering he was giving him weight, and then bogged down in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup won by Chatham Street Lad.
That run though, along with his effort in Grade One company at Aintree, are the only times he has been out of the frame in 17 starts and his consistency must be admired.
Nicholls could also be on the mark with Atholl Street in the Sky Bet Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle.
The six-year-old appears a chaser of the future, and the fact he is owned by Trevor Hemmings suggests that is what he was bought for, but he has looked very good over the smaller obstacles too.
Both his wins have come at Taunton and while he had a subsequent winner back in fourth the first time, it was the way he won under a penalty on the second occasion that suggested he was way above average.
England 112
JEREMY Guscott believes the Wales centre pairing of Jonathan Davies and George North can have a field day against the English midfield.
However, he’s still going for Eddie Jones’ team to win by six points.
The selection of Lions duo Davies and North at 12 and 13 has been one of the main talking points ahead of today’s Triple Crown showdown at the Principality Stadium.
Guscott knows a thing or two about centre play and feels it could prove a real area of strength for Wales.
“When you think about the size of the English midfield of Ford, Farrell and Slade, it’s very lightweight,” he said on Jonathan Davies’ BBC radio show.
“So these Welsh guys could have a field day. There is a real size difference.
“I wouldn’t want to defend against George, while Wayne Pivac will be hoping Jonathan Davies has the class and ability to come straight into the game at 12.”
Guscott has been impressed by the way Pivac’s team have made the most of pretty limited ball in their victories over Ireland and Scotland.
“Wales have been incredibly efficient,” said the former England and Lions centre.
“They are playing smart rugby at the moment. If you remember Wayne Pivac at the Scarlets, their game was very open and ambitious. It was attacking.
“This is totally different. Wales are surviving - even when playing against 14 guys - with something like 30-40 per cent territory and possession. It’s unheard of. If you look at their two best tries, Liam Williams’ one against Scotland was off a set move.
“That was a training ground set-piece play. It was delivered to perfection.
“Then you had Louis Rees-Zammit’s second in that same game, where he went round the edge, kicked over Hogg and caught the ball.
“That was tremendous skill, a brilliant individual effort.
“To execute that kick running at that pace with such touch was absolutely beautiful.
“You would want to see more of that kind of thing, but we are probably going to see a kicking fest in between the 22s trying to establish some possession.
“The experience in that Welsh side should be enough to get them in the right places.”
As for England, Guscott feels they have been some way short of their best so far in the Championship, losing their opening game at home to Scotland.
“They haven’t been playing well,” he continued.
“If you think back only 12 months ago to that game against Wales at Twickenham, it was a close scoreline, but England had gone away and won that quite comfortably before Wales came back.
“Tuilagi got sent off, Ellis Genge got a yellow card. So Wales were playing against 13, which is one less than they are used to in this Six Nations!
“For me, that was England’s last really good game.
“But they have lost form. You look at Billy Vunipola, Jamie George, even Tom Curry, they are not playing at their best, so Wales have a real chance.
“I just sense there is a confidence challenge going on in that England squad at the moment.”
“Having said all that, I have got England just to win by maybe six points. The scores will be in the 20s, England to win by six.”